A Renaissance Man or A Prince?

Shakespeare's one of the greatest plays, Hamlet, constantly makes us pause to consider his sense of entitlement. Along with his internal conflicts that are subsequently externalized through his actions, until the end, we are quite ambivalent about his standing between two titles: a Renaissance man and a prince.

Hamlet, the son of the recently deceased King of Denmark, also Hamlet, is shaken by the news of his mother marrying his uncle, who has become the new King of Denmark. He is filled with grudge towards his mother and his uncle. Hamlet is a well-educated and sharp-witted character, unlike an ordinary prince who is typically treated according to chivalric codes; instead, he is mostly absorbed in intellectual and intelligent pursuits. Hamlet's intellectual nature, which leads him to embody the Renaissance ideals, and his royal bloodline as a prince create a contradiction in his state of mind.

As a Renaissance man, he differs greatly by keeping himself out of his identity from his moral duties as opposed to what he is expected by the ghost of his father, who appears to Hamlet and asks him to avenge his death. He is inclined to think well and reasonably, from the perspective belonging to the Renaissance, he does not immediately believe the ghost is real until he sees it for himself. Even though this event deeply affects him and makes him close to killing his uncle, he finds himself hesitating and questioning the rational aspects of his actions. His sceptical stance, as expected from a Renaissance man, emerges throughout the play as he is involved in the sequence of events, and the ties with the other characters become more entrenched such as his love affair with Ophelia, his confrontation with Claudius and Gertrude, his killing of Polonius, and his duel with Laertes. We clearly see that his hesitations in killing Claudius are caused by his tendency to overthink, pursuing the truth rather than being a man of action. He expresses his dilemmas in the context of his two identities, his fondness for reason, his highly secular attitude towards religion, and his philosophical thoughts through soliloquy, unveiling qualities that align with the elements of the Renaissance. Most importantly, unlike his father, he does not embody the characterization of a warrior seeking revenge; he never suppresses his innermost and logical thoughts and does not kill Claudius until he hears about the murder Claudius committed from his own mouth.

On the other hand, after his education at the University of Wittenberg, his presence in the environment of the court proceeds for the rest of the play, portraying him as two different men: the prince and the Renaissance man. The ghost of his father makes him realize that he is the Prince of Denmark; therefore, he should be the reason of Claudius’s ultimate downfall. Although Hamlet’s intellectual side seemingly outweighs his princely side both in his discourses and actions, Gertrude’s remarriage and Claudius’s assassination of his father rout him and remind him of his responsibilities against his foes within his role as a prince. The plan he embarks upon, along with the appearance of the ghost in the first place, makes progress due to his leadership and profound interactions with other characters. He gains people’s sympathy, which restrains Claudius from punishing Hamlet. Alongside Hamlet’s pursuit of the truth, his introspection, where he evaluates himself, also highlights his good and noble qualities. He is ready and willing to challenge everyone for what he believes, even if it costs his life. He does not rush into killing Claudius to make sure it is the right choice to make, approaching sceptically even the feeling of grief although it holds him back from a sigh of relief.

The complexity of Hamlet’s character, situated between two influences—the Renaissance and the kingdom of Denmark—is intertwined with his intellectuality and nobility. Hamlet’s consciousness elevates this play beyond a simple revenge plot, and his struggle to be decisive is shaped by the two identities he possesses from the very beginning. However, despite his princely qualities, such as his interactions with others, pursuit of the truth, and honest attitude, he exhibits more of a Renaissance man considering his actions throughout the play. His education, his ambition to be sure, his hesitation and scepticism in killing Claudius, regardless of what the ghost said to him, his thoughtful consideration, and his tendency not to give in to anger before taking action make him closer to being the representative of a Renaissance man.