Context

Political, historical, and economic conditions

Within Shakespeare’s lifetime, there was a lot of change and uncertainty within England and Europe more broadly. In many ways, Hamlet is a direct reflection of the shifts occurring in society at the time. When the play was first performed, Queen Elizabeth I’s reign was coming to an end. However, with her death came the end of her lineage, and by extension the Tudor royal line, since she had no children. Her death led to major political upheaval, with many people fearing a religious war between Catholicism and Protestantism. These events are directly mirrored in the play, as Hamlet’s murder in the final scene symbolises the end of his lineage in Denmark.

Since the play is set in the mid 1500’s, it takes place after the Protestant Reformation of 1517. The Reformation aimed to restructure the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, as it was believed that their priorities had moved away from religion, and that they instead wished to extend their power across Europe. The implications of these religions are seen throughout Hamlet, with Shakespeare subtly referencing the King and the Prince’s differing religions, ultimately leading to internal conflict for Hamlet.

Sociocultural context of the Elizabethan era

The Elizabethan era spans the duration of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, 1558 to 1603. Famous for its theatre because of the works of Shakespeare, this era also saw the blossoming of art, music, and literature. During her reign, there was a brief peace during the Reformation, which is why her death brought so much concern. However, there were economic struggles at the time; with the rising population came food shortages and a perpetual cycle of poverty. While there were varied jobs available in the physical labour and entertainment industries, many people still found themselves without sufficient incomes. However, the Queen also encouraged an articulate and educated aristocracy. As such, many individuals who were fortunate enough to receive an education studied Latin language and literature. Shakespeare’s knowledge of classical theatre, poetry, and legend was developed because of this, and is greatly evident through his work. To a lesser extent, the emerging Jacobean Era from 1603 also influenced Shakespeare. This was characterised by the reign of James VI of Scotland, who inherited the English throne as James I. This unification of both kingdoms was a somewhat practical move to create peace, which was desperately needed following the change and uncertainty of the final years of the Elizabethan era.

Religion

As aforementioned, religion was a significant facet of Elizabethan society. Much of Elizabethan culture was dictated by people’s beliefs in Christianity. Many religious symbols and allusions can be seen throughout the play, including the idea of the Great Chain of Being, which is a hierarchy of living beings (with God and monarchs at the top, and peasants at the bottom). This was based on the principle that the natural order of things must be maintained. Any disruption to this order may have resulted in disastrous consequences, as reflected this in the chaos of the Hamlet plot, due to the murder of the King.  

Women and their roles in society

The role of women in Elizabethan society was simple: to serve and obey men, since men were considered the ‘superior sex.’ Women were said to have naturally softer dispositions, be more compassionate, and were supposed to be submissive to their husbands as part of their religion. Contrastingly, men were considered to be more fierce, passionate, straightforward, and headstrong.

Aligned with their gender stereotypes, men and women had very different roles in Elizabethan England. In regards to education, noble girls were tutored at home in languages and arts but could not pursue education any further. Acting of any sort was dishonourable, so men played the roles of women in Shakespeare’s plays instead. Unfortunately, commoners did not receive an education, and were instead taught the domestic duties expected of them once they were married, including all the skills necessary to run a household. Additionally, women were forbidden from voting, owning an estate, or owning a business, amongst other restrictions.

Once women were married, they were expected to provide some money and assets to bring to the marriage, which was called a dowry. Early marriages were very common, and were often done in order to improve status. Women were then expected to raise their children, while their husbands would join the labour force in order to provide for the family. While they were expected to uphold or improve the family’s social status and be the ‘head of the household,’ men still had a duty to care for their wives and children.

The arts and theatre

The arts flourished during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, which helped to build an enriched culture in England. The Renaissance brought a development of the understanding of literature in society. Previously, visual depictions of the Bible were popular for an illiterate, religious society. However, with the discovery of valuable ancient Greek and Latin texts, more secular topics were addressed. Literature as a whole was more valued, due to a rise in education and the Protestant belief in the importance of reading and interpreting the Bible for oneself. The printing press also allowed for more widespread access to written media.

The theatre industry especially thrived in the Elizabethan era as an entertaining art from. It proved to be a booming business opportunity as well as a favoured leisure activity.

The chaos contrived by Shakespeare is modelled after the works of the ancient Roman politician and philosopher, Seneca. The themes highlighted by Horatio, as well as the bloodthirsty regicide and appearance of a ghost throughout the play, are very reminiscent of the themes covered in Seneca’s plays. As such, Hamlet can be classified as a ‘Senecan revenge tragedy.’

Class structure and hierarchy

Elizabethan England had a very strict social hierarchy. Where people lived, who people married, and even what people wore contributed to their social status. A series of laws called ‘Statutes of Apparel’ dictated the clothes that different people should wear. For example, those in the higher class were to wear bright colours made of silk, satin, and velvet. Comparatively, commoners’ clothes were made of leather, wool, or cotton, and as such had duller colours like brown and beige.

In terms of the social hierarchy, there were several distinct classes to which people were expected to adhere. Above all was the monarch – in this case, Queen Elizabeth I who was God’s representative on earth. After her was the nobility, who were families that owned large amounts of land and thus were powerful within society. The gentry were the following class, which was the group of aristocrats – knights, squires, gentlemen and gentlewomen. They were also quite wealthy. The middleclass, or Yeomanry, made up the majority of the population, with most families being able to get by somewhat comfortably. Finally, there were the labourers and beggars – people who engaged in physical labour and often lived in poverty. Shakespeare distinctly explores class structure and hierarchy in Hamlet, using different language techniques to distinguish individuals.

Exploration and science

Continuing with the theme of great change, Elizabethan England was also characterised by significant intellectual advancements. New technology of the time allowed for greater exploration of foreign countries, which sparked a renewed interest in the world. This is the reason why Shakespeare picked many ‘exotic’ locations, including Denmark for Hamlet; it was even more entertaining for the audience to imagine a distant land. In comparison, the medical profession during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign was far from accurate scientific methodology. Supernatural causes of events were still considered legitimate reasoning. They believed that different organs had different effects on people’s ‘souls,’ and the composition of different fluids within the body – blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm – were said to determine the personality of the individuals by affecting their brains and altering people’s dispositions.