Reading the Afterlife in the Renaissance : A Theological Reading of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Details

Supervisors

Latre, Guido

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques

Abstract

This study aims at offering a theological analysis of the representation of the afterlife in two major plays of the English Renaissance, namely Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1590-1604) and William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (ca. 1601). In an attempt to determine whether the religious beliefs staged in the plays are mainly Protestant or Catholic, this study offers a systematic analysis of the afterlife in both plays, according to three main criteria, namely the status and location of the afterlife, the boundaries and the issue of potential interaction between the living and the dead, and the issue of predestination and prewritten fate. This dissertation also refers to the cultural context of the shift from Catholicism to Protestantism in England in the 15th Century and under the reign of Elizabeth I, and attempts to identify whether the plays are subversive of some aspects of society or religion, through the staging of non-Protestant, potentially Catholic elements. The dissertation argues that the vision of the afterlife staged in Doctor Faustus is much more Protestant and unified than in Hamlet, as the former tends to refer to Catholic beliefs in a very negative, mocking way. However, the study suggests that the tragedy, despite apparently not criticizing Protestantism itself, could partly criticise the Protestant and humanist education, as well as warn against extreme scientific and humanist behaviours potentially leading to a neglect of religion. The theology staged in Hamlet seems much harder to classify, as elements of Catholicism and Protestantism, as well as other, almost nihilistic attitudes, seem to be paralleled. However, it is argued that the characters not respecting Protestant rites die tragically. It is the case of Hamlet himself, who seems to fall down tragically because he believes and obeys the Catholic Ghost, identified as an intrusion of Catholic values in a Protestant system. As Horatio, the Protestant scholar respecting religion, is the sole survivor in the end, the study suggests that the play, despite its ambiguity, might hint at a mainly Protestant message. It is argued that the difficulty to classify Hamlet’s theology, however, might come from the fact that the play seems to mirror the fears and doubts of a religiously, politically, and socially troubled England, despite the appearance of harmony offered by Elizabeth I and the court.