The Significance of Soliloquiest to William Shakespeare's Hamlet

The Significance of Soliloquiest to William Shakespeare's Hamlet

In this essay I will consider the significance of the soliloquies in

Shakespeare's Hamlet. When Shakespeare wrote his plays he intended to

make them entertaining for the era of his time, which was of course

the Elizabethan era. At this time there was no technology available,

and going to the theatre was the only real form of entertainment that

was offered to the people. To ensure that the plays were enjoyable,

Shakespeare had to include aspects that were relevant to the people,

so that they could relate to what was happening. During the

Elizabethan period teachings of Greek mythology were very common, and

Shakespeare does relate parts of Greek mythology in the play, so that

the audience have more understanding. Also, most Elizabethans were

convinced that they lived in a world that God had created, and the

christen view that mankind was redeemed by Christ was rarely

challenged by Elizabethans. As the majority of Elizabethans were

Christians, Shakespeare uses aspects of Christianity in Hamlet, once

again so that the audience can relate to the feelings that are

portrayed.

At the beginning of a soliloquy there is only one character present,

all the others that were in the scene must leave the room before the

soliloquy starts. This is because a soliloquy is a dramatic monologue

where a single character reflects upon unspoken thoughts. At the start

of a soliloquy the audience immediately know that it will bare

enormous relevance to the rest of the play, as it displays the

emotional state of the character making the speech.

The first soliloquy is in Act 1 scene 2, ope...

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... to think about what would happen to them. Whether to

suffer life's pain, or to take the easy route out. However the easy

route out has unknown mysteries that certainly prevent Hamlet from

committing suicide. The soliloquy shows the importance of turning

thoughts into actions, which is still significant in people's lives

today. The fear that you would be condemned to Hell was more

frightening in Elizabethan times. This would have been true for the

audience that this play was intended for. Comparing the two

soliloquies, the audience's involvement is heightened from mere

allusions, to Greek myths. This expresses the complexity in

personality, emotional state and beliefs of Hamlet's character. The

soliloquies successfully show Hamlet as a dramatic character, who's

morals and beliefs help him to overcome obstacles in life.