"This above all, be true to thyself" (1.3.88). When Polonius offers this advice to his deceased son Laertes, he is also affirming one of the defining principles of the branch of philosophy known collectively as existentialism. A paradigm firmly rooted in individual experience, existentialism defends responsibility and states that man is nothing more than the sum of his decisions (Sartre, 9-37). Perfectly in line with the ideology of Jean-Paul Sartre is Shakespeare's Hamlet: a character tormented by existential anguish after the premature death of his beloved father and the hasty and fruitful marriage of his mother. However, Hamlet, being a God-fearing man of the 16th century, finds himself at odds with Sartre's staunch atheism. A departure from the zealous Christianity proposed by the father of existentialism, Sren Kierkegaard, reveals Hamlet as a pious man who possesses the devoutly existentialist characteristics of individuality and personal responsibility. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayA key principle of Sartre's philosophy is that of anguish, described as follows:The existentialists immediately say that man is anguish. This means that the man who is committed and who realizes that he is not only the person he chooses to be, but also a legislator who, at the same time, chooses himself and all of humanity, cannot help but escape the feeling of his total and profound responsibility. (18). This sentiment is closely mirrored by Hamlet. Laertes describes Hamlet's troublesome situation to his love-struck sister Ophelia: "He cannot, as worthless people do / Carve for himself; for upon his choice depends / The safety and health of this whole state" (1.3 .19-21) . As Prince of Denmark, his choice is influenced by his responsibility for the well-being of his subjects, which depends on his choice. Avenging his father and embarrassing his mother may not be the ideal outcome for Denmark as a whole. However, God and personal belief compel Hamlet to free his father from the confines of hell and wreak his vengeance on an incestuous royal family. What further complicates this dilemma is Sartre's idea of ​​the non-existence of a priori ethics (24-27). Hamlet has no books to consult for guidance, and no one to tell him the "correct" path to take. He must find the answer within himself and possess the faith to act on that answer. Hamlet specifically mentions this idea in a conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: “for there is nothing/Neither good nor bad but thought makes it so.” (2.2.253-254). This adequately demonstrates the axiom that all ethical issues are subjective in nature, immune to a standardized rational approach. The future of a country and the awareness that no one can help another individual on their personal journey are circumscribed in the conscience: Hamlet is a hopeless existentialist. Two other aspects of Sartre's philosophy are the absurdity of life and the lack of an a priori meaning of life. No goal can be seen as the obvious end of life's struggle, nor is any recognizable meaning immediately visible. Instead, each person must create individually intimate meaning within this short and brutal existence (49). Hamlet's thoughts on this matter are revealed in his speech about Alexander: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returns to dust; dust is earth; we make soil from the earth; and why shouldn't they stopper a beer barrel with that soil to which he had converted? (5.1.211-214).These thoughtsdemoralizing remarks about Alexander the Great, whose exploits are world-famous, point to the futility of Hamlet's existence: we may end up with nothing more than a cork blocking the flow of beer. Furthermore, the epochal soliloquy in the first scene of the third act is an examination of the meaninglessness of life; barbaric events, as well as the role of conscience in defining our actions. "To be or not to be: this is the question" asks whether life is really worth living, considering "the thousand natural shocks / Of which that life is heir flesh!", and that the man's role is "Grunt and sweat under the weariness of life" (3.1.56-77). These suicidal and punitive tendencies are rejected by Hamlet's conscience and Christian faith; he states, “Thus conscience makes cowards of us all, / And so the native color of resolution / Is faded by the pale tinge of thought” (3.1.83-85). He immediately doubts whether it is beneficial to wake up the next day and examines his options for revenge with his anemic resolve. This lugubrious theme of absolute desperation is prevalent in much existential literature, from Camus's detached wanderings in "Meursault in The Stranger" to Gregor Samsa's inescapable, insect-like existence in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis." Therefore, Hamlet is equivalent to Atlas: with the weight of the world bearing down on him, he must continually search for meaning and constantly examine his faith and conscience. The only part of Hamlet's character that is inconsistent with Sartre's philosophy is his firm belief in God; it is here that he turns away towards the zealous Christian Kierkegaard. Concerned about the lack of faith in the contemporary religious community, Kierkegaard despised "Sunday Christians", believing that truth was in the minority and that deep faith - and not logic - was the basis of salvation (Gaarder, 372-384) . Hamlet is angry at Claudius and Gertrude not only for the harm they have done to him, but for the damnation that will follow. To his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet declares: The face of heaven shines upon this solidity and composed mass with fiery countenance, as against fate, thought clings to deed. (3.4.49-52)Ninety-eight lines later, Hamlet orders Gertrude: "Confess to heaven, / Repent of what is past, shun what is to come" (3.4.150-151). This incensed advice speaks to Hamlet's concern for the eternal. This also explains his reflection on "what dreams can happen" in his infamous soliloquy, why suicide cannot be an option for a devout Christian (3.1.66). Hamlet is further explained as a Kierkegaardian character in that he is given a murderous task by the ghost of his father – not uncommon in the archetypal Senecan tragedy – but ultimately must trust himself to carry out what he believes is right. The truth of the situation lies in the minority: Claudius and Hamlet's late father. None of these men are entirely trustworthy; therefore, it once again comes down to an individual decision. Hamlet needs faith to enact his revenge: both faith in himself and faith that the ghost was not a demonic apparition, but a tortured soul seeking salvation. The appearance of one's corpse relative is anything but an appeal to the logos; subsequently, faith is necessary to calm one's conscience. Hamlet's faith and devotion to God explain the most ironic scene in the play, in which Hamlet attempts to kill Claudius but finds himself unable to do so because he believes Claudius is praying, when in reality he is not (3.3.73-96 ). Hamlet can easily be considered an existentialist concerned only with his eternal salvation and troubled by the seeming absurdity of his world, supported only by his faith in God and himself. Please note: this is just an example. Get a document now.