『햄릿』(Hamlet) 연구: 고전과 기독교 가치관을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper aims to examine Hamlet as a hero in Renaissance context. Renaissance, as the name suggests, is a rebirth of ancient- Greek and Roman- classical culture within a Christian culture. As a result, Renaissance is characterized by uneasy, unstable and incompatible alliance of classical and Christian elements. Because the values of classicism and Christianity are so difficult to fuse like the terms “cold fire”, “sick health” in Hamlet. Hamlet is a representative Renaissance hero whose inner world is divided into two cultures. On one side, Hamlet, a noble mind, as Ophelia described, has a deep knowledge of and pursues ancient Greek hero's glory, or honor through ‘immortal fame’. The great ancient classical heroes and warriors sacrificed their lives for winning ‘immortal fame.’ Revenge is related with warrior - hero's value in ancient classical world. Hamlet, the son of murdered king, thinks revenge as a kind of ‘honorable’ obligation, and “enterprises of great pitch and moments”. With this regard, Hamlet shows respect Fortinbras as his role model, because Fortinbras pursues the causes when honour's at the stake. On the other hand, Hamlet strongly believes in immortality of soul and after-death. “The dread of something after death” and religious “conscience” make Hamlet hesitate revenge Ghost Hamlet commanded. When he has a perfect opportunity to kill Claudio, Hamlet refuses to strike out against Claudius. If Hamlet is to take revenge on Claudius, it must be revenge on his immortal soul. Likewise Christian perspective of his makes his task of revenge even more difficult. The other Hamlet, old and ghost, plays a role in extremely deepening the conflict between two cultures, externally and concretely. He commands young Hamlet to do two things-“revenge” and “remember”. Old Hamlet commands young Hamlet to revenge “foul and unnatural murder” as a obligation of a son and to “bear it not” honorably, while Ghost Hamlet asks him to remember the suffering soul in the purgatory. These commandments of his make Hamlet more confused and pretend “antic disposition”. Finally Hamlet asks Horatio to report his story “aright to the unsatisfied” who need to be explained. Horatio, as his name (Oratio: oration) suggests, is related with the role of bards, Muse’ descendants in ancient Greek. They are beings who sing the honorable deeds of heroes and pass them on to future generations. As it were, heroes in ancient Greek can get their ‘immortal fame’ through bards’ song and poetry. Hamlet dying, wants not to leave “a wounded name”, but to leave an honorable name behind him like ancient heroes through messenger-bard, Horatio. It's because “the rest” Hamlet has so longed for is “silence” that he can not deliver directly.