Seneca Tragedy
English Lit: OCR A Level - Hamlet, topic 6.2.1
The Influence of Senecan Tragedy on Hamlet
Seneca was a Roman playwright who lived between 4 BC and 65 AD. His work had a powerful influence on English drama in the late 16th century.
Ten Tragedies of Seneca
- An English translation of the Ten Tragedies of Seneca was published in 1581.
- These plays were full of dramatic ingredients such as madness, violence and bloodshed which would build to a terrible catastrophe.
- Key plot features in Hamlet - such as the appearance of a ghost calling for revenge - originated in Senecan tragedy.
Bate's view of Senecan hero
- The Shakespearean scholar Jonathan Bate describes the typical Senecan tragic hero as a complex figure (similar to Prince Hamlet) who "cannot easily be labelled either a hero or a villain".
- This hero would be tormented by conflicting ideas and emotions, sharing his inner turmoil with the audience through a series of monologues.
Philosophy of Stoicism
- Seneca’s plays also explored the philosophy of Stoicism – the belief that, as human beings are not in control of our destiny, we must learn to control our emotional responses and use our powers of reason to accept this fact.
- Only through control, reason and acceptance will we find happiness.
- Senecan tragic heroes fail to achieve this level of acceptance or self-control because their emotional responses to events are too strong.
Hamlet's Stoic frame of mind?
- But you could argue that Hamlet returns from the sea with a Stoic frame of mind in his new-found acceptance of what may befall him.
- Hamlet tells Horatio that “There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow”, using a biblical reference to a loving God who takes care of all living things to show his acceptance of what is to come, including his own death: “If it be not now, yet it will come”.
Test yourself on Seneca Tragedy
When does Hamlet arguably develop a Stoic frame on mind?
Which of these are true of Seneca?
Which Hamlet plot feature originated in Senecan tragedy?
What are some of the core beliefs of Stoicism?