A Postmodern Approach to the Humanist-Self-Fashioning in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The Renaissance period in England, marked by ideological transformation and a celebration of human achievement, represented a pivotal moment in theatrical history. This study offers a comparative analysis of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1601) and Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus (1594), exploring manifestations of humanism through character, behavior, speech, and philosophy. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of Simulacra and Simulation (1994), which introduces the concept of hyperreality, the analysis investigates intersections between Renaissance humanism and postmodern thought within the socio-economic and literary contexts of the early modern period. The findings suggest that both Hamlet and Faustus, as culturally constructed figures, engage in self-fashioning that ultimately leads to their tragic downfalls. The study highlights how these characters struggle to embody the Renaissance ideal of the universal man amid apocalyptic and destabilizing shifts in meaning. It concludes by offering a postmodern reading of Renaissance humanism, underscoring the continued relevance of these plays for contemporary audiences.