Literature of the Renaissance was far different from that of the previous eras. Man was now thought of as the center of life, as opposed to God being the center in earlier times. Also, man was thought to have free will over his life, not being simply a pawn of the Gods. These new ideals were presented in the theaters as well as written literature. The esteemed William Shakespeare incorporated many of these components into some of the greatest performed classics in the history of theater. Shakespeares Hamlet contains elements that are derived from the Renaissance way of thinking and influenced from its earlier writers. The play continuously incorporates themes of free will of man in controlling his destiny. This is ever present throughout the play as Hamlet contemplates each of his actions. Some look at this as cowardice or procrastination, but his deliberation is clearly recognized as his choosing of his own fate. In previous eras, man came across as being locked into one action, without a choice of what to do. In Act I Scene IV, Hamlet provides three possible answers to the cause of evil. The first is an inherited fault: As, in their birth- wherein they are not guilty, which does not involve human responsibility. Another claims the individual as being a victim of fate: Fortunes Star. If that were the answer in Hamlet, then the play could not be classified as a Renaissance tragedy, but one based on the Medieval theory that individuals have no choice in their life. The second offering includes the oergrowth of some complexion, oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason. . . Here human responsibility is obvious, defining the moral theory of the Renaissance. Act II Scene II contains a speech by Hamlet to Rosencrantz and Guidenstern that outl...
