The Purpose Of Religion In Shakespeare's Hamlet

A literary critic of Hamlet, Patrick Cruttwell, explores in his writing titled The morality of Hamlet- ‘Sweet Prince or ‘Arrant Knave’?, the purpose of religion during Elizabethan times to set moral values that often conflicted with man’s nature. Additionally, Cruttwell states Hamlet’s actions in the play aggressively clash with the religious values of the time period, including lust, greed and violence. Shakespeare illustrates throughout the play by not abiding by the only moral structure of the time period, religion, man is doomed to self destruction by giving into his chaotic Dionysian nature. Shakespeare sets up this necessity for religion in Laertes’ monologue in Act One, Scene Three, when Laertes warns his sister about the true Dionysian
The entire play focuses on Hamlet spiraling into madness because he believes he must take revenge on his father, which culminates into him killing Polonius when he “[realizes] that someone is behind the arras and [suspects] that it might be Claudius, [crying], “How now! a rat?” (III.iv.22). In the wake of Claudius unchristian and corrupt deed, Hamlet becomes severely emotionally distraught to the point of going against one of the staple moral codes of his religion. Additionally, Hamlet dehumanizing Claudius to the level of a rat not only validates Hamlet’s negative view of Claudius, but reveals the animal that Hamlet will become if he breaks the Christian morals of the time and submits to his desires to take revenge. On a widespread play structural level, Shakespeare presents Hamlet torn between giving into his desire for revenge and staying true to the structured moral of religion through ending all of Hamlet murder statement with a couplet, such as “thing.. King” and then proceeds to have an act focused on other characters (II.ii.84). Shakespeare uses repeats this structure to highlight Hamlet's downfall. He achieves this by presenting an image multiple distinct moments where Hamlet either follows his religion or goes down a desire driven path to morally depraved revenge. Additionally, Shakespeare alludes to the
There are countless parallels between Hamlet and what occurred during King Henry VIII’s rule. Henry broke from the Roman Catholic Church because he wished to remarry for his own desires to insure his own power. His choice sparked not only corruption in his marriages and shattered his ties to his Christianity, but sent a wave of religious reform known as the Reformation that would culminate into disunity and violence for countless years. Similarly in Hamlet, Claudius breaks from his religious morals to gain power, which has horrifying implications on those immediately around him and his entire country. This validates that the themes in this specific play and those in writing as a whole craft often largely originate from the events present in the writer’s life, highlighting the importance of pairing historical background with written works to achieve the fullest significance of the text.