Marxist literary theory can be used to explain many things within Hamlet, such as why Ophelia was given a proper christian burial even if she had  committed a great sin by committing suicide, as explained in our academic article, and it can be applied to many other moments such as Hamlet’s interaction with the gravedigger and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s death. The scene where Hamlet is interacting with the gravedigger is quite noteworthy because  it is one of the few scenes where Hamlet interacts with someone who is not a part of the court of Denmark or directly a servant to the crown. In this scene Hamlet finally meets someone who can best him in the art of speaking in riddles and that always leaves everyone else one or two steps behind, and normal class relations are thrown aside as the gravedigger is shown to be wiser and more articulate than Hamlet, and it is obvious that he is in control of the conversation the entire time.  In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and many other servants, are killed, not directly by their own wrongdoing but because they were simply following orders given out to them by their superiors. Hamlet commands their death and reacts to the announcement that England has followed through with his orders with very little remorse, showing how little he thought of those in lower socioeconomic classes. This scene also brings up the very interesting ethical question of whether the working class is wrong for following the instructions of the ruling class without questioning them, or if the fault solely lies on those who gave the instructions.

When considering Marxist literary theory it is also important to consider the background and class of the author and the historical time period in which they were writing. In Shakespeare’s case, while much of his life is still a mystery, it is known that his father was a public official and that he received a secondary school education, and then later in life he came to be a successful playwright and actor. It is very interesting that Shakespeare wrote for the majority about kings, queens, and noblemen, he himself was very var from being one, and only came to be in close contact with the ruling class later on when he was part of the King’s Men theater company. It is also amazing that he was able to write so elegantly, yet he never had any higher education of any kind, and this fact has led some scholars to believe that Shakespeare didn’t write his plays and sonnets.

Specters of Horatio- Hamlet and Marxist Literary Theory

Article Summary:

This article focuses on Horatio as a just character and as s trustworthy storyteller by examining Horatio’s social status. By concentrating directly on class and the dynamics of social status, this article uses Marxist literary theory to provide a close reading of Hamlet. The Author discusses how Horatio is the middle ground between more common people like Marcellus, a guard, or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are servants to the crown, and the noble class, who command him. Horatio is a bit of a mystery and not much is known about his background except that he is Hamlet’s peer from Wittenberg and that he is potentially a scholar of sorts, but it is suggested that Horatio would not hold the position he does if not for Hamlet favoring and trusting him. Thus Horatio is in the odd position of being on the periphery of both the servant class and the noble class, and this position lets him be a disinterested observer of the tragedy that unfolds, and he is lucky enough to not become a victim of it, unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This position becomes very important at the end of the play, where Hamlet delegates Horatio with recounting the tragedy to the rest of the world, and it is heavily implied that Horatio does this by holding a play in the town center. The author’s main point is that Horatio’s unique social status within the palace makes him the most just and least biased character in the play.

Besides the main argument about Horatio, the author uses a Marxist lens to point out other interesting happenings in the play, such as Ophelia’s burial. It is explicitly stated within this scene that if Ophelia had not been born of nobility, she would not have received  a proper christian burial, and would not have had the opportunity to go to heaven.