The conflict of interpretations of Hamlet as a basis for its hermeneutics

Statement of the problem. Modern Russian thought about Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet is marked by a paradox: interpretations based on the same method lead to fundamentally opposite interpretations of the meaning. The material of the article consists of articles by G. N. Shelogurova and I. V. Peshkov “The invention of antiquity on the threshold of modern times. The ratio Chorus in Hamlet (The Ancient Tragedy of the Renaissance Hero)” and E. B. Akimov’s Reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Myth (Hamlet). The purpose of the article is to analyze the methodological originality of the selected works, describe the conflict of interpretations of Hamlet in them, and discuss the experience of resolving this conflict. Review of scholarly literature on the issue. The studies analyzed were not subject to scientific comparison in terms of the relationship between their interpretive results. Methodology (materials and methods). The article is based on the critical tradition of analyzing scientific writing from the point of view of its compliance with the principles of scientific evidence, methodological relevance and persuasiveness of the presented conclusions. Research results. The analyzed interpretations lead to directly opposite results: within the framework of one, Hamlet is interpreted as a tragedy of revenge (based on the mythologem of Orestes), within the framework of the other – as a tragedy of self-sacrifice (based on the mythologem of John the Baptist). Conclusions. The conflict between the opposing interpretations of the tragedy can be resolved by shifting the emphasis from the search for mythological sources of the plot to understanding the hero’s consciousness as torn between two models – Orestes and John.