Part A: Introduction

In the 15th – 16th centuries capitalist relation began to develop in Europe. The former townspeople became the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie fought against feudalism because held back the development of capitalism.

The decay of feudalism and the development of capitalist relation were followed by a great rise in the cultural life of Europe. There was an attempt at creating a new culture which would be free from the limitation of the feudal ideology of the middle Ages. The epoch was characterized by a thirst for knowledge and discoveries, by a powerful development of individuality.

There was a revival of interest in the ancient culture of Greece and Rome (“Renaissance” is French for “rebirth”).The study of the works of ancient philosophers, writers, and artists helped the people to widen their outlook, to know the world and man’s nature. On the basis of both the ancient culture and the most progressive elements of the culture of the Middle Ages the fine arts, literature and science of the Renaissance began to develop. The culture of the Renaissance was, in fact, the first stage of bourgeois culture. The bourgeoisie as a class was being born and, as Engel said, the men who founded the modern rule of the bourgeoisie had anything but bourgeois limitations.

The most outstanding dramatist of the period, as well as of all time, was William Shakespeare. He was born on April 23, 1564 in the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon, about seventy-five miles from London. He was the son of a tradesman. When a boy he went to Stratford Grammar School where Latin and Greek were almost the only subjects. Life itself, contact with people and his acquaintance with the rich English folklore gave him more than the scholastic methods used at school. In those says Stratford-upon-Avon was often visited by traveling groups of actors. It is quite possible that Shakespeare saw some plays performed by such actors and was impressed by them.

Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon until he was twenty-one. By that time he was married and had three children. At twenty-one he left Stratford-upon-Avon for London where he joined a theatrical company and worked as an actor and a playwright.

In the late 90s a new theatre called The Globe was built on the bank of the Thames. Shakespeare became one of its owners. The people of the London liked it better than any other theatre. It was in The Globe that most of Shakespeare‘s plays were staged at that time.

In 1613, Shakespeare left London and returned to his native town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Three years later, on April 23, 1616, he died and was buried there. Shakespeare wrote the famous 154 sonnets and numerous highly successful often quoted dramatic works including the tragedy “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.”.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a complex play where many themes are intertwined – themes that are essential to the development of the play. The issue of death and disease, both physical and emotional is very prevalent throughout the duration of the play, as well as fate and divine providence. The play also questions madness and whether it can be feigned, as well as corruption and its moral implications. Of course, who could forget the famous ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy, where Hamlet not only questions life and death, but many of life’s other uncertainties as well.

Undoubtedly, the most essential theme in the development of Hamlet is revenge and question ‘Does revenge pay?’ Revenge is a frighteningly bloodthirsty emotion, which causes people to act blindly and without reason. Revenge is a theme that is cleverly built upon throughout the extent of the play; with it being the driving force behind two of the main characters in the play.