In Hamlet, the philosophy and ideas of Stoicism appear on stage and shape the themes and dialogue of the play. Stoicism, which extols the superiority of reason and civilization over the baser element of emotion, is the backbone of much of the conflict in Hamlet. Hamlet's dedication to his Stoic beliefs ends up causing him many problems and establishing a dichotomy between reason and emotion that marks the play. Hamlet views emotion as the opposite of reason and, therefore, any action resulting from emotion is undesirable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayHamlet discovers that he must put himself in a state of murder before he can take revenge on Claudius, but a state of murder is one which can only be achieved through emotion for Hamlet. This philosophy of stoicism leads Hamlet to believe in a dichotomy of man versus beast and reason versus emotion, but it is only through consideration of conscience that the characters can know whether or not they are behaving morally. Hamlet's belief in these false dichotomies wastes his time and ultimately causes more harm to his family and friends, but Hamlet's respect for his conscience is what preserves his morality, because it is the only star fixed in the room. For this reason, conscience can be considered the most important element of the three in Hamlet, as it is ultimately what defines a character's goodness, distinguishing heroes from villains. Hamlet studied at Wittenburg and became a follower of conscience. Stoic philosophy. Stoic philosophy teaches its followers “self-control and detachment from distracting emotions” (Stoicism, 1). The Stoics view the world as chaotic and "an unruly and often unreasonable entity", which can be seen as a cause of the established dichotomies between man and animal (Stoicism, 1-2). Stoicism “maintains that passion distorts the truth and that the pursuit of truth is virtuous,” showing why Hamlet believes in the reason/emotion dichotomy (Stoicism, 2). The Stoics "do not seek to extinguish emotions, but only to avoid emotional turmoil by developing clear judgment", which we can see clearly illustrated by Hamlet's behavior during the staging of the play "The Trap". mouse” in order to “capture the conscience of the king” (Stoicism, 3) (2.2.606). Due to the teachings of Stoicism, Hamlet is wary of his emotion and passion, preferring to repress them and try to find a solution; Hamlet ultimately realizes that this is counterproductive, near the end regarding excessive thinking as "a cowardly scruple / of thinking too precisely of the event" (4.4.44-45). Hamlet further questions the value of Stoicism in the soliloquy “To be or not to be” (3.1.58). The soliloquy is essentially Hamlet wondering whether or not Stoicism has the best solution for dealing with the "slings and arrows of scandalous fortune", which Stoicism advises one to "suffer" (3.1.60). Stoicism advises Hamlet to "endure" his "sea of ​​troubles", but Hamlet has begun to question whether or not it is "nobler to take up arms against [them] and, in opposing them, to put an end to it” (3.1.59-62). . This monologue revolves around the essential division addressed in Hamlet between reason and emotion. Hamlet reveals in his soliloquy that it is not the sleep of death that prevents him from taking revenge (or committing suicide, as both options end with Hamlet's death), but his fear of the "unknown country » of death. (3.1.81) The fact that Hamletends his monologue without being resolved to take action shows his adherence to his Stoic methods, choosing to continue to suffer "the wrong of the oppressor" (3.1.73). Does Stoicism ultimately act as a barrier to Hamlet's will? take revenge, or must he simply have sufficient reason to act, as he does when his mother dies and Laertes admits the king's betrayal? The answer is unclear, as Hamlet does not always stay true to his beliefs, as is the case when he recklessly kills Polonius. However, the evidence indicates that Hamlet ultimately relied on extreme emotions to provoke his most important acts, such as the murder of Polonius and the murder of Claudius. Hamlet is incapable of putting himself into a murderous state through rational argument - he is only capable of doing so through frenzied states of emotion. Hamlet lives in a world where emotions are decried as bestial, but it is these bestial emotions that Hamlet needs to take revenge and stay alive. Hamlet argues that a man who only sleeps and feeds is “a beast, nothing more” (4.4.39). Hamlet describes the mad Ophelia as "divided from herself and her right judgment, / Without which we are... mere beasts" (4.5.83-84). Hamlet has very clearly separated himself from the beasts, with reason and “just judgment” on his side and “bestial forgetfulness” on the other. Hamlet only confronts his mother because of the frenzied state he finds himself in following the “mouse trap”. He kills Polonius in a state of wild emotion that Gertrude calls "a rash and bloody act", and he does not finally do so until after his mother's death and after being assured of his own imminent death by Laertes' poison (3.3.26). . So, Hamlet must have his own mother and father murdered and ensure his own death before he can become furious enough to kill Claudius! It is not an act of reason; it is an act of emotion. Stoicism is manifested through the idea of ​​conscience in Hamlet. The nobility of conscience is discussed by Hamlet, Claudius and Laertes. Conscience has some properties in Hamlet. First, it serves as a sort of moral guide. Pangs of conscience afflict Claudius after seeing the play, when he admits "Like an intelligent boost this speech gives to my conscience!" (3.1.49-50). Seeing his sins committed on stage by actors inflames Claudius' conscience and reminds him of his own lack of morality, how he acted bestially and killed his own brother. Conscience works here to shame him. Hamlet's conscience also warns him of the immorality of his mother's incestuous marriage to his uncle: "O, very wicked haste, to post, with such dexterity, incestuous sheets... but break my heart , for I must keep silent” (1.2.156-159). Even Laertes, considering Hamlet's treacherous murder, states that it is "almost against [his] conscience", even though he has already condemned "conscience and grace to the deepest pit" of hell (5.2.250) (4.5.130). Hamlet rejects the idea that sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths was immoral because "they are not near [his] conscience" (5.2.59). Furthermore, Hamlet invokes conscience to assert that Claudius's murder would be moral: "is it not a perfect conscience/to leave him with this arm?" (5.2.69). Conscience is the representation of morality within Hamlet. Characters, good or bad, can judge the morality of their actions by how their conscience speaks to them. However, whether or not they listen to their conscience determines whether they are heroes or villains. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a personalized essay., 1987.