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Essay / The Personal Enlightenment of Hamlet in the play by William Shakespeare
Hamlet is a play about a young man's journey toward self-discovery through an intense examination of his spirituality, morality, and purpose on earth. Prince Hamlet's encounter with the ghost of his murdered father initiates him on this path to personal awakening. Hamlet's crusade to find meaning in his life is reconciled in his spirituality. Hamlet finds his purpose on earth as a truly moral man following the principles that govern his religion. His duties as a deeply religious man include avenging his father's death. The violence required for adequate revenge is justified by the Christian concept of "an eye for an eye" as well as Hamlet's filial duty to free his father's soul from purgatory. In his quest for revenge, Hamlet reaches important spiritual conclusions that put his soul at ease and fulfill his life's purpose; therefore, his death in the final scene is not a tragedy but a fitting conclusion to a heroic life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hamlet's personal awakening begins in the first scene when he encounters the ghost of his father. Initially, it seems that the ghost's sole purpose is to incite Hamlet into retaliation against his father's murderer. However, as the play progresses, the ghost's role as Hamlet's spiritual guide becomes more evident. The ghost facilitates Hamlet's discovery and pushes Hamlet to avenge his father's death. In doing so, he prompts Hamlet to examine his religious beliefs and how they apply to his duties. The concept of death inspires Hamlet to also think about his destiny and how his morality will determine his fate. The first act establishes Hamlet's duty to his father. King Hamlet's soul is stuck in purgatory, between heaven and hell, until the sins committed against him are justified. At their first meeting, King Hamlet tells his disconcerted son: "I am the spirit of your father, / Condemned for a time to walk by night, / And for the day confined to fasting in the fires, / Until 'until the vile crimes committed in my days of nature/ Are burned and purged' (1.5.10-14). This is clear from his response: “O God! ”, Hamlet did not really suspect foul play in his father's death until his father's shocking revelation (1.5.25). Without wasting time, King Hamlet explicitly asks his son to “avenge his vile and most unnatural murder” (1.5.26). Hamlet, charged with a clear mission, leaves his father's ghost and begins his quest for revenge. However, after his father's ghost leaves, Hamlet seems to lose strength in his beliefs and struggles with his mission. Praying for strength, he said: “O all of you, army of heaven! O earth! What else? / And must I couple hell? Oh fi! Hold on, hold on, my heart, / And you, my sinews, do not grow old instantly, / But bear with me stiffly” (1.5.93-96). Not only does this soliloquy establish Hamlet's faith in God, but it also reveals his nature; he is not mentally stable enough to accomplish this mission independently. He relies on several external forces to help him accomplish his task. In the third scene, his father's ghost returns "to sharpen [his] almost blunt aim" (3.4.115). The physical existence of the ghost is questionable. Rather, it could be, or at least represent, Hamlet's faith in God and the strength he draws from his faith. The ghost undeniably represents Hamlet's belief in a supernatural world separate from life on earth. Besides the obvious importance of the ghost inas Hamlet's motivation to seek revenge, it also inspires Hamlet to become meditative and spiritual. After the ghost leaves, Hamlet's attitude changes noticeably. His friends and family believe he has gone crazy. However, after learning the true nature of his father's death and what he must do to avenge it, Hamlet simply became very introspective. His spirituality becomes extremely important to him and important in his search for meaning in his life. In the midst of his introspection and his simultaneous mission of revenge, Hamlet comes to several very significant conclusions. Death as a recurring theme in his life leads Hamlet to reflect on his spirituality. He realizes that death is inevitable and indifferent to social status. His recognition that death is inevitable leads to his affirmation of the existence of God, as well as his examination of God's interaction with humanity, of humanity's uniqueness from the rest of creatures of God and the purpose of humanity on earth. Death is a repeated phenomenon, and therefore very significant, theme of the story of Hamlet. After his encounter with his father's ghost, Hamlet becomes obsessed with death. When his university friends come to visit him and secretly assess his mental state, he describes the depression that has gripped him since the death of his father in a strange and melancholy monologue. Hamlet says: I have lately lost, but I know not why, all my joy, I have given up all habit of exercise; and in fact, it puts such a strain on me that this beautiful framework, the earth, seems to me a barren promontory; this excellent vault, the air, look at you, this brave firmament which overlooks it, this majestic roof decorated with golden fire, why it appears to me nothing other than a gathering of foul and pestilential vapors. What work this man does! How noble is reason, how infinite are the faculties, how expressive and admirable are form and movement, like an angel in action, like a god in apprehension! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! And yet, in my eyes, what is this quintessence of dust? (2.2.296-309) After speaking with his father, Hamlet broke out of his usual routine; he is no longer able to live his life normally. He now has a very distinct quest and this quest has led to a radical change in his mentality. He is consumed by melancholy. His life on earth seems meaningless. He is angered by humanity as a whole and its complete disregard for his God-given unique gift of reason, a complaint he repeats in a final monologue. He says that "divine capacity and reason / Remaining in us unused" is a blatant denial of God's benevolence (4.4.39-40). Hamlet's preoccupation with death resulting from his frightening encounter with his father prompted his desire to meditate on abstract ideas about spirituality, morality, and human responsibility. Its contemplation becomes cyclically destructive. The more Hamlet thinks about his spirituality, morality, and duties, the more depressed he becomes and the more frequently thoughts of suicide come to his mind. Hamlet reflects on his responsibilities to his father as well as his mother's misdeeds and decides that suicide seems to be the only viable solution to his problems. Hamlet says sadly: To be or not to be, that is the question: whether it is nobler in the spirit to suffer the slings and arrows of scandalous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of troubles and oppose it? To die, to sleep – No more – (3.1.57-62) Hamlet's obsession with death and his obsession with spirituality have locked him in a terrible position: he cannot escape his pain without violating his morals, but his contemplation of his morality is causing him enormous suffering.He ultimately decides that his uncertainty about life after death is too great to risk eternal damnation. This particular episode of contemplation actually results in an optimistic conclusion for Hamlet, unlike his other meditations. Hamlet firmly establishes his belief in God and an afterlife. He decides that no human would endure such horrible pain if they weren't afraid of being punished for escaping it. Hamlet says that humans "would rather bear the evils we have/Than fly to others whose existence we know not" (3.1.82-83). He continues: “Thus conscience makes cowards of us all; / And thus the native tint of resolution / Is sick with the pallor of thought” (3.1.84-86). Hamlet ultimately decides that the only way he can escape his pain is if he takes action in his revenge plot. Either he or his uncle must die for the sins committed against his father and Hamlet is not willing to die for the atonement of his uncle's sins. Following this monologue, Hamlet truly begins his journey toward self-discovery. He is no longer caught in the wheel of melancholy. His newfound strength allows him to free his mind and begin to find meaning in his life. After deciding to act, Hamlet's thoughts become very religious in nature. He preaches sin, repentance and virtue to everyone around him. He is finally secure in his own morality and he believes that with God behind him, he will successfully complete his mission and adequately avenge his father's death. The roles of Hamlet and his uncle begin to change in the third act when Claudius prays for forgiveness of his sins. and Hamlet considers action. Claudius is weakened by guilt and is terrified of impending consequences from higher forces. Claudius's weakened stance toward his vengeful nephew is evident when he says, “May I not pray, / By inclination be as keen as the will; / My stronger guilt goes against my strong intention” (3.3.38-41). Claude's immoral behavior destroys his power. It seems that Hamlet, with his ever moral behavior, is stealing Claudius' strength and power. In one of his first significant confrontations with his uncle, Hamlet affirms his faith in God and claims that his will is guided by divinity. Hamlet comes upon Claudius praying and declares that he knows of his uncle's actions and claims that he will take revenge. Hamlet says of his uncle, "His soul is perhaps as damned and black as hell wherever it goes", once again reaffirming his beliefs in God and his belief that immoral behavior leads to evil. eternal life afterlife in hell and vice versa. Hamlet finds strength in his beliefs in God as well as a good conscience. The queen and king do not have faith comparable to that of Hamlet or morality of their own. Hamlet recognizes his advantage over his mother and uses it against her. He describes her sins and basically tells her that she and her lover are going to hell. She begs him to stop preaching against her, saying, “O Hamlet, speak no more! / You turn my eyes to my very soul, / And there I see such black and grainy spots” (3.4.90-92). He caused the king and queen to examine their souls and see their wrongdoings. In doing so, he has virtually accomplished his task of vengeance. The king and queen are tortured by their conflicting moral issues and beg for mercy from God's wrath. Hamlet's quest for revenge and subsequent acquisition of confidence resulting from his faith in God and his knowledge of his true moral behavior enabled him to take revenge on his uncle and mother in a way that was beyond their murder. The king and queen, 1988.