Hamlet: historical context

The Elizabethan Era

Hamlet was written and performed during the Elizabethan Era under Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, marking a golden age in English history.
Tragedies like Hamlet were extremely popular during this period. Elizabethan tragedies deal with unhappy endings and the downfall of the main character.
Revenge was a common theme in Elizabethan drama due to the fascination with moral justice, which is a central theme in Hamlet.

The Great Chain of Being, a class-based system where everything has its place in the divine order, was a widely accepted ideology in Shakespeare’s time. Disruptions to this order can lead to chaos and destruction, symbolised in the play through murder and madness.
This principle not only maintained the structure of society but touched on the perception of natural versus supernatural elements. The ghost’s appearances to Hamlet reflects this conflict.

Christianity’s influence was significant during the Elizabethan era. Hamlet reflects this through its exploration of existential questions about mortality, the afterlife, and the morality of revenge.
There was also conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism during this time, manifested in Hamlet’s moral deliberations in avenging his father’s murder.
Fear of death and the idea of Purgatory were prominent. Hamlet’s fear and curiosity surrounding death are key to his character.

The political power in the Elizabethan era was highly centralized with the monarch having wide-ranging authority. Hamlet showcases the dramatic implications of changes in power through Claudius’s usurpation of the throne.
Treachery and espionage were common in royal courts to preserve power, a theme that is reflected through the character of Polonius.
Foreign relations, especially with Nordic countries like Norway and Denmark, were tense and complicated, reflected in Fortinbras’ subplot.