Hamlet as a symbole of the renissance man

[Miss.Mansour]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a paper on Hamlet as a Symbol of the Renaissance man, but I'm a little lost. I don't know what
topics to include, or what issues to tackle?
Any ideas?

[kelby_lake]

The Renaissance man was a cultured scientific man who was knowledgeable about pretty much anything. He was a polymath like Leonardo DaVinci and could master many different areas. So I would discuss Hamlet's philosophical nature, his education, his thoughtfulness and all the things he is good at.

[Miss.Mansour]

Thanks so much

[Charles Darnay]

Is Hamlet a Renaissance Man (or a polymath)? Clearly he is a modern man among early Medieval characters (save for maybe Horatio), and he is certainly learned - but his mind is pretty one-track. Now, I suppose you could point to all his intellectual jokes and claim just how learned he is in different subjects - theatre, music, philosophy - but I don't think this makes him a Renaissance Man.

Hamlet is certainly a complex, modern, from whom we all basically derive character - but not a polymath.

Edit: I should add that, while Hamlet may not be a Renaissance Man, Shakespeare surely was. With extensive knowledge of the humanities, arts, and sciences (cf. the flower scene in Winter's Tale) - his characters totalled make up the realm of Renaissance knowledge. He gave Hamlet much, but not everything - or maybe he did but Hamlet died before he could reveal to us the secrets of the universe.

[cacian]

This is an interesting post because last time someone posted about Hamlet it was asked whether readers thought Hamlet was a coward.
Two very contrasting ideas I must say.
May ask a question:
What does a renaissance man mean and would this man be different from say a tudor man?
What I mean is why the term 'renaissance'?
Because the meaning of renaissance means this:
1.The revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th–16th centuries.
2.The culture and style of art and architecture developed during this era

[Charles Darnay]

That was covered here:


The Renaissance man was a cultured scientific man who was knowledgeable about pretty much anything. He was a polymath like Leonardo DaVinci and could master many different areas. So I would discuss Hamlet's philosophical nature, his education, his thoughtfulness and all the things he is good at.