Is There a Hamlet in the House?

Shakespeare’s plays are known and loved the world over for their intrigue. Few characters in literature are more moody and broody than Hamlet. He is philosophical, contemplative and thoughtful by nature. Hamlet is rash and impulsive with outbursts of madness from time to time. He is plagued with the afterlife and the mysteries it holds. He ponders the wisdom of suicide and what happens after death. He is a classical enigmatic.

Shakespeare points his operatives with mystery, adventure and melancholy. The bard always leaves his audiences wondering what really makes his creations tick. They are multi-dimensional and wrinkled with complexity. You always get the sense that you don’t know everything about the character. There is always more to them than meets the eye. Shakespeare isn’t the only one who creates characters that defy human understanding!

God creates characters that are equally and more complex. If you wonder where Shakespeare gets his inspiration, you only have to look humanity in the eye or delve into Biblical history. Hamlet had a counterpart in the form of King Saul of the Old Testament. Twins separated by two thousand years.

Saul was so fearful one day he asked God what was going to happen; but God didn’t answer Saul. With impatience Saul decided to consult a medium at Endor and talk to the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel. The medium called Samuel back from the grave and Saul found out what the problem really was. Samuel told King Saul that because he had disobeyed God, Saul’s kingdom and army would be given to his enemy and that Saul and his sons would join him tomorrow! Saul had banned all mediums and spiritists from Israel but in his desperation he turned to one for counsel. 1 Samuel 28

Bottom line

Although Saul had removed the sin of witchcraft from the land, he did not remove it from his heart. 

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:33