During this speech, Hamlet ponders whether he should wait to kill Claudius, or if he should just do it. He watches as Claudius prays and feels a strong desire to strike him down there and then, but then Hamlet considers that if Claudius were to die in worship, he would most probably wind up in heaven, a place into which he should never be allowed entry. Hamlet is determined to make Claudius pay for the death of his father, and considers the fact that he is ultimately responsible for his uncle's fate.
Hamlet then reasons that he should wait to kill Claudius until the King is engaged in an act "That has no relish of salvation in it..." If Claudius dies then, he is much less likely to end up in heaven, and therefore much more likely to suffer for what he did to his brother.
Hamlet's reasoning in this soliloquy is quite intriguing to me. While I myself am not a strong believer in heaven and hell, I still am familiar with the basic teachings of the more prominent religions in regards to them, and I cannot say that I have ever heard that the deed one is doing upon death defines one's location after. It is, of course, important to consider the fact that Hamlet is a bit of an oddball, and he seems to take fragments of several belief systems to build up his own. It can also often be a challenge to interpret exactly what the meanings of many of Hamlet's words are in the first place, as he has a very dry delivery, yet tends to use sarcasm on occasion. It can be hard to take him literally. That being said, I think it's safe to say after this speech that his one overbearing desire is to make Claudius suffer.
Delaney,
ReplyDeleteI think you got it spot-on when you said that despite Hamlet's confusing and disjointed religious beliefs/theological perspective, above all, he wants Claudius to suffer and be condemned for the murder of his father. Like we discussed in class, Hamlet seems a bit lost in regards to what he believes and how that affects what he is set out to do. I agree with you when you mentioned how his beliefs are a myriad of different beliefs. You can see different religious ideals. Do you think this is a product of his age, as he is still in that stage of adopting his own belief system, or do you think that the time period itself could be to blame? This was a very experimental and discovery-based time in history, which could be the reason why he is influenced by so many religions/belief systems. Great post.
Delaney,
ReplyDeleteI'm in full agreement that Hamlet is a bit of an oddball. Throughout the play, he's been a bit unpredictable and unstable at times, and this moment epitomizes these characteristics. I think that Hamlet is largely the victim of a set of unfortunate circumstances that has led him to lose faith in the good nature of humanity. I suppose that losing someone's father will rock them to their core. At least in my opinion, Hamlet seems to be having something of a mental break though. There's nothing normal about the way he is grieving his loss.