Meaning Of Existentialism In Hamlet - 1446 Words

Shakespeare is an existentialist prolific precursor; he is a writer who focuses on existentialist ideas in his own distinctive theatrical and poetic terms long before they were fully developed in the philosophical and literary terms of the 20th century. Existentialism is a man-centered philosophy. Defined briefly as regarding the precedence of human existence to essence, thus humans are entirely free and must be held culpable for their actions, as they create their own values and determine their own meaning to their life. It typically displays a dismal of abstract theories that seek to disguise the untidiness of actual human lives. It emphasizes the subjective realities of individual existence, individual freedom, and individual choice,†¦show more content†¦Hamlet’s inability to propose action is in correlation to his existential crisis, as such lack is yielded by the proposition of the lack of purpose in his life. His humanism, resonates with existentialist humanism, as it presents man not as a source of ultimate value, but as a being constantly involved in the process of self-becoming. Existential humanism believes there is no other than a human universe, the universe of human subjectivity. It defines man as his own legislator, as he himself through self-alienation and abandonment, must decide and seek for himself and partially beyond himself, thus reach or some form of realization. Through Hamlet’s personal search for values, rather than an external code, disregard from the prestige of the newly crowned Claudius, his profound state of reflection, negligence to follow conventional roles and his willingness to follow his moral intuition reflect his assertion as a liberated individual and complete disregard for preconceived notion. Hamlet existential dilemma progresses through his soliloquies, as they epitomize existentiality. In his first soliloquy, Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would meltâ€Å"(Shakespeare 1.2.129-158). Hamlet expresses his deep despair, anguish, his perplexity on life and death and his lack of essence. â€Å"How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on ’t, ah fie! TisShow MoreRelated Hamlet, the Existentialist Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. 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