Há algo de podre na vingança: Hamlet segundo a filosofia de René Girard

Abstract

René Girard presented us an intriguing interpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in which he states that the essential emotion worked in the play is the revulsion of the ethics of revenge. From this perspective, this article intends to make a brief investigation on the main elements of the Girardian philosophy, applying its method to explain certain narrative aspects of Shakespeare’s work and the way the author worked the issue of revenge in this play. Girard’s mimetic theory and the sacrifice of the scapegoat were discussed, two elements that, according to the French thinker, are present throughout Shakespeare’s work. Through the qualitative deductive method, it was observed that the Girardian view of Hamlet deserves special attention, as it highlights the risks of adopting the ethics of revenge that the protagonist tried in every way to avoid, realizing that it is only a means of perpetuate violence.