Medieval Archetypes Utilized in Hamlet Essay

hamlet by William Shakespeare is a complex play because of its septuple dimensions. Upon dissection, the influence of other works batch be observed in it. One of the most prominent of these works is the York reduce of gentleman. This blusht play is a very poor remake of the book of genesis in the bible. However, William Shakespeare utilizes the medieval traditions exemplified in the Fall of worldly concern to create the characters in Hamlet.For example, Hamlets mother, Queen Gertrude, shows an uncanny parallel to eve from the Fall of Man. Gertrudes behavior and characteristics fall under the archetype presented in the rendition of Genesis. Eve can be described as gullible, nave, accidentally rebellious, trusting, curious, manipulated, and egocentric. These same traits can be used to identify Gertrudes personality as well.In part three of the Fall of Man, Satan, in the form of the worme, is trying to convince Eve to rebel against deity by eating the forbidden harvest. The w orme claims that it will make her omnipotent. When Eve questions Satan, he replies, Why trowes universal gravitational constant noght me?/ I wolde by no- kynnes ways/ Telle noght but trouthe to thee (pg 270, trace 75). In perhaps one of her most nave and gullible moments, Eve responds, Than wille I to thy teching traste,/ and fange this frute unto oure foode (78).Likewise, in Hamlet there is a moment that tight mirrors this. When King Claudius and Polonius decide to spy on the interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia, Claudius tells Gertrude to leave even though it is her son. She only answers, I shall obey you (III,I, 42). These dickens quotes show the extent to which two Eve and Gertrude energize been manipulated by their wonder and weakness. Eve only wanted to know if the fruit contained a real power and Gertrude was interested in her sons apparent violence yet both women put aside independent thinking and concur the villain.Later in the Fall of Man, Eve brings the forbid den fruit to Adam saying A worme has done me for to witte/ We shalle be as goddis, thou and I,/ If that we ete/ Here of this tree (91). Then in Hamlet, Gertrude asks her son, Have you forgot me? ( III, IV, 16). She is essentially enquire if Hamlet has forgotten whom he is speaking to. In the Fall of Man, Eve portrays egocentric qualities.When she discovers the power of the fruit, she suddenly desires to share it with Adam so that they might be god- like together. She wants to be all knowing and powerful, so when she sees the chance she takes it. Gertrude is self-centered as well. She doesnt want to lose her standing(a) as queen when her husband dies so she marries his brother not even two months following his passing. When Hamlet confronts her on her actions she retorts with anger that he would move speak to her in that manner. Both Gertrude and Eve have a psychogenic self image of themselves that is better than what others perceive them as and both women extend to maintain/ imp rove that image.Gertrudes character directly parallels that of Eve in respect to characteristics and traits. They are both archetypal characters but the resemblances are eerie. The women both end in similar manners as well. Eve take in the forbidden fruit and guarantees her banishment from the Garden of Eden. Gertrude drinks the poison and ensures her own death. The characters have too many similarities to be dismissed as coincidence. Ergo it can be stated with a level of confidence that William Shakespeare utilizes the medieval traditions draw in the Fall of Man to write Hamlet.Works CitedMedieval Drama. Ed. David Bevington. capital of Massachusetts Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975Hamlet. William Shakespeare. Ed. Louis Wright. Virginia Lamar. New York Simon & Schuster Inc, 1958