Imagery Of Death And Christian Idea In Hamlet

Many scholars have elaborated on Hamlet, one of the most famous plays written by William Shakespeare,inevitably it has aroused controversies, now that thousands of people have thousands of Hamlets. In the past time, many Shakespeare critics have issued many criticism in the"imagery of death", which is a thread winding through the play. At the same time, it inevitably has introduced controversies: what's the meaning and value in Hamlet's imagery of death? How to evaluate the imagery with deeply-rooted religion and history ideas? This is a problem that we can never ignore in the Shakespeare's theory criticism .This thesis is a try in this academic realm. On the basis of criticism on Hamlet's death imagery by others, The author tries to penetrate the play in the angel of religion survey, combined imagery of death with religion, hoping to have new discoveries.Firstly, the author will summarize the research situation in China and abroad, and I will divide it into three periods, respectively list the representative figures and main perspectives. And then the author will discuss them in four chapters.Chapter one is Consciousness of Death in Christianity and Hamlet. In this chapter the author will illustrate the frequent appearances of consciousness of death in Shakespeare's plays, and Christianity's influence on the western tragedy idea. The author will illuminate the background of times in macroscopic perspective, from the pluralism Idea tradition in Renaissance period to Elizabeth Age in confusion and splendid, to scan the complicated thoughts and revenge action of Hamlet, to illustrate the Janus with Double-Face in Hamlet and to analyze the complexity and diversity of his thoughts and actions. After acknowledging the truth of his father's death, a great change takes place in Hamlet's body and mind, which leads to his philosophical thought and delayed revenge action.Chapter two is Imagery of Death and Christianity Doctrine. In this chapter the author will take the method of close-reading, mainly to illustrate Ghost's important role in the drama. Ghost represents death and mystery, which dominates Hamlet's mind and heart and greatly shocks Hamlet's spirit. After that, the author will also analyze the consciousness of death in several funerals and wedding in the drama, as well as the soliloquy of"to be, or not to be, this is the question"by Hamlet, which has told a lot about life and death. Through these sections, we can come to a conclusion that Christian Ideas and Consciousness of Death in Hamlet's mind are combined well with each other.Chapter three is Crime and Punishment in Christian Idea. In this chapter the author will adopt the angle of crime and punishment in Christian Idea, using the thoughts of Augustine to analyze the connection between crime and free will. Just because of abusing of free will, human kind has committed crimes. Once committed, it can hardly be controlled, therefore making more crimes. And punishment, both in mental and body, will come sooner or later. I will analyze Claudius concretely, who have offence the law and morality. Though he wants to pray to God and confess his crime, he cannot leave out the desire of wealth and power and stop crimes. At the same time, Hamlet commits himself to revenge, but his consider too much and delay his revenge action. Though at last he has killed his enemy and produced more tragedy, almost making himself trapped into the abysm of madness. However, he has grown up in his sea-experience, purifying his madness and melancholy. Every character of drama will get the final judge by their behaviors in this world without exception, either in Heaven,Hell or Purgatory.Chapter four is Hamlet company with death, by analyzing the image of skeleton,tomb and the rotten etc. , to illuminate three contradictions, such as"memory and forget","skeleton and honor", as well as"the rotten and renascence", to analyze correctly the change of Hamlet's consciousness of death. The author will mainly analyze Act 5, the scene of the tomb. At last Hamlet feels relieved, gets a peaceful mood and never curses Fortune again, and he just faces the challenge, and finishes the revenge career, and at the same time, Hamlet becomes reconciled with the destiny and death, to harvest his harmony in heart and go to the other world, leaving the world"all the rest is silence". Though in the stage the main characters die, still it echoes the optimistic and hopeful spirit from humanism, leaving the world beautiful hopes.This thesis try to use method of imagery survey by Caroline Spurgeon and ceremony research by Wilson Knight as sources of reference, through analyzing the imagery crowds of Death, and make it as the main imagery, to illuminate the consciousness of Death in Christianity Idea, as well as Hamlet's perspectives in death, to illuminate the imagery of Janus with Double-Face. Hamlet also has double-face. He can not make a choice between the Christianity Idea and ancient Greece spirit. But at last, in the conversion of Christianity Idea and Humanism, Hamlet chooses the optimistic and hopeful spirit from humanism. He died, however, leaving hope to the world.