Literature of the Renaissance was far different from that of the Man was now thought of as the center of life, as opposed toGod being the center in earlier times. Also, man was thought to have freewill over his life, not being simply a pawn of the Gods. These new idealswere presented in the theaters as well as written literature. The esteemedWilliam Shakespeare incorporated many of these components into some ofthe greatest performed classics in the history of theater. Shakespeare’sHamlet contains elements that are derived from the Renaissance way ofthinking and influenced from it’s earlier writers.The play continuously incorporates themes of free will of man incontrolling his destiny. This is ever present throughout the play as Hamletcontemplates each of his actions. Some look at this as cowardice orprocrastination, but his deliberation is clearly recognized as his choosing ofhis own fate. In previous eras, man came across as being locked into oneaction, without a choice of what to do. In Act I Scene IV, Hamletprovides three possible answers to the cause of evil. The first is aninherited fault: “As, in their birth- wherein they are not guilty”, which doesnot involve human responsibility. Another claims the individual as being avictim of fate: “Fortune’s Star.” If that were the answer in Hamlet, thenthe play could not be classified as a Renaissance tragedy, but one based onthe Medieval theory that individuals have no choice in their life. Thesecond offering includes “the o’ergrowth of some complexion, oft breakingdown the pales and forts of reason. . .” Here human responsibility isobvious, defining the moral theory of the Renaissance.Act II Scene II contains a speech by Hamlet to Rosencrantz andGuidenstern that outlines the way man was viewed in Renaissance thinking. “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite infaculty, in form and movi...
