... for centuries to come. He conveyed ideas that didn't even have a word to describe them at the time. The most modern idea that Shakespeare conveyed in his play "Hamlet" is existentialism. Existentialism as defined by Kohn "is a philosophy of balance: To exist is literally marvelous and not to be taken for granted, but that existence is shot through with finitude; our ... freedom to define ourselves is exhilarating but also a terrible burden; that God is dead -- an historical statement, not a theological one – allows us to "belong to a higher history than any history hitherto," but ... ...

• Word Count: 1407
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School