| dc.description.abstract | This thesis is an Epicurean reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, focusing on the influence of classical philosophy on English Renaissance revenge tragedy, itself born out of Seneca’s tragic tradition. Hamlet adheres to Senecan tragic conventions, which include influences from classical philosophy, specifically Stoic moral commentary. I argue Shakespeare’s characterization of Hamlet is also influenced by other schools of classical philosophy, specifically Epicureanism.
As a non-mainstream school of philosophy, Epicureanism has a unique view on what it means to live a good life. Epicureanism emphasizes ataraxia (equanimity), a state without pain (both physical and psychological), which is seen as the basis of pleasure. It is often misunderstood as a hedonist philosophy due to its emphasis on pleasure, yet it stresses that correct knowledge (reason) is the only way a person can attain ataraxia to truly enjoy pleasure. Epicureanism had many critics throughout history, such as Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and Christianity, who attacked Epicureanism for its hedonism, self-contradictory doctrines, political minimalism, and atheism. Even so, it generated great interest and genuine debate, especially after De Rerum Natura, an Epicurean treatise by Lucretius, was rediscovered in the Renaissance. The challenge posed by Epicureanism to the Platonic-Aristotelian-Christian mainstream revolutionized Western society, which can be glimpsed through Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
This thesis argues that Prince Hamlet, though his characterization is still a matter of debate, is indubitably an Epicurean philosopher. I build upon existing arguments for Hamlet as an Epicurean, adding that many aspects of Epicureanism can be seen throughout the play—his pursuit of ataraxia, his acceptance of passions, his mode of friendship, and his materialist distance with death. Most importantly, my Epicurean reading of Hamlet adds a critical angle to the revenge tragedy genre, as it offers a solution to the dilemma between living morally and changing the world. Hamlet initially understands Epicurean philosophy to be at odds with revenge. However, Hamlet applies his philosophical training to the question of revenge, seen in his emotional reasoning and insistence on correct knowledge in the Hecuba soliloquy, his act of parrhesia (true speech) with Gertrude, his acknowledgment of human reason and the dangers of politics in the Fortinbras soliloquy, and his Epicurean-Christian ataraxia that he achieves at the end of the play. In turn, Hamlet’s Epicurean-Christian ataraxia facilitates his revenge against Claudius. | en_US |