Shakespeare's plays use many allusions to religious stories and beliefs. Hamlet and Measure for Measure, for example, both deal with religious themes and incorporate religious imagery. However, Shakespeare's personal religious beliefs have never been clear. Some argue that his plays reflect Shakespeare's doctrine, but simple references to religion do not prove that the playwright himself was a follower of the Catholic tradition. An analysis of Hamlet and Measure for Measure, along with consideration of the religious beliefs typical of Shakespeare's time, shows that the messages contained in at least these two Shakespeare plays neither condone nor condemn religious teachings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although Shakespeare's Hamlet is classified as a revenge tragedy, it includes scenes and speeches that deal with religious beliefs. The idea of ​​the afterlife is addressed many times. In the opening scene we are introduced to a ghost captured in purgatory, one who claims to be Hamlet's father and details the pain he suffers from having died without being cleansed of his sins: “I am the spirit of your father, condemned for a certain time to walk at night, and for the day confined to fasting in the fires, until the crimes committed in my natural days are burned and purified" (Iv, 9-13). The effect of one's actions on life in the afterlife is a theme that runs throughout the work. In Hamlet's first soliloquy, we see that Hamlet refrains from committing suicide to avoid God's wrath: “O, that this too-stained flesh would melt, and melt into dew; Or that the LORD had not set his canon against self-killing. O God, God, how tired, stale, monotonous and useless all the uses of this world seem to me! (I.ii., 129-134) It is clear that Hamlet does not complain about his suicidal thoughts because he feels guilty; rather, he refrains from “self-killing” only out of fear of going to hell or purgatory for doing so. The question of what must be done to ensure admission to heaven permeates the work. It's the opposite: how can Hamlet ensure that Claudius lives in eternal torment? – also appears. Hamlet realizes that killing Claudius would have the unintended effect of sending Claudius, who would die seeking forgiveness and cleansing his soul of sins, to heaven: "A villain slays my father, and therefore I, his only son, do this same bad to send to heaven. Well, this is wages and wages, not vengeance” (III.iii., 76-79). hell for killing Hamlet's father. During Ophelia's burial scene, religious beliefs are once again used to determine a character's position in death. Act V, scene i opens with an exchange between two gravediggers who are discussing Ophelia's proper burial, they are unsure whether her body should be admitted to consecrated ground: "If this had not been a gentlewoman, she would have been buried in a Christian tomb" (Vi, 23-25). Here we see that social position takes precedence over what the undertakers believe to be religious law. At the end of the play, we see that Laertes confesses his guilt for Hamlet's attempted murder and wishes to cleanse himself of his sins before dying. . “Exchange pardon with me, noble Hamlet. My death and my father's death do not fall on you, nor yours on me!" (V.ii., 323-325) Hamlet grants him that forgiveness but, considering that this idea of ​​what it takes to purify one'ssoul and secure entry into Heaven, their confessions and forgiveness are rather long-winded and seemingly insincere. Once again, it would appear that the two exchange "forgiveness" not because they truly forgive each other, but because they desperately wish to avoid the depths of hell once they die. In none of these examples does Shakespeare take a stand on what the characters should do about their dilemmas. In the case of Laertes, Shakespeare even alludes to the madness of religion: if one can be forgiven so easily and with so little conviction, how significant can religious doctrine really be? In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare addresses this question. In this play, a duke disguises himself as a religious figure and Isabel is about to become a nun. Since one only poses as a religious man and the other has not fully committed to entering a convent, neither character can be considered a truly religious figure; as the critic Harper notes, "In Measure's Vienna, Isabella is not a nun but a novice, the Duke is not a true friar, and Angelo is certainly not an angel" (p.2-3) The Duke feels obliged to give power to Angelo because he, the Duke, was lax in law enforcement and let his people get out of control. Angelo then arrests Claudio for premarital sex and sentences him to death. Claudio argues that he had planned to marry his mistress but had not yet announced the engagement, and therefore deserves leniency. When asked why he was arrested, Claudio replies: “For too much freedom, my Lucio. Freedom, like satiety, is the mother of much fasting; Thus every purpose of immoderate use turns into moderation. Our nature pursues, like mice ravaging their pack, a thirsty evil; and when we drink, we die.” (I.ii.118-122) Claudio's statement highlights why the Duke has given the strict Angelo responsibility for law enforcement: too much freedom causes problems and Angelo is strict about laws regarding personal freedom. But how severe is too severe? Claudio does not deserve death for his crime. This question leads us to wonder whether religious law should be enforced by the state or by God, who, presumably, has a more nuanced view than Angelo about when and how to punish – or forgive. The question of who is fit to administer justice becomes more complicated as the show progresses, as we realize that both Angelo and the Duke act in morally dubious ways. Angelo's proposal to Claudio's sister is inappropriate, and by marrying Isabella the Duke distances her from religious life - not exactly a sin, but hardly an approval of religious life. As in Hamlet, Shakespeare remains neutral in Measure for Measure on the question of whether religious law is right or wrong; simply use the question to advance the story. A number of critics have argued that Measure for Measure “illustrates central concepts of Christian doctrine” (Gless p.1), but this does not mean that Shakespeare adhered to that doctrine. Furthermore, if her goal was to promote Christianity, why would Isabella abandon her plan to become a nun? As Gless states, “Despite [Isabella's] fervent commitment to virginity and her impending vows, she tacitly but clearly agrees to marry [the Duke]” (p.5). In the case of Hamlet, a play that promoted Christian doctrine would most likely allow the characters to make amends for their wrongdoings and receive God's forgiveness; instead, almost all the characters die unredeemed. Shakespeare reveals some of his beliefs in these plays. He makes it clear that he believes in hell as a consequence of certain actions, but does not say what actions lead there. At the, 1965.