Hamlet's View Of Religion In Hamlet

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Shakespeare’s Hamlet is heavily based on religious views. At the time of the play being written, the Elizabethan era, the religion that is most prominent is Catholicism. However, throughout the play there are conflicting views regarding Pagan and Protestant religion as well. The Protestant and Catholic religion are forms of Christianity. Pagan views are the opposite of this as in an unbeliever or one who has no religion.
Within the text of this play there are many issues that discuss Hamlet’s view of religion and the afterlife. First and foremost, there is the conflict of suicide and murder and how those two acts reflect on a person and their afterlife. Additionally, there are the situations of incest, sex outside of marriage, mourning practices, and ghosts or apparitions.
The Catholic and Protestant religion have similar views of what happens when a person dies. They both believe in the soul going to …show more content…

The pagan belief here is that there is no heaven. Therefore, if a person was killed in any manner, it would not have an effect as there is no after-life in pagan theory.
There are many instances in this play that support the Christian belief of an afterlife. Hamlet struggles with sending the King to heaven as he does not believe that he should have that glory. At the end of the play the King commits murder yet again by poisoning the drink and Gertrude drinking of it. It is in these moments that Hamlet is finally able to avenge his father. “Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damn`ed Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother.”
Hamlet then seeks forgiveness for his actions as he is

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