Hamlet and Purgatory

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Stephen Greenblatt's argument in his work "Hamlet in Purgatory" that in order to understand "Hamlet" a reader must understand the Catholic concept of Purgatory, and what it meant for the recently Protestant nation of England to have to collectively give up this religious notion. The paper relates that just as Hamlet is a character of contradictions, of false starts and indecision, the play "Hamlet" mirrors the religious climate and contradictions of Shakespeare's own day.

From the Paper:

"In accepting Protestantism, the ordinary English people were forced to eschew many of their traditional ways of mourning the dead, and their belief in Purgatory, which entailed a responsibility of the living to help the dead escape from Purgatory through prayer and buying indulgences from the Roman Catholic Church. This shift in practice and attitudes did not occur as a popular movement, but from the top down, as the former 'Defender of the Faith' Henry VIII rejected Catholicism because he was unable to obtain an annulment from his first wife."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Felluga, Dino. "Module on Stephen Greenblatt: On History." Introductory Guide to Critical Theory. Date of last update: 2002. Purdue U. 12 Jul 1007. <http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/newhistoricism/modules/greenblatthistory.html>.
• Greenblatt, Stephen. Hamlet in Purgatory. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.
• Pettegree, Andrew. "The English Reformation." BBC: History--The English Reformation. 1 May 1 2001. 12 Jul 2007.< http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/english_reformation_01.shtml>
• Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." MIT Homepage. Full text. 12 Jul 2007.<http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/>

More papers on Hamlet and Purgatory:

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• Analytical Essay # 50728 : "The Ghost, Purgatory, and Repentance"
• Essay # 59827 : "Revenge in "Hamlet"

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