Religion plays a major role in Hamlet; however, there are many contradictory religious sentiments in the play, especially when it comes to Hamlet. There is no doubt that Hamlet holds religious beliefs. He believes in Heaven and Hell and Pergatory. He is quite preoccupied with beliefs on where the soul goes once the body perishes and he is very concerned with doing the right and moral thing. All of this being said, Hamlet does not speak as someone who follows the beliefs that he clearly seems to have.
It is well known (or should be) that Christianity is very against taking revenge. It is ALL about forgiveness (and if someone does not know that by now, then I don't know where they've been). So, with that being common knowledge, everyone should be asking him/herself why the entire play is about a man with Christian beliefs trying to avenge his father. The question of contradictory sentiments would be different if Hamlet was attempting to kill Claudius for another purpose besides vengence. If, as king, it was impossible for Claudius to be taken down by a court (because how many kings get a fair trial? They run everything!), so Hamlet decided to take justice in his own hands and rid the world of a criminal, then our question of the contradiction would be very different. Hamlet does not view it like this, however, and he clearly shows this with his words. Hamlet not only seeks revenge, but he plots specifically to get Claudius's soul to Hell. It is another Christian belief that no matter how evil someone may be that they are not wished to go to Hell. Christians, obviously, would like everyone (even if you're Osama Bin Laden) to repent and find eternal life. While Christians believe that there is a Hell and that some people (like most likely Osama Bin Laden) will go there, it is not wished that anyone should go. Hamlet, however, goes to kill Claudius but then stops out of fear that his (Claudius's) soul might go to Heaven. So who is Hamlet? What does he believe? Is he as moral as he and other people think? He is not just trying to kill a man (murder by the way is not on a Christian's to-do list either), he is trying to send him to Hell!
It is possible that part of Hamlet's struggle throughout the play involves his questioning of his very contradictory sentiments, but I'm not so sure.
Well, that's about all.
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Nat--you pose an excellent question. In a play as concerned with divine judgment as this one is, why is there so little serious discussion of forgiveness. About the only real mention of it comes at the end when Laertes and Hamlet forgive each other, but since that comes after Laertes has just killed Hamlet, it seems moret important for him to gain Hamlet's forgiveness than to give his to Hamlet and thus slightly self-serving.
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