The Social and Psychological Influences on Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the influence of Hamlet’s psychological and social states display his dread of death but his need to avenge his father’s death. In turn, these influences illuminate the meaning of the play by revealing Hamlet’s innermost thoughts on life and death and the effect of religion. Despite the fact that Hamlet’s first instincts were reluctance and hesitation, he knows that he …showed first 75 words of 776 total…

…showed last 75 words of 776 total…he will go to heaven, dishonoring his father’s command. In this tragedy, Hamlet is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling influences. His psychological influence is directing him to dread the unknown after life while his social influence is directing him to avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius. Together, these two influences help to illuminate the play by displaying Hamlet’s true feelings of life and death and the effects of religion.