Hamlet Context Flashcards
What was the concept of the Great Chain of Being?
The view of the universe as a divinely ordained hierarchy, the disruption of which causes chaos and the need for natural order to be re-established
What are the 2 contradictory codes which Hamlet struggles with throughout the play?
Elizabethan Christian doctrine/Renaissance ethics and the Code of Chivalric Honour
Elizabethan view of ghosts - Prosser
‘the majority opinion held all ghosts were devils’
Essay on Revenge - Francis Bacon
‘revenge is a kind of wild justice […] in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy’
Essay on Revenge, linking to tragic genre - Francis Bacon
‘vindictive persons live the life of witches; who, as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate’
What is the significance of Hamlet being a student in Wittenburg?
In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenburg’s Schlosskirche, the city had a reputation for pioneering religious and intellectual debate
What is the significance of the suggestion of purgatory and Old Hamlet?
Purgatory was an exclusively Catholic belief, Hamlet’s debate about the legitimacy of the ghost reflecting Elizabethan religious tensions and contributing to his contemplation of action
What is the more Protestant interpretation of the ghost of Old Hamlet?
A ‘goblin damned’, not a genuine spirit from purgatory but a demon in resemblance of the deceased - misleading and diabolical imposture
What is a more psychological/Humanist interpretation of the ghost?
It is the manifestation of Hamlet’s desire for revenge/sense of duty to fulfil his position as son and heir
What does the ghost represent in relation to corruption and the Great Chain of Being?
The degradation of natural order and the chaos which ensues as a result of corruption and regicide
What is Machiavellianism?
The view that politics is amoral, and deceit and violence are justifiable in maintaining power, manipulative and unempathetic -potentially oligarchical
What are the ‘dark triad’ of negative personality traits?
Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism
What is ‘The Prince’?
Machiavelli’s 16th century political treatise
Who was Machiavelli?
Italian diplomat, philosopher and political theorist
How does Hamlet reflect Elizabethan political context?
Reflects instability and tensions, particularly religious (concerning foreign threats from Spain) and internal anxieties surrounding succession and Elizabeth I’s declining health
What is Renaissance Humanism?
The revived interest in classical studies of what it means to be human
What features of Renaissance thought are embodied by Hamlet?
Emphasis on human reason, individual agency and complex emotions
How did the discoveries of Copernicus influence Renaissance thought?
Changed the way humanity understood its place in the universe
How does Gertrude reflect social thought?
Presents anxieties about female sexuality, the morality of marriage and familial honour
How does Ophelia embody Elizabethan thought about women?
Presents the strain of patriarchy and the lack of female agency
What were early modern views on hysteria?
Exclusively female - a disorder of the womb
Which theory of madness does Shakespeare display through Ophelia?
That excessive or unrequited love could lead to mental distraction
When was the ‘Ten Tragedies of Seneca’ translated into English?
1581
What are the features of a Senecan tragedy?
Madness, ghosts, violence and moral conflict
