Francesca Davis 12SBD English Coursework Hamlet
How far does Hamlet offer a sense of redemption at the end of the play?
Shakespeare, throughout Hamlet, discusses the idea of redemption and the sense of religious influences through the play. Shakespeare establishes throughout the play the conflict between the ideas behind religion with the characters of Claudius and Hamlet and showing this contradiction in ideologies: debating the divine right of Kings. The revenge play was a genre popular in the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. Elements common to all revenge tragedy include: a hero who must avenge an evil deed, often encouraged by the apparition of a close friend or relative; scenes of death and mutilation; insanity or feigned insanity; sub-plays; and the violent death of the hero. This traditional Shakespearian close to the tragedies are mirrored in Hamlet with the feeling of redemption and renewal; this can be seen not only in Hamlet but also in other Shakespearian plays like King Lear that again uses the similar ending to portray and reveal the argument of redemption and religion in the play.
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This essay does address the idea of redemption being a religious concept in the second paragraph and some good points are made about this. The idea of redemption being a religious one would have been particularly relevant during Shakespeare's time of writing; however the question allowed for a broader interpretation which was not explored in this essay. Given the length of 'Hamlet' and the numerous opportunities for character analysis this essay should have been more developed in order to produce a suitably sustained response. The structure of the play could have been explored; considering the moments of the play when Hamlet acted without responsibility or consideration of consequence and those moments when the audience may have true empathy and forgiveness for the character.