The impossibility of certainty and the complexity of action

“The impossibility of certainty and the complexity of action.” These were major themes in what is considered to be one of the greatest literary works ever, the play of Hamlet. They are also the underlying questions that many of us are wrestling with today.

Hamlet was wondering whether the ghost knew the truth about its own death, or was, in itself, delusional. Can we trust the signals we get?

When Hamlet stabbed Polonius to his death, it clearly had a lot of consequences. Was it reasonable, effective, purposeful action? Can we trust that the actions we take will have the intended consequences?

Shakespeare decided that the setting of Hamlet would be the castle of Elsinore, situated 40 km North of Copenhagen, at the point in Denmark that is closest to Sweden. As you leave the castle of Elsinore and drive South towards Copenhagen, you can follow a wonderful, meandering, winding road along the coastline, from which you can experience magnificent villas built over the centuries by successful and well-to-do Danes, while at the same time enjoying the vistas of the coastline of Sweden. Elsinore was always strategic, as it was the closest point to Sweden. The “mirror” city of Hälsingborg in Sweden is on the opposite side of the water. Both cities were under rule of the Danish king until 1658, when…