Hamlet and Hercules
Rebekah Mehuys
December 15, 2014
AP English D°
Hamlet and Hercules: Heroic or Harmful?
A hero, by definition, is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A person who, in the opinion of others…is regarded as a model or ideal.” Much of the great literature prevalent throughout human history is centered on a character such as this, be it Odysseus, Uncle Tom, or Frodo Baggins. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is filled with subtle allusions and comparisons to one of the greatest mythological protagonists: Hercules. As Prince Hamlet struggles with the monumental task of avenging his father’s murder, he laments the fact that he is far from a Herculean figure. However, it can be argued that Hamlet does eventually parallel Hercules in thought and deed, but to a dark end rather than a heroic one. Throughout one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, allusions to Hercules illuminate the surprisingly inglorious similarities between his epic and Hamlet’s, and reveal the difficulty in labeling Hamlet, Hercules, or any man as a true “hero.” Hercules is directly alluded to 48 times throughout 18 of Shakespeare’s works, so it comes as no surprise that when Prince Hamlet needs a general hero archetype to contrast himself with, he chooses Hercules. As he wrestles with the truth that his uncle Claudius murdered his father, Old Hamlet, and married his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet bitterly says that wicked Claudius is no more like his adored father “than [he is] to Hercules” (1.2.153). The connotations of that storied name are that of strength, action, and bravery. Hamlet, being a Renaissance prince and a student, would have been well educated in classical mythology, and Hercules would have been a common role model. Viewed as a vague strongman, Hercules is indeed far from a reflection of Hamlet. The young prince is a student at Wittenberg, an intellectual mind, and reluctant to take any immediate action, especially of the violent sort. Hercules, on
December 15, 2014
AP English D°
Hamlet and Hercules: Heroic or Harmful?
A hero, by definition, is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A person who, in the opinion of others…is regarded as a model or ideal.” Much of the great literature prevalent throughout human history is centered on a character such as this, be it Odysseus, Uncle Tom, or Frodo Baggins. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is filled with subtle allusions and comparisons to one of the greatest mythological protagonists: Hercules. As Prince Hamlet struggles with the monumental task of avenging his father’s murder, he laments the fact that he is far from a Herculean figure. However, it can be argued that Hamlet does eventually parallel Hercules in thought and deed, but to a dark end rather than a heroic one. Throughout one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, allusions to Hercules illuminate the surprisingly inglorious similarities between his epic and Hamlet’s, and reveal the difficulty in labeling Hamlet, Hercules, or any man as a true “hero.” Hercules is directly alluded to 48 times throughout 18 of Shakespeare’s works, so it comes as no surprise that when Prince Hamlet needs a general hero archetype to contrast himself with, he chooses Hercules. As he wrestles with the truth that his uncle Claudius murdered his father, Old Hamlet, and married his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet bitterly says that wicked Claudius is no more like his adored father “than [he is] to Hercules” (1.2.153). The connotations of that storied name are that of strength, action, and bravery. Hamlet, being a Renaissance prince and a student, would have been well educated in classical mythology, and Hercules would have been a common role model. Viewed as a vague strongman, Hercules is indeed far from a reflection of Hamlet. The young prince is a student at Wittenberg, an intellectual mind, and reluctant to take any immediate action, especially of the violent sort. Hercules, on
Cited: "hero." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 14 Dec. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero>. Breuer, H. "3 Notes on "Hamlet"" English Studies 56.1 (1975): 20-28. Taylor and Francis Group. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. Stephanides, Menelaos, and Bruce Walter. "The Nemean Lion." Heracles. 2nd ed. Athens, Greece: Sigma Publications ;, 1989. Print. Bailey, Alice. "Cleansing the Augean Stables." The Labours of Hercules. New York, N.Y.: Lucis Pub., 1982. Print. Srigley, Michael. "Hamlet and the Augean Stables of the World." In the Tracks of Hercules (1998). Lucis Trust. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. "Hamlet 's Fatal Flaw Is His Role Model." On Western Literature. HubPages, 25 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.