Renaissance in Hamlet
What speech in Hamlet alludes to an unknown afterlife?
"To be or not to be..." "the undiscovered country"
What entails the humanist philosophy?
A belief in self, human worth, and individual dignity
What does rebirth refer to English Literature?
A renewal of learning, new beliefs, doing things differently from the Middle Ages
What are characteristics of the renaissance?
A renewed interest in classical antiquity, a rise in humanist philosophy, changes in ideas about religion, politics and science
How is classical antiquity presented in Hamlet?
Hamlet has references to Greek and Roman stories
How are politics reflected in the play?
Hamlet questions Claudius' right to ascend to the throne.
Where is the humanist philosophy mentioned in the play?
In Act II, Scene 2, line 311 "what a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties"
How does the "to be or not to be" speech relate to the renaissance era?
It is a departure from Medieval religious ideas rooted in a belief that there are two afterlife: heaven and hell
How is the renaissance linked to the political changes in Hamlet?
It was new to question anything to do with the "natural" hierarchal structures that maintained political power
What does Renaissance mean?
Rebirth
What historical characters mirror hamlets story?
The murderous king Pyrrhus, and queen in mourning over her murdered husband Hecuba which mirror the main plot points of the play
What was taking place during the time Shakespeare wrote Hamlet?
There were big political changes
How does the humanist philosophy relate to this quote?
You can see clear humanist ideas about the uniqueness of and extraordinary abilities of the human mind
