Protestant Reformation In Hamlet Act 1

On October 31, 1517, an unsatisfied, non-conforming, progressive theologian named Martin Luther took an action that altered the religious (and, in some cases) political landscape of the entire Western world. Disgusted at the Catholic church’s insistence on the sale of indulgences and unconvinced as to their doctrine of “salvation by works,” the Wittenberg professor nailed a 95-point document to the front door of his university’s Catholic church. This document, later called the “Ninety-five Theses,” directly attacked the practice of indulgence selling and kick-started a movement that would become known as the Protestant Reformation (Sciarraba, n.p.). Over the next century, Protestantism spread across Europe, causing a struggle for religious …show more content…
During Scene 2 of Act 1, Hamlet converses with his king and uncle Claudius when the king says “…For your intent / In going back to school in Wittenberg” (1.2.112-113). Being the initial location of Luther’s reformation, the passing reference to this institution of higher learning insinuates a likely Protestant influence on Prince Hamlet’s life and opinions. During scenes 4 and 5 of the same act, Shakespeare further emphasizes this by portraying Hamlet with doubt towards his father’s words. He initially expresses audible uncertainty as to whether the ghost is his father in Scene 4, saying “Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,” (1.4.40). Not only does Hamlet not trust the ghost’s commission, he even remains unconvinced regarding the spirit’s true identity. In the very next scene, however, the prince changes his mind, telling Horatio and Marcellus that “It is an honest ghost—that let me tell you” (1.5.137). In Act 2, his attitude shifts yet again, resulting in an agonizing soliloquy in which he declares “…The spirit that I have seen / May be a de’il…” (2.2.533-534). If Hamlet immediately and unquestioningly believed everything the ghost said, the prince would have been forced to simultaneously accept the spirits claim to being in purgatory . The idea of a temporary and painful retribution of sins is a decidedly Catholic doctrine, with the protestant faith rejecting this concept. Therefore, while Hamlet does waver on the issue of the spirit’s sincerity, his initial and final thoughts on the matter further indicate an influence towards Protestantism in his thought process. The prince’s nonconformist religious inclinations play a direct role in the remainder of the play, with the same thought process evident in his attitude towards