In what is possibly Shakespeare's most recognizable soliloquy, Hamlet thinks about the state of life versus death; building on a frequent theme throughout the play- the afterlife. Hamlet’s famous line, ‘To be or not to be- that is the question,’ begins by establishing a direct opposition in the first six words and ponders whether is is easier to be dead or alive. The soliloquy goes on questioning the nature of death and whether it would a perfect closure towards defeating and resisting against the ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ of life. This, once again, establishes that the afterlife is a theme that penetrates Hamlet: with the appearance of the ghost, Hamlet’s doubt of killing Claudius as he prays, and the controversy of Ophelia’s burial. …show more content…
He doesn’t use the words “I” or “me” in this whole soliloquy, Hamlet is more generally exploring the reasons why people don’t commit suicide. “To be” is not opposed by “suicide”, “death” or “non-existence” but its simple grammatical opposition. Shakespeare boils down the issue to its simplest and most abstract form, until it almost doesn’t make sense. Shakespeare avoids any imagery, any particular reference that could narrow the question’s application, which is surely one reason why the phrase has resounded throughout our literate culture. In the lines following, it is obvious that Hamlet is mulling over the idea of whether people should live and suffer all the hardships that life has to offer, or to die and end the suffering. This bleeds into the idea of the mystery of death and how it acts on one's conscience which is further explored in his
Hamlet Soliloquy Act 1, Scene 2. The play opens with the two guards witnessing the ghost of the late king one night on the castle wall in Elsinore. The king at present is the brother of the late king, we find out that king Claudius has married his brother’s wife and thus is having an incestuous relationship with her, and her love. We also learn that Claudius has plans to stop.
The interpretation of Hamlet’s, To Be or Not to Be soliloquy, from the Shakespearean classic of the same name, is an important part of the way that the audience understands an interpretation of the play. Although the words are the same, the scene is presented by the actors who portray Hamlet can vary between versions of the play. These differences no matter how seemingly miniscule affect the way in which someone watching the play connects with the title character.
Shakespeare uses soliloquies in his play as a means of communicating the thoughts of a character without revealing them to the other characters. I will investigate soliloquies because they are commonly found in literature, but not in every day speech; therefore, I want to have a better understanding of how a soliloquy can benefit the play’s plot rather than the use of conversation between two or more characters. The three plays that we can see the effect of Shakespeare’s soliloquies on the plot are Jacques in As You Like it, Hamlet in Hamlet, and Macbeth in Macbeth. In each of these plays, the subtopics that I will discuss are: how a specific soliloquy reveals the character’s inner thought, how these lines differ from the views society has
Hamlet’s first soliloquy takes place in Act 1 scene 2. In his first soliloquy Hamlet lets out all of his inner feelings revealing his true self for the first time. Hamlet’s true self is full of distaste, anger, revenge, and is very much different from the artificial persona that he pretends to be anytime else. Overall, Hamlet’s first soliloquy serves to highlight and reveal Hamlet’s melancholy as well as his reasons for feeling such anguish. This revelation in Hamlet’s persona lays the groundwork for establishing the many themes in the play--suicide, revenge, incest, madness, corruption, and mortality.
During the first act of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, Shakespeare uses metaphors, imagery, and allusion in Hamlet’s first soliloquy to express his internal thoughts on the corruption of the state and family. Hamlet’s internal ideas are significant to the tragedy as they are the driving and opposing forces for his avenging duties; in this case providing a driving cause for revenge, but also a second-thought due to moral issues.
Assignment 1: Explication from Hamlet (1.3.111-137) (“My lord, he hath importuned me with love” … [end of scene].
Hamlet’s psychological influence demonstrates his dread of both death and life. In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “To be or not to be” (3.1.64), he refers the “be” to life and further asks “whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (3.1.65.66). By this, Hamlet is asking himself the question of whether to live or die.
greatly pained at the loss of his father. It is also clear that he is
“To be not not to be: that is the question..”, go to the death or alive? give up or keep going? Different scholar have different opinion about the soliloquy. Goethe explained his understand: “Shakespeare means to show the result of a great undertaking on a person who is not fit it completely.” Also some other scholars said in this soliloquy the only thing that Hamlet thought is not the responsibility of anything, he is just wondering about the benefit of killing himself.
Hamlet gives us seven soliloquies, all centered on the most important existential themes: the emptiness of existence, suicide, death, suffering, action, a fear of death which puts off the most momentous decisions, the fear of the beyond, the degradation of the flesh, the triumph of vice over virtue, the pride and hypocrisy of human beings, and the difficulty of acting under the weight of a thought 'which makes cowards of us all'. He offers us also, in the last act, some remarks made in conversation with Horatio in the cemetery which it is suitable to place in the same context as the soliloquies because the themes of life and death in general and his attitude when confronted by his own death have been with him constantly. Four of his seven soliloquies deserve our special attention: 'O that this too sullied flesh would melt', 'O what a rogue and peasant slave am I!', 'To be, or not to be, that is the question', and 'How all occasions do inform against me'.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. William Shakespeare’s tragic play, “Hamlet” revolves around this theme. The story follows a young prince, who has gone through numerous obstacles to get revenge on his treacherous uncle, Claudius, who had killed his father and married his mother. A major scene which enforces this idea would be during act IV when Hamlet decides that the ideal opportunity for retribution has come. When making this play, Shakespeare's definitive objective was to impress the Elizabethan audience.
Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” Soliloquy in act 3, scene 1, reveals that Hamlet is a thoughtful and calculating character attempting to be cautious. Hamlet is looking at the prospect of killing himself from all viewpoints. In Hamlet’s soliloquy shakespeare strikes home with a pivotal human conc...
In this soliloquy, Shakespeare strikes a chord with a fundamental human concern: the validity and worthiness of life. Would it not be easier for us to simply enter a never-ending sleep when we find ourselves facing the daunting problems of life than to "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"? However, it is perhaps because we do not know what this endless sleep entails that humans usually opt against suicide. "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil / Must give us pause. " Shakespeare seems to understand this dilemma through his character Hamlet, and thus the phrase "To be, or not to be" has been immortalized; indeed, it has pervaded our culture to such a remarkable extent that it has been referenced countless times in movies, television, and the media.
"To be or not to be--that is the question..." Many people incorrectly interpret those famous words of Hamlet's, not knowing the true meaning or background behind his speech. In his soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates whether or not he should take it upon himself to act accordingly to his uncle's/step-father's crime against his own father. However, later on in the play, Hamlet realizes Fortinbras' resolve and his quest for victory. By witnessing Fortinbras and his actions, Hamlet comes to realize that he has no inner struggle and sees the actions that he must take in order to bring inner peace to himself and avenge his father's murder.
Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy is transformed by Stoppard, who uses Ros to question the themes of death and certainty. He compares and contrasts the values Elizabethan’s had of death, resulting in new meaning and a value shift. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, the reflective language displays his genuine tone, displaying how he was questioning the afterlife and is concerned about death.