Hamlet in Purgatory

work by Greenblatt

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July 20, 2026

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Stephen Greenblatt's Hamlet in Purgatory explores the historical and literary evolution of the concept of purgatory, particularly as it relates to Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The book examines how the idea of a place or state of purification after death, where souls make amends for sins before reaching heaven, has been understood and depicted across different cultures and time periods.123

Greenblatt traces the origins of purgatorial beliefs from ancient practices of praying for the dead to medieval Christian theology and imagination. He highlights how these beliefs influenced society, art, and literature, providing a framework for understanding justice, mercy, and the connection between the living and the deceased. The work also touches upon how the concept of purgatory has been reinterpreted in modern and non-Catholic traditions.1

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Stephen Greenblatt
Greenblatt’s Hamlet in Purgatory (2001) delved into Shakespeare’s representations of ghosts against the background of the Protestant rejection of the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory. He documented the life and times of Shakespeare in Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare (2004), and he assessed…
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Greenblatt’s Hamlet in Purgatory (2001) delved into Shakespeare’s representations of ghosts against the background of the Protestant rejection of the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory. He documented the life and times of Shakespeare in Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare (2004), and he assessed…
Read More