Renaissance Humanist approach

[Natasha FM]

What would be the Renaissance Humanist approach for these important tragedy plays Hamlet, Doctor Faustus and Oedipus?

[Iain Sparrow]

Certainly in the time that Shakespeare wrote his plays, Humanism had gained traction and it is a driving force and common thread running through all his work, not just the tragedies. In fact I'd say A Midsummer Night's Dream is probably his most humanist play. That said, there is much quasi-Christian morality taking place in his work.
As for Shakespeare himself and what may have been his own personal beliefs... we cannot say. Beyond his plays and sonnets we know almost nothing of the man. There's a danger in applying our modern definition of humanism to Shakespeare, in fact I doubt very much that Shakespeare was a Humanist.