Hamlet's View On Suicide

379 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: The main theme of Hamlet

At first hearing Hamlets words, one would think that his thoughts were contemplating the act of suicide to escape his duty. On the contrary, this view overlooks the facts of the situation and would contradict Hamlet’s own words. He has formed a plan to make the king betray himself. He has written the lines that he plans to use in his scheme, and is eager to initiate his experiment. Unfortunately, he has a period of time where he must wait for nightfall. His idle time causes him to reflect on thoughts of depression, and the thought recurs to him that death would be a relief. Any man would have the same thought in Hamlet’s circumstances. Those thoughts lead to the further reflection that everyone has the power of life or death in his own hands.

Show More
Related

  • William Shakespeare Hamlet Suicide Quotes

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes his ability to use words to paint emotion, the story, and characters into the readers mind. Shakespeare creates the memorable character of Hamlet Junior in his poem, Hamlet, through the characteristics of insanity and madness and suicidal tendencies or thoughts of suicide. His capability of doing so enlarges the ability of the reader to understand the story, but also to construct the storyline.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Putting A Value Of Life

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet contemplates the pros and cons of life and death during his struggle. Hamlet breaks down when he learns of his

    Read More

  • Hamlet Act 3 Theme Analysis

    571 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the play, Hamlet grows more and more depressed and upset. As you get deeper into the play, Hamlet runs into more problems. All these problems overwhelm him and suicide is on his mind. He says, “ To be, or not to be, that is the question: whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them.” (Lines 63-67) he also explains that to die is to sleep, and by doing so, you could end the heartaches and the anxieties that humans suffer

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Tone of the To Be or Not to Be Soliloquy in Hamlet

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    This famous soliloquy offers a dark and deep contemplation of the nature of life and death. Hamlet’s contemplative, philosophical, and angry tones demonstrate the emotions all people feel throughout their lifetimes.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Rhetorical Analysis

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s inability to act is caused by his over-thinking. Hamlet does not only desire to take the King’s life, but also desires the King’s passage to hell. Hamlet meditates on whether it is better to be alive “or not to be.” He is tired of the inevitable pain he has experienced in his life, including the death of his father. He is considering committing suicide so that he will not suffer, but his promise prevents him from taking the easy way out.

    Read More

  • Hamlet’s Self-Perception

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    The way we see ourselves is often reflected in the way we act. Hamlet views himself as different to those young nobles around him such as Fortinbras and Laertes. This reality leads us to believe that over time he has become even more motivated to revenge his father's death, and find out who his true friends are. How can you be honest in a world full of deceit and hate? His seven soliloquies tell us that while the days go by he grows more cunning as he falls deeper into his madness. This fact might have lead Hamlet to believe that suicide is what he really wants for his life's course.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's View on Death in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet's View on Death in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Hamlet is scared because he does not know what happens after you die. He is not afraid to die, but he will not kill himself because he is afraid that he will go to hell. In Act 3, scene 3, Hamlet shows his belief in the Bible by not killing his father while he is in prayer. He says, HAMLET “A villain kills my father; and for that. I, his sole son, send this same villain.

    Read More

  • Hamlet, the Existentialist

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further. He struggles with the task of killing Claudius, feeling burdened about having been asked to find a solution to a situation that was forced upon him.Death is something he struggles with as an abstract idea and as relative to himself. He is able to reconcile with the idea of death and reality eventually.

    Read More

  • Suicide in Hamlet

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, suicide is treated differently on the aspects of religion, morals, and philosophical views. Suicide is the act of deliberately killing yourself in contrary to your own best interests. In today’s society suicide is highly looked down upon. But Shakespeare used suicide and violence in almost all of his most popular plays. Many of his tragedies used the element of suicide, some accomplished, others merely contemplated. Shakespeare used suicide as a dramatic device. A character’s suicide could promote a wide range of emotions: horror, condemnation to pity, and even respect. Some of his suicides could even take titles like the noble soldier, the violated woman, and star-crossed lovers. In Othello, Othello see suicide as the only escape from the pangs and misery of life. In The Rape of Lucrece, Lucrece kills herself after being raped because she cannot live with her shame. And in Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers could not find happiness if life, so death was perceived as a way that they could be united with each other. Shakespeare was dealing with a very controversial subject: Was it right to end life in order to escape the cruel and unjust world? In the time of the Renaissance, many things had an impact on suicide such as religion, morals, and aesthetic views.

    Read More

  • Hamlet And Life Essay

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s feelings towards death changes as he contemplates the consequences of what suicide because it seems too easy to achieve.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Hamlet as a Tragic Hero

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet’s anger and grief- primarily stemming from his mother’s marriage to Claudius- brings him to thoughts of suicide, which only subside as a result of it being a mortal and religious sin.  The fact that he wants to take his own life demonstrates a weakness in his character; a sense of cowarness, his decision not to kill himself because of religious beliefs shows that this weakness is balanced with some sense of morality.  Such an obvious paradox is only one example of the inner conflict and turmoil that will eventually lead to Hamlet’s downfall.

    Read More

  • Conflict in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    2442 Words  | 5 Pages

    From this play we learn of the difficulty associated with taking a life as Hamlet agonises as to how and when he should kill Claudius and furthermore whether he should take his own life. Hamlet being a logical thinker undergoes major moral dilemma as he struggles to make accurate choices. From the internal conflict that the playwright expresses to us it is evident that it can kill someone, firstly mentally then physically. The idea of tragedy is explored in great detail through conflict where the playwright’s main message is brought across to the audience; Shakespeare stresses to his audience the point that conflict be it internal or external it can bring upon the downfall of great people and in turn have them suffer a tragic fate. It is Shakespeare’s aim to show us the complexity of man and that moral decisions are not easily made.

    Read More

  • Suicide In Hamlet's To Be Or Not To Be

    368 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the opening line of Hamlet’s “to be or not to be,” Hamlet struggles with the idea of attempting suicide in order to escape the painful world in which he has found himself in. Hamlet’s battle with the thought of suicide expresses the difficulties that are met with the terror and surprise of finding out the truth and fear of death as a reasonable action in dealing with the pain. Young Hamlet ponders why anyone would willingly endure such hardships when they could simply just accept death and end it all. Hamlet perceives death as a peaceful liberation from the never-ending agony and constant battery of life’s many troubles. The only reason a person would not go through with the idea of committing suicide is because of the constant fear of the

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Interpretation of Hamlet

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare's Hamlet is, at heart, a play about suicide. Though it is surrounded by a fairly standard revenge plot, the play's core is an intense psychodrama about a prince gone mad from the pressures of his station and his unrequited love for Ophelia. He longs for the ultimate release of killing himself - but why? In this respect, Hamlet is equivocal - he gives several different motives depending on the situation. But we learn to trust his soliloquies - his thoughts - more than his actions. In Hamlet's own speeches lie the indications for the methods we should use for its interpretation.

    Read More

  • Hamlet as the Tragic Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne.

    Read More

More about Hamlet's View On Suicide

Open Document