Shakespeare’s message on Immortality is to make the characters wonder weather it is better to live suffering or die peacefully. He also displays elements of immortality through some living, and dead characters.
The Ghost
I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,
And for my soul—what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it” (I.4.67)
- The ghost of King Hamlet says that he cannot rest peacefully until he relieves himself of all his past crimes and sins. This is one indication of immortality. Hamlet’s father is dead, but because he died “unshriven,” he is in possibly in Hell, from which he keeps returning to anger his son and to avenge him. It conveys that a part of Hamlet’s dead father is clearly still alive.
“He is justly served;
It is a poison temper’d by himself.
Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet:
Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee,
Nor thine on me!” (V.2.317-321).
- In this quote Laertes uses his final words to ask for Hamlet’s forgiveness. He does this because before he dies, he wants to get rid of all his sins. This indicates Laertes’ belief in the afterlife and immortality.
Hamlet
“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles…” (III.1.58-90)
- In this quote hamlet talks about what life is worth to him. He talks about immortality and weather its better to live suffering or die peacefully. He hints weather ending one life will relive people of all their sins.
This is an interesting post