Act 2 Scene 2 Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

Hamlet is very private with his grief. His mourning for his father is long and drawn out. He mulls over how he is going to act and defers action until a perfect moment.

Hamlet’s third soliloquy in Act Two Scene Two is his longest at fifty-seven lines. Hamlet starts the soliloquy loathing himself and is speaks similarly to how the First Player acted his lines with short phrasing, incomplete lines, and irregular metre. Hamlet compares his mother to Hecuba because he thinks she does not do anything when the murders are being committed. When he says, “What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,” (2.2.542) this shows Hamlet to be educated again but also makes us think that even an intelligent person can go mad. Hamlet says, “Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain” (2.2.566), he repeats “villain”

In act 1 scene 2 of “Hamlet” the character Hamlet speaks his first soliloquy which reveals his innermost thoughts and feelings to the audience. In this soliloquy Hamlet’s unstable state of mind is evident as well as his feelings of despair about his father’s death and his disgust of his mother’s remarriage to his uncle Claudius. Hamlet’s hatred for his uncle is shown through harsh comparisons between Claudius and his late father. This soliloquy takes place after Claudius has begun his reign as king and has addressed the court for the first time but before Hamlet hears about the apparition that Horatio and the guards have seen. Hamlet’s character and personality are shown in this soliloquy through the use of classical imagery, diction and

Hamlet’s inability to act upon his emotions begins in the wake of his father’s death and his mother’s instantaneous/hasty marriage to Claudius. Criticized for his prolonged mourning of his late father and insistence from his mother to move on, Hamlet must momentarily seize publicly grieving for his father and in a lengthy expression of torment, contemplates suicide as he agonizes over the dreads of life and the reality that “[he] must hold [his] tongue,” in regards to his mourning (1.2.164). For the sake of his mother’s request, Hamlet anguishes over having to refrain from speaking of his grief, only to deliver a prolonged speech of his woes of mourning. While everyone in the kingdom of Denmark embraces the new king,

One of the best known pieces of literature throughout the world, Hamlet is also granted a position of excellence as a work of art. One of the elements which makes this play one of such prestige is the manner in which the story unfolds. Throughout time, Shakespeare has been renowned for writing excellent superlative opening scenes for his plays. By reviewing Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet, the reader is able to establish a clear understanding of events to come. This scene effectively sets a strong mood for the events to come, gives important background information, and introduces the main characters. With the use of this information, it is simple to see how Shakespeare manages to create stories with such everlasting appeal.

When the audience first meets Hamlet he is grief-stricken and upset with his mother for her hasty remarriage to his uncle. Directly preceding Hamlet’s first soliloquy he is firmly scolded by his mother and uncle for mourning his father and is denied permission to return to the University of Wittenberg. In his soliloquy, Hamlet says, “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,” (1.2.133-134.) Hamlet is expressing his desire to die, but is unwilling to kill himself because he does not want to be sent to Hell. In this statement, the audience is able to see that Hamlet is deeply depressed and ready for death. Also in the first soliloquy, Hamlet says, “O, most wicked speed, to post/With such dexterity to incestuous sheets,” (1.2.161-162.) Hamlet makes this statement in order to reflect his anger with his mother for marrying her brother-in-law, a marriage he deems incestuous, within a month of his father’s death. This statement shows that Hamlet’s depression is not only caused by his father’s death, but also by his mother’s apparent betrayal of his father. Hamlet’s first soliloquy shows him to be very depressed and establishes a strong base for his character to develop.

In the play, Hamlet (1603), William Shakespeare creates a character, Hamlet, that feels overwhelmed by the weight he puts on himself while seeking vengeance for his father’s murder. Shakespeare is able to illustrate Hamlet’s fragileness through the use of vivid imagery, negative attitude, and aggressive diction. Shakespeare’s purpose in this piece is to show Hamlet during his lowest time in order to reveal a significant portion of his character.

(2.2.587-590), Hamlet idolizes the Player's ability to powerfully capture the raw emotion of Hecuba's grief with a simple performance. Through this comparison, he reveals the lack of passion he has for committing the murderous act itself despite his disgust and rage for Claudius. Hamlet, as a result, criticizes himself for not being as active as the Player: "Yet I, / A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak / Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, / And can say nothing—no, not for a king" (2.2.593-596). The juxtaposition of his poetic capabilities and harsh comments demonstrate his passion for articulating his thoughts in a creative yet logical manner. In wanting to be the son who succeeds in achieving justice for his late father, however, Hamlet's passion for expression does not correspond with his desire to do so because unlike poetry, he knows he will not get the same satisfaction from committing a vengeful act.

In his soliloquy the dramatic purpose is highly effective and keeps the audience connected with Hamlet’s intricate way with words. His deep thoughts display his emotional side, and allow the audience to have insight into exactly how he is feeling. He contrasts himself with the player when he reads the Hecuba lines because he can’t comprehend how the player was able to emotionally connect with lines that had no meaning to him. This is explained in the text when Hamlet says “ What would he do/Had he the motive and the cue for passion/That I have? He would drown the stage with tears”(2.2. 519-521) Meanwhile, those lines are Hamlet’s reality and he feels he can't express his grief and sorrow the way the player did. Hamlet feels like a coward for

[(This soliloquy is used to display Hamlet’s raw emotion) and thoughts after he learns of his father’s murder]. Hamlet is deeply traumatized

Hamlet begins his soliloquy in act two scene two by regaining the audiences’ attention and making himself comfortable to fully express his true feelings. Next he starts to describe himself as a “peasant slave” denoting how poor and low he feels to the point where he is not far from being completely worthless. Hamlet further expresses that it’s horrible that a person should be forced to play his character; even in a fictitious story. How could a human being put their pride to the side in order to live a life like mine filled with so much sorrow? It should tear their soul or literally kill them to reenact what I went through. This person must shed tears during their rendition and speak with a shattered speech pattern; taking as if his words were

This acts as a form of comforting Hamlet, to his best ability, as Hamlet does not have to defend his emotions, he, for the first time in the play is allowed to be himself, giving him

Hamlet’s character drastically develops over the first four acts of Hamlet, and his character development is most evident through the soliloquys he delivers throughout the play. The most character development can be seen from the first soliloquy, to the second, the third, the sixth, and the seventh and final soliloquy. Hamlet’s inner conflict with his thoughts and his actions are well analyzed in his soliloquys, as well as his struggles with life and death, and his very own existence. He begins the play wondering what purpose he has in life now that his father is dead and his mother has remarried to his uncle. After finding out foul play was involved in his father’s death, he is motivated by revenge. Finally, he wonders how he can enact his revenge while continuously overthinking and overanalyzing his actions.

In Act II of Hamlet, the play begins ton intensify. We approach the point of the rising action, where all the tensions begin to build up. In this Act we take note of Hamlet’s slight character development from Act I, and now his mindset begins to mature and think a little more wisely. We will see conflicts between characters escalate as they proceed behind each others backs. Lastly, we will take notice how relationships between the characters change.

Shakespeare’s employment of dramatic struggle and disillusionment through his character Hamlet, contributes to the continued engagement of modern audiences. The employment of the soliloquy demonstrates Shakespeare’s approach to the dramatic treatment of these emotions. The soliloquy brings a compensating intimacy, and becomes the means by which Shakespeare brings the audience not only to a knowledge of secret thoughts of characters, but into the closest emotional touch with them too. Through this, the audiences therefore gain a closer relationship with Hamlet, and are absorbed by him because they are able to resonate with his circumstances, as he is faced with enduring truths of the human condition. Through these, the struggle and