There is no one way to have lived a good life; however, characters in texts such as The Aeneid, I Samuel, II Samuel, Consolation of Philosophy, and Hamlet all demonstrate one common theme. Each character from these works have a strong devotion to their God and that reliance on their faith have brought them opportunities for desired fame, fortune, glory, knowledge, wisdom, and power. These opportunities were directly influenced by their Gods and it was their servitude to God that presented them with a better life. Conversely, characters who did not comply with their Gods were punished by being stripped of opportunities they once had. Characters going against God’s word were then left to live a fateful unravelling, when they could have been rewarded …show more content…
When given the chance, people will let their own natural instincts keep them from thriving in the world God created for them. In II Samuel, David aspires to have a good life by dedicating himself to the will of God; he believes that if he puts all of his faith into God’s hands, he will guide him to the best life for him. Fortunately for David, God recognizes his blind devotion and David become the second king of Israel. When Saul disappoints the prophet, Samuel, and all of Israel as king by blatantly being disobedient to God, Samuel tells Saul that God is going to appoint a new king. David starts working for Saul after beating the giant Goliath, given the strength from his faith, and his popularity among the people brings out the worst in Saul. He becomes jealous and furiously attempts to murder David out of his insecurity. David, on the other hand, simply hides patiently and trusts that God will not abandon him and give him the strength again to overcome Saul’s sheer power. When Saul dies, David takes the throne and rises to power, flexing his military strength and becoming a promising leader to the Israelites. Like many stories in the Old Testament, however, David forgets his position under God and commits out of his desires, seducing Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah. …show more content…
It is theorized that Hamlet experiences clinical depression; he is left to endure the death of his father who was murdered by his uncle, who eventually marries his mother. Throughout the play, his depressive thoughts often led to suicidal ideation. However, he would not go against God’s wishes, the reason he does not commit suicide at any point throughout the play. He exclaims in Act I, Scene II, “O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!” Hamlet does want to die, he has given up on his existential quest multiple times, but he will not give up on life because it goes against the word of God. Hamlet’s faith is clear after sailing to England; pirates attacked the Hamlet’s ship and instead of killing him, Hamlet convinced the pirates to take him back to Denmark. After that, his thoughts become more coherent in that he believes that it is best to leave things up to his providence; there is free choice like Boethius’s argument in Consolation of Philosophy but ultimately a higher power will determine the effects and