In Hamlet, the philosophy and ideas of Stoicism make their appearance on stage and shape the play's themes and dialogue. Stoicism, which praises the superiority of reason and civilization over the baser element of emotion, is the backbone of much of the conflict in Hamlet. Hamlet's dedication to his stoic beliefs ends up causing him many problems, as well as creating a dichotomy between reason and emotion that characterizes the play. Hamlet considers emotion to be the opposite of reason, and therefore any action resulting from emotion is undesirable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Hamlet finds that he must reason himself into a murderous state before he can exact his revenge on Claudius, but a murderous state is one that can only be achieved through emotion for Hamlet. This philosophy of stoicism leads Hamlet to believe in a man-beast and reason-emotion dichotomy, but it is only through consideration of conscience that the characters can know whether or not they are behaving morally. Hamlet's belief in these false dichotomies wastes time and ultimately causes further harm to his family and friends, but Hamlet's respect for his conscience is what preserves his morality, as it is the only fixed star in the 'work. For this reason, conscience can be seen as the most important element of the three in Hamlet, as it is ultimately what defines a character's goodness, distinguishing heroes from villains. Hamlet studied in Wittenburg and became a follower of Stoic philosophy. Stoic philosophy instructs its adherents “in self-control and detachment from distracting emotions” (Stoicism, 1). Stoics consider the world to be chaotic and "an undisciplined and often unreasonable entity", which can be seen as a cause of the dichotomies established between man and animal (Stoicism, 1-2). Stoicism “holds that passion distorts truth and that the pursuit of truth is virtuous,” showing why Hamlet believes in the reason-emotion dichotomy (Stoicism, 2). The Stoics "do not seek to extinguish emotions, but only to avoid emotional problems by developing clear judgment", which we can see clearly exemplified by Hamlet's behavior in staging the play "Mousetrap" to "capture the king's conscience" (Stoicism, 3) (2.2.606). Due to the teachings of Stoicism, Hamlet distrusts his emotions and passions, preferring to repress them and try to find a reasoned solution; Hamlet eventually realizes that this is counterproductive, near the end regarding overthinking as "a base scruple / Of thinking too precisely of the event" (4.4.44-45). Hamlet further questions the value of Stoicism in the soliloquy “To be or not to be” (3.1.58). The soliloquy is essentially Hamlet wondering whether or not Stoicism has the best solution for dealing with "the twists and arrows of outrageous fortune," which Stoicism advises one to "suffer" (3.1.60). Stoicism advises Hamlet to "suffer" his "sea of ​​woes," but Hamlet has begun to question whether or not it is "nobler to take arms against [them], and, resisting, put an end to them" (3.1.59-62 ). This soliloquy is framed around the essential division addressed in Hamlet between reason and emotion. Hamlet reveals in his soliloquy that it is not the sleep of death that prevents him from taking revenge (or killing himself, since both options end with Hamlet dead), but his fear of the "unknown country" of death. (3.1.81) The fact that Hamlet ends his unresolved soliloquy to take action shows his adherence to his Stoic ways, choosing to continue to suffer "the wrongof the oppressor" (3.1.73). Does stoicism ultimately act as a barrier to Hamlet's attitude? revenge, or must he simply have sufficient reason to act, as he does when his mother dies and Laertes admits the king's betrayal? answer is unclear, as Hamlet does not always stay true to his beliefs, such as when he recklessly kills Polonius. However, evidence indicates that Hamlet ultimately relies on extreme emotions to provoke his major actions, such as killing Polonius. and the murder of Claudius. Hamlet is incapable of bringing himself to a murderous state through rational argument: he is only able to do so through frenetic emotional states. Hamlet lives in a world where emotions are denigrated as bestial, but these emotions are bestial which Hamlet requires to exact his revenge and stay alive. Hamlet claims that a man who sleeps and feeds alone is “a beast, no more” (4.4.39) Hamlet describes the mad Ophelia as “Divided from herself and by his righteous judgment, / Without which we are…mere beasts” (4.5.83-84). Hamlet has separated himself very clearly from the beasts, with reason and "just judgment" on his side and "bestial oblivion" on the other. Hamlet only confronts his mother because of the frantic state he is in following the "mousetrap". He kills Polonius in a state of wild emotion that Gertrude calls "a rash and bloody act", and ultimately does so only after his mother's death and having assured himself of his own imminent death thanks to Laertes' poison (3.3.26). . Therefore, Hamlet must have his mother and father murdered and ensure his own death before he can become enraged enough to kill Claudius! This is not an act of reason; it is an act of emotion. Stoicism manifests itself through the idea of ​​conscience in Hamlet. The nobility of conscience is discussed by Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. Conscience has some properties in Hamlet. First, it serves as a kind of guideline for morality. Pangs of conscience afflict Claudio after seeing the play, when he admits "How hard was the lash that that speech gives to my conscience!" (3.1.49-50). Seeing his sins committed on stage by the actors inflames Claudio's conscience and reminds him of his lack of morality, how he behaved bestially and killed his brother. Conscience works here to shame him. Hamlet's conscience also warns him of the immorality of his mother's incestuous marriage to his uncle: "Oh, wicked speed, publish, so dexterously, incestuous sheets... but break my heart, for I must bridle my tongue." (1.2 .156-159). Even Laertes, considering Hamlet's treacherous murder, declares that it is "almost against [his] conscience", despite having already condemned "conscience and grace, in the deepest abyss" of hell (5.2.250) (4.5.130 ). Hamlet rejects the idea that sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths was immoral because they are "nowhere near [his] conscience" (5.2.59). Furthermore, Hamlet invokes conscience to argue that murdering Claudius would be moral: “is not conscience perfect, / To leave him with this arm?” (5.2.69). Conscience is the representation of morality within Hamlet. Characters, good or bad, can judge the morality of their actions by the way their conscience speaks to them. Whether or not they listen to their conscience, however, determines whether they are heroes or villains. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Hamlet enters this play as the equivalent of a modern-day ideological young man: full of lofty philosophical ideas that he believes can help him in the real world. With the murder of his father, his mother's dishonorable marriage, the loss of the throne to his uncle and the, 1987.