How Does Hamlet Respond To His Father's Suicide

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet attempts to avenge his father’s death by killing his murderer and brother, King Claudius. However, throughout the play Hamlet appears to have ulterior motives for plotting against his uncle. Although he initially claims to intend to murder Claudius in an act of revenge to free his father from Purgatory, Hamlet’s religious background makes it unlikely that he not only believes his father’s position, but acts in response to his circumstances. Due to his religious education, Hamlet has a sound foundation for doubting the ghost’s initial claim describing his presence in Purgatory. According to Claudius, Hamlet attended “school in Wittenberg” (Shakespeare 15), a well-known Protestant school. Protestants

Revenge is an unholy way of purifying his father’s spirit and clearly opposes both Catholic and Protestant beliefs. Hamlet carefully considers religion while attempting to kill Claudius. He had the opportunity to kill Claudius while he was vulnerable in prayer, but he refused because he did not want to kill him when he was “seasoned for his passage”(87). While already defying the beliefs of the church by plotting against Claudius, Hamlet opposed the church by refusing to allow his victim to purge himself from sin moments before his death. Although he was already committing a sin in the eyes of the church, he was making matters worse by not complying with one of the fundamental ideas of repenting before death to gain entry into

It is debatable whether Hamlet really attempted to kill Claudius solely to avenge his father and send him to heaven. After continuously criticizing their “incestuous sheets” (16) it seems he is trying to separate his mother from the clutches of this man. Since before their marriage they were siblings in law, “incestuous” is not a technically accurate description of Gertrude’s marriage with Claudius. This word choice on Hamlet’s part, however, shows how harshly he is judging this marriage. While it could be argued that he is simply trying to protect his mother from treacherous hands, Hamlet’s actions do not convey simple family attachment as the source of his anger. Though Queen Gertrude is part of the ghost’s initial request, Hamlet considers her in a different light compared to the ghost’s description of his widowed