Existentialism And Nihilism In Shakespeare's Hamlet

960 Words2 Pages

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The tragedy of Hamlet, the story and the character, explore several themes. The themes portrayed in the play are reflections of the societal standards and beliefs of its time period, the late middle ages. In addition to the obvious themes of the play, the play explores deeper philosophical themes. Hamlet depicts the philosophies of existentialism and nihilism; these philosophies are embodied in Hamlet’s psyche and may be the product of his depression. Considering the philosophies of existentialism and nihilism were not defined or established until centuries after the writing of Hamlet, the play was ahead of its time as a narrative of the psychological value of the philosophies. Hamlet’s famous soliloquy that begins with “To be, or not to be, that is the question,” (Hamlet 53) is a statement that shows Hamlet’s state of having an existential crisis. Hamlet’s depression has driven him to question if life is worth living; therefore, the question is whether or not Hamlet should end his life. Hamlet may be aware that, at this point in his life, his fate may be determined by his hands or by someone other than himself. If he goes through with his plan of killing his uncle, King Claudius, he may be persecuted under law for committing a crime against the government and the divine king. …show more content…

The perceived ghost of King Hamlet states that he is stuck in purgatory. King Hamlet’s ghost prompts Hamlet to avenge his father’s murder to get him out of limbo and to fulfill his familial duty to avenge the murder of his father. Hamlet, in his despair and questioning of King Claudius’s authority/intentions, devises an elaborate plan to expose his uncle as a murderer. Hamlet questions the intentions of the ghost, but does not question its existence. Hamlet does not seem to regard if the ghost is a figment of his psyche, an elaborate manifestation of his

More about Existentialism And Nihilism In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Open Document