I hold my duty as i hold my soul both to my God Essay

Polonius statement, found in answer Two, Scene Two, reflects the symmetry and set out of the companionship he costs in. He inhabits a field of certainty and mediaeval convention. The play squeeze out be seen to challenge the statement, both in the bodily process and in the char passageers, particularly in the character of hamlet himself-grandness. It is critical point, the renaissance humans of the play, whose controversial attitude is constantly seen to challenge the gothic certainties that could still be seen in Jacobean night club. Value was placed on transaction to the milkweed butterfly and to God the origination of marriage was sacred and scientific reasoning was overbearing and definite. all(prenominal) these things are challenged in Shakespeares Hamlet. The social and cultural temper of Jacobean society was much(prenominal) that certainties and conventions were held in high esteem- Shakespeares Hamlet is written in the context of, for example, the social hierarchy of the time, the chivalric court, and religion. All of these are challenged in the play by both the characters and the plot. Even the actually form of the statement challenges these certainties, for the couplet is a chiasmus- the symmetrical complex body part reflects the rattling nature of the society in which Polonius lives.In Shakespeares time society was beginning to ask some of the questions which Shakespeare addresses through the character of Hamlet. Most passel embraced a rational, scientific line of thin fagot Elizabethans were non al airs to a great extent superstitious. For example, in do work one, Scene one, Horatio expresses doubt at the existence of the specter Before my God, I might non this believe Without the sensible and uncoiled avouch Of mine own eyes. They also began to question the old hierarchy and the natural aim of things- much(prenominal) as God and gracious king upon the dawn of the Renaissance.The idea of society as a fixed structu re and e precisething world ordained in the world was indeed a untouchable certainty. Hamlet has a overt vision of things as they are he is a realist, a Renaissance man, unlike characters such(prenominal) as Claudius and Polonius who Shakespeare portrays to be lacking in vision. Shakespeare shows the court to be full of population who count on that all these things are absolute simply because they see always been a certain way. Hamlet is also the main vehicle through which Shakespeare conveys his views.Hamlet has indeed been brought up with medieval and religious certainties besides. Or that the everlasting had non fixd His canon gainst self- slaughter. A modern font audience whitethorn very well see Hamlet as being instead tame- a twenty-first century rebel would non acknowledge proprieties such as the divine ban on suicide- but Hamlet seeks more than vindicate. He is a melancholy individual, who searches for the answers to some of these questions through the title s tatement, Shakespeare challenges his present-day(a) audience and the modern audience to question these certainties overly.Hamlets clear vision is in direct contrast to the other characters, in the signified that he is the only character who is fain to question these certainties and to try and define, in a sense, what the align meaning of breeding is, what it is all about. Shakespeare challenges the statement of duty to God and king by implying, through the character of Hamlet that life is underpinned by something other than the monarch and the church. Hamlet is totally aware of the stunner of the world yet at the same time has a demoralized wit on the gifts of man as we are all bandaged to die anywayWhat piece of work is a man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a idol and yet to me what is this quintessence of dust? The character of Polonius is underpinned b y values such as duty to God and king- this is illustrated not only in move Two Scene Two but also in Act One Scene Three This above all to thine own self be true, As it must follow the night the day curtilage canst not past be false to any man. This quotation illustrates a simplistic outlook on life. The main way in which Shakespeare challenges this outlook is, ironically, in Polonius death. In Act Three, burst four, Polonius is casually and ignominiously killed by Hamlet O, I am slain. Polonius expresses surprise as much as anything, while Hamlet s words reinforce the irony of Polonius self- importance I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune Thou findst to be too busy in some danger. Polonius is intelligibly at home in this ordered society and shows a passive acceptance of the status quo.He has a simple medieval outlook on life and clearly values his duty to his God and king however, he dies by fuddled accident. Although throughout his life he has clearly endeavoure d to serve these two entities to the exceed of his ability, he still dies an unnatural, brutal death. Shakespeare is indeed illustrating the irrelevance that these values set out to life, both in Shakespeares era and now. The statement which Polonius makes in Act Two Scene Two about duty to God and nance allows the reader to infer a lot about the character of Polonius and the world in which he lives- he does not seek new experience.These medieval certainties are also challenged in the character of Claudius. He is obviously not on the side of God- indeed, he seems to contradict the very reasoning of the church by the brutal manner in which he murders the king. It is ironic thitherfore that he seems to declare himself king by divine right as he actually dies with a guilty conscience Theres such divinity doth hedge a king That treason can but peep to what it would, Acts little of his will. Here it appears that Claudius has conveniently forgotten on the button how he became king. Shakespeare is challenging the idea of kingship.He is cover the court to be full of people who think things are the way they are because they have always been done that way, such as Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The character of Claudius highlights the corruption of the medieval court. The intrigue and machiavellian machinations of the court are self justifying to all these people for example, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deceive Hamlet and go behind his back simply because they are serving their king. In Shakespeares time deception and violence were matter-of-fact if they would benefit the king.Although Claudius seems to take the moral high-ground throughout the play he has no good intentions toward Hamlet at all. Shakespeares Hamlet also challenges the institution of marriage- it is shown in the conduct of Gertrude and Claudius not be a sacred married couple but a justification for excessive promiscuity. Hamlet is distraught by his mothers rapi d re- marriage to his uncle after his fathers death To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. Shakespeare invites us then to question the notion of a stable royal stag marriage, and the values that society had then and the values we have now.Hamlet is disgusted by their inner excesses and, moreover feels he has been tainted by them O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew. Shakespeare is challenging the morality of the royal marriage- the fact that Gertrude marries the kings own brother shortly after his death seems to suggest the absence of love. In Hamlet, the leg of emotion and true respect in marriage is shown to be weak- it is easily overruled by lust, as the ghost of the previous king states Let not the royal have intercourse of Denmark be.A couch for luxury and damned incest. Hamlet is an unconventional revenge tragedy- Shakespeare subverts the genre. Hamlet is reluctant to take revenge whereas Laertes is hot- headed, impuls ive and ready to visit the murder of Polonius It warms the very sickness in my heart That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, Thus diest thou. Shakespeare undermines the theory further by showing that Hamlet is not in fact a coward- his ideas are approximately more subtle. He is indeed hesitant about avenging his fathers murder- he passes up an opportunity to kill Claudius in ActThree, scene four, as he does not want to kill him in an act of redemption. This goes against the traditional idea of medieval and Jacobean revenge A scoundrel kills my father, and for that To paradise. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. This is a challenge to the genre because Hamlet is prepared to bide his time in order to achieve the perfect murder- he wont be spontaneous and impulsive. This is shown by the fact that he passes up an opportunity to kill Claudius. Shakespeares Hamlet has a good degree of relevance to life in the twenty- first century.Although some of the major themes, such as the court and incest, are no longer applicable to modern life, we can relate to some of the underlying themes such as love, sorrow and resentment we can relate to the emotional distress. Reasoning in gothic Denmark where the play is set nor indeed in Jacobean society is not so different to our reasoning today- the majority of people today may not believe in ghosts but characters in the play, such as Horatio, and some people in Jacobean society do not believe in ghosts either. In Act one, scene five, Hamlet makes this very thought- provoking comment to HoratioThere are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. We have our certainties today- in the form of scientific reasoning but our certainties are equally unresolved and capable of being challenged. One of the main themes in Hamlet is death- we are still chatoyant about what happens after we die. The character of Hamlet himself has a romantic, post modernist way of thinking everything i s relative and there are no certainties- only thoughts naught is good or bad. Thinking makes it so. In a sense here Hamlet can be compared to the Romantics.Keats wrote in the context of Shakespeare Twixt damnation and impassiond clay. (On Sitting Down To Read King Lear) This in a sense is what underpins Shakespeares Hamlet- the idea that whatever certainties are held in any given era will always be questionable, and open to discussion. Our certainties will always be challenged because nothing is definite, or absolute. This romantic concept is based on the idea that this is what life is about- challenging certainties in order to try and discover the ineffable truth about this world and the next.