Research Task: HAMLET AND SHAKESPEARE

REVENGE
Portrays human suffering and decline/ death of hero or heroine
Downfall due to tragic flaw in his of her character/ no control of destiny
Serious, significant struggle, hero faces downfall in a way to attain heroic stature
Essential principles of tragedy established by Aristotles The Poetics
Tragedy should succeed in Arousing pity or fear in such a way as to accomplish a catharsis of such
emotions (ARISTOTLE)
REVENGE TRAGEDY
Considered immoral, unsocial for the revenger to take the law into their own hands
Human impulse to exact retribution from someone who has wronged yourself/ family
Old Testament/ considered negative through all time, yet central to codes of honour

Context within the text

Describe the setting (both time era and place) of the play.

Shakespeares play Hamlet was composed during 1600 and 1601 and takes place around Elsinore
Castle in Eastern Denmark. The play itself is set during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Provide a brief, relevant historical timeline of Denmark in the 14th and 15th centuries

1319: Denmark had issue with

maintaining a king during the 13th
century
1332: King Christopher dies; 8 years
following Denmark was without a
king

1332: One ruling count

1346-53: The Black Death was a assassinated, Christophers
devastating pandemic that peaked in son becomes king
Europe during those years and was (Valdemar)
believed to have killed 75 million
people 1397: Kalmar Union
was made official in
1397. With the
1389: With a victory near Falkping, Margaret
becomes regent of Sweden as well as coronation of the 16-
Denmark and Norway year-old Eric of
Pomerania, the crowns
of Denmark, Norway
and Sweden are
formally united for the
1445: Copenhagen first time
declared capital of
Denmark.

1479
Copenhagen University
founded.
Identify when Shakespeare composed Hamlet

Between 1600 and 1901

Identify and list Shakespeares contemporaries and their works (5-6 writers)
Christopher Marlowe- Hero and Leander Shakespeare makes explicit reference to quotes from
Marlowes poem, in A Midsummers Night Dream.

Thomas Kyd- His first play was Spanish Tragedy. Themes of murder, insanity and suicide were
popular in his plays.

Ben Jonson- Started off rough, being thrown into prison unruly behaviour and poking fun at the
King through his writing.
Jonson lent Shakespeare many books to improve his knowledge on literature, and they were known
to be good friends. Jonsons plays such as The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair and Eastward Ho!
are all very famous.

John Webster - Known as the last of the great Elizabethan playwrights. He was known to have
collaborated with Thomas Dekker to write Northward Ho! in retaliation too Ben Jonsons Eastward
Ho! audiences enjoyed seeing this type of rivalry in the theatres. The Dutchess of Malfi was his
most popular piece and was performed in the Globe Public Theatre.

Phillip Massinger- His first play was The Roman Actor and was considered one of his best plays.

Provide a brief account of the historical Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I, born on 7th September 1533 was Queen of England and Ireland from 17th November
1558 till her death on 24th March 1603. She was 2 and half years old when her father, King Henry VIII,
killed her mother Ann Boleyn because she had not produced a male heir to the throne. King Henry had
killed several of Elizabeths stepmothers for the exact reason, which traumatised her as he deeply loved her
father. Yet, she showed exceptional intelligence as she excelled in her studies beyond any of the other
royal children.
Her older sister, Mary I who came to the throne in 1553, became known as Bloody Mary for her harsh
treatment of English Protestants, in her attempt to restore Catholicism in England. However, when
Elizabeth became Queen herself in 1558, after the death of Queen Mary, she returned the country to
Protestantism and inherently ruled the country effectively, initiating an era of economic prosperity. She was
involved in many scandalous romances with various princes of Europe, manipulating them by using
marriage as a bargaining tool for connections. However she did not marry any of these princes, which led
her to be vulnerable, as plots began to emerge to overthrow her reign.
By the 1950s, when Queen Elizabeth was in her 60s, majority of her trusted advisors had passed away.
Elizabeth died in 1603, having made it clear that her successor would be James I, son of Mary Queen of
Scots. Hence the childless Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

Provide and explanation of the Great Chain of Being and a list of the hierarchy

The concept of the Great Chain of Being was vital in the Classical period. Its fundamental premise was that
every existing thing in the universe had its place in a planned hierarchy. An objects place within the
hierarchy depended on the relative proportion of spirit and matter it contained. For example, inanimate
objects such as metal, stones, and the four elements were at the bottom. Within each group was a
separate grading system; gold was the noblest of the stones. Higher up, were vegetables, plants, then
animals, humans and angels. At the top of the ladder was God. The fear of disorder within the Great Chain
of Being was not only philosophical, but it had political ramifications as seniors within society would exploit
the concept in order to support their own authority.

Explain the concept of Humanism and how this compares to the Great Chain of Being
Humanism essentially is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasises the value of agency (ability to
make own decisions) for human beings. The concept of humanism can operate individually, collectively and
generally prefers critical thinking (rationalism) and substantial evidence over faith (fideism). The theory of
Humanism has evolved with the ages, where today it is referred to as a perspective that affirms the notion
of human nature. In modern times, Humanism can be associated with secularism, looking to science
instead of religion to understand the world.
Within the Renaissance period, where Humanism and the Great Chain of being were both significant
ideologies, Humanism represented a shift from the contemplative life to the active life.

Explain the Reformation movement and its implications for Catholicism

Revolution took place in the 16th century, leaders were Martin Luther (German monk) and John
Calvin (leading French protestant reformer) believed to have signalled the beginning of the
modern era
The reformation became the foundation for the founding of Protestantism
Over centuries the Roman catholic church became deeply involved in the political life of Western
Europe political manipulations combined with the churchs increasing power and wealth loss of
the church as a spiritual force, however it continued to have amass of devoted followers
Before Luther, medieval reformers e.g. St. Francis of Assisi expressed concern for renewal within
the church
Luther claimed that what distinguished him from previous reformers was that while they attacked
corruption he also went to the theological root of the problem the distortion of the churchs doctrine
of redemption and grace
In the Ninety-five theses (propositions posted on the door of the Castle church, Wittenberg, Oct.
1517) he attacked the indulgence system, insisting the pope had no authority discerning Gods
words and that the merits of the saints had no foundation in the gospel
Scripture alone is authoritative and justification is by faith, not by works of saints
1521, Luther was excommunicated began as internal reform movement and became a fracture in
western Christendom
Following this the reformation movement diversified immediately, and reform impulses arose
independently of Luther e.g. establishment of Anglican church by Henry VIII due to Popes refusal to
grant him an annulment of his marriage, Presbyterianism by John Knox which made possible the
union of England and Scotland
Over the 16th century the reformation spread over Europe, mid-century, Lutheranism domination
north Europe while Spain and Italy were great centres of the counter-reformation

Identify and explain the Four Elements and Humours as ascribed by Aristotle and Hippocrates
In the human body, the interaction of the four humors explained differences of age, gender,
emotions, and disposition
The right balance of humors was essential to good health, eucrasia= good mixture dyscrasia=
bad mixture
The influence of the humors changed with the seasons and times of day and with the human life
span
E.g. heat stimulated action, cold depressed it, the young warriors choler gave him courage but
phlegm produced cowards, youth was hot and moist, age cold and dry, men as a sex were hotter
and drier than women
HUMOUR Psychological effects HUMOUR Psychological effects
 Melancholic/ Black bile Pensive, melancholic, Phlegmatic/ Phlegm Passivity, lethargy,
Element: Earth withdrawal, prudence, Element: Water subjectivity, devotion,
Season: Winter caution, realism, Season: Autumn emotionalism, sensitivity
Age: Old age pragmatism and Age: Maturity and sentimentality
Qualities: Cold & dry pessimism Qualities: Cold & moist
Organ: Spleen Organ: Brain
Planet: Saturn Planet: Moon

Sanguine/ Blood Joy, optimism, Choleric/ Yellow bile Passionate, anger,

Element: Air enthusiasm, affection Element: Fire irritability, boldness,
Season: Spring and wellbeing Season: Summer ambition, envy, jealousy
Age: Adolescence Age: Childhood and courage
Qualities: Hot & moist Qualities: Hot & dry
Organ: Heart Organ: Gall bladder
Planet: Jupiter Planet: Mars

Explain what relevance the 12th Century story of Amleth in Historiae Danicae holds to the contextual setting
of Hamlet
Amleth is an ancient Norse legend dating 100 years but Saxo Grammaticus Amleth was written 400
years prior to Hamlet
Both Hamlet and Amleth were born in Demark, however Amleth was not the King of Denmarks son
like Hamlet but rather the son of Jutes son (directly below king)
Amleths fathers assassination was widely known unlike the mysterious murder of Hamlets father
Both protagonists feigned madness/insanity to escape their uncles wrath and were both cunning
Hamlet, set in a contemporary Danish court draws on the medieval Danish tale of Amleth
Hamlet, removed from the medieval setting, is adapted for dramatic purposes and for an
Elizabethan audience
Hamlet is not considered a historical text as the tetralogy Amleth is contained in, is considered as
vital documentation of Danish history