Inner Thoughts
( A critical analysis of the messages in Hamlet’s soliloquies, Acts 1-3 )
“To be, or not to be, that is the question:” ( Shakespeare 142 Act 3 scene 1 line 63). This line is one of the most famous and recognizable lines from any of Shakespeare’s plays; also, comes from one of Hamlet’s famous soliloquies. Hamlet by William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest play of all time. This play is very famous for its intricacy and pure genius of the use of the human mind to trick others into pure belief. Likewise, if you were to walk down the street of any major city in the United States and state this exact line most individuals would know exactly what play you are referencing. Hamlet is about a young prince named Hamlet who is forever stuck, emotionally, spiritually and existentially. Prince Hamlet is stuck for many reasons, a few examples are his mother remarried after his father’s passing, married his treacherous uncle Claudius, and Hamlet has to tolerate him for his mother’s sake. Also, Prince Hamlet can’t love his girlfriend Ophelia, for her father will not permit it. Hamlet is suffering from immense depression, although his spirituality will not allow him to end it by self slaughter. After his father, the late King Hamlet passed away his ghost returned and visited prince Hamlet. The King informed Prince Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius, he was not bitten by a snake. From then on Hamlet embarks on a quest to assassinate his treasonous uncle
In Hamlet’s soliloquy in act IV scene iv, he brings up the question of “what is a man?” Hamlet does this while looking upon the over powering army that is lead by Fortinbras. His army was passing through Denmark to fight over an insignificant piece of land in Poland. Hamlet then thinks about his lack of action with his mission to kill Claudius. While he is seeing this massive army marching, going to war over something so insignificant he realizes that he must try to make his “thoughts bloody” (4.4.64). In this soliloquy, we learn that through Hamlet’s inaction he sees himself no better than a beastly animal where he should see himself as a man that takes action into his own hands which, makes him as the same level as the gods.
When analyzing Shakespeare's Hamlet through the deconstructionist lens various elements of the play come into sharper focus. Hamlet's beliefs about himself and his crisis over indecision are expounded upon by the binary oppositions created in his soliloquies.
What is Hamlet about? Maybe a summary of the plot could answer this question but it wouldn’t do it justice. However it’s impossible to narrow down any of William Shakespeare’s work to one theme. The fact is, that all of Shakespeare’s plays are about many things. There are many ways to look at a Shakespearean play, and none are wrong of course, but it is not entirely true to say that one theme is the most important. Some of the more common and dominate themes that can be found in any of Shakespeare’s works are: conflict, appearance and reality, order and disorder, and change.
“To be or not to be— that is the question.” An exceptionally recognized phrase amid many centuries, cultures, places, and people. This short excerpt derives from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet: The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. Originally, this passage was displayed in one of the soliloquies of the play. Defined as “an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play”, a soliloquy is crucial to furthering the plot and connecting the audience with the speaker. William Shakespeare reveals the true desires and intentions of Hamlet, the main character of Hamlet: The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark, within the protagonist’s soliloquies. Even Hamlet, one of the most complex characters in literary history, can be simplified through the use of a soliloquy.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed thousands of times since it was “written in 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603” (Britannica.com). It’s popularity stems from its themes that translate across time. These themes, are seen to be relatable even to this day with the ever growing audience. Readers and viewers are able to find similarities between the current state and or even relate to one of the characters or events taking place over the course of Shakespeare’s five act masterpiece. Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark remains a viable text for contemporary readers in that it functions as a mirror.
talks of actors on the stage and says ‘Had he the motive and the cue
Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.
Coming immediately after the meeting with the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Shakespeare uses his second soliloquy to present Hamlet’s initial responses to his new role of revenger. Shakespeare is not hesitant in foreboding the religious and metaphysical implications of this role, something widely explored in Elizabethan revenge tragedy, doing so in the first lines as Hamlet makes an invocation to ‘all you host of heaven’ and ‘earth’. Hamlet is shown to impulsively rationalize the ethical issues behind his task as he views it as a divine ordinance of justice, his fatalistic view reiterated at the end of scene 5 with the rhyming couplet ‘O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right’. These ideas are
Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s tragic plays, portrays the story of a young man’s quest to avenge his murdered father and his quest to find his true identity. In his soliloquies, Prince Hamlet reveals to the readers his personal perceptions of the events that take place in his homeland, Denmark, and of which are either indirectly or directly tied to his father’s murder. Many critics and scholars agree that while Hamlet’s soliloquies reveal the search of his identity and true character, his soliloquies universally illustrate man’s search for his true identity.
"To be, or not to be: that is the question" is one of the most famous questions of the entire play, but what really is the question at hand (Act III, Scene I, Line 56)? In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the main protagonist, Hamlet, is perplexed on how to deal with his father’s death, noting that it was a murderous act by his uncle Claudius, the King of Denmark. Hamlet has many soliloquies throughout the play, in this one he is contemplating whether or not he should die in the aforementioned quotation. Hamlet realizes that suicide is not a justifiable decision because he does not know what happens after a person dies. This is just one example of how Hamlet loses his superego, forgets the norms, and falls into the mores of society; however,
I Hamlet's second soliloquy, we face a determined Hamlet who is craving revenge for his father. “Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat/ In this distracted globe. Remember thee!” Hamlet feels sorry for his father who was unable to repent of his sins and is therefore condemned to a time in purgatory. He promises his father that in spite of his mental state (he is distracted, confused and shocked) he will avenge his death. He holds him in the highest regards because he sees his father as a role model. “Yea, from the table of my memory/ I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,”. He’ll erase all prior Knowledge and experience and leave only his father’s “commandment”. He will engrave it in the front of his mind to show his
The tragedy “Hamlet” written by William Shakespeare, who formulated a drama regarding the young Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, who experiences the emotions, depression, rage, and uncertainty because of the assassination of his father, King Hamlet. The culprit who directed this criminal action was Hamlet's uncle, step-father and the new King of Denmark, Claudius. Hamlet yearns to seek revenge upon Claudius not only for the assassination of his father but, the incestuous relationship between him (Claudius) and Gertrude (Hamlet's mother). In the Prince's first soliloquy, he ponders on committing suicide when he encounters difficulty mourning the death of his father whom he adored. As the soliloquy advances, he exposed his passions of disgust on his mother's decision to marry her dead husband's brother, Claudius. This marriage is incest because, Gertrude, a widowed wife, marries her brother-in-law, Claudius who is considered as "family" during the Elizabethan era. His disturbances present itself in act one scene two where Hamlet goes through a state of depression because of his father's death, and then leads to anger because of the relationship between Gertrude and Claudius. In brief, Shakespeare utilizes the soliloquies to observe Hamlet and his constant emotional shifts which allows character development throughout the tragedy
By Hamlet’s third soliloquy he still has not taken action to avenge his father’s death and hates everyone around him, including himself. He begins his soliloquy with the famous line “To be, or not to be?” With this line Hamlet is asking whether is it better to be alive or to be dead. In this soliloquy Hamlet contemplates suicide and discusses the trials of life. He wishes not to have to deal with the hardships of life, but realizes that he is not brave enough to take his own life. Not only is he, like most humans, afraid of the unknown, but he is also afraid of committing a sin and damning his soul. At the end of his third soliloquy Hamlet has yet to do as his father’s ghost told him and Hamlet is still angry with himself for being such a coward.
The "To Be or Not To Be" speech in the play, "Hamlet," portrays Hamlet as a very confused man. He is very unsure of himself and his thoughts often waver between two extremes due to his relatively strange personality. In the monologue, he contemplates whether or not he should continue or end his own life. He also considers seeking revenge for his father’s death. Evidence of his uncertainty and over thinking is not only shown in this speech, but it also can be referenced in other important parts of the play.
“To be, or not to be: That is the question”(3.1.58). This is probably the most famous quote in all of Shakespearean literature and was uttered by the main character, Hamlet, of the play “Hamlet” written by Shakespeare. It demonstrates his instability and suicidal thoughts. Throughout the play he comes off as a very unpredictable and complex character. He makes many rash decisions, but at the same time often takes a lot of time to contemplate many of his choices. Through Hamlet’s language and voice, we can examine what type of character Shakespeare created. Hamlet acts differently towards people in contrast to his actual thoughts, which are projected through his soliloquies. Due to the insanity