In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare utilizes monologue to give his characters room for self-expression and conveyance. Early in the play, the reality of death remains ever present. For Hamlet, the protagonist, recent events in his life have pushed him towards absolute depression. At the end of scene two, act one, Hamlet delivers a monologue sharing his grievance over his father’s death and his dissatisfaction with his mother’s marital situation. Early in the passage, Shakespeare writes, in the words of Hamlet, “Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter.” In this shocking statement, Hamlet questions why God made suicide a sin. He employs the a metaphorical cannon to espouse the
When Shakespeare introduces Claudius and Hamlet in his play Hamlet Shakespeare uses diction, syntax, and imagery to distinctly characterize them to the audience. Using long, complex sentences and stately diction reinforces the image of Claudius as a cold, rehearsed politician to the audience, while Hamlet’s sputtering sentences, diction, allusions, and imagery reflect his passionate nature. By having Hamlet’s soliloquy follow Claudius’ monologue Shakespeare solidifies their characters by contrasting these literary elements.
Based on the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, suicide is the most prevalent and important themes in Hamlet. Hamlet always asks himself for the reason to stay alive. Even though he always thinks that there is no reason for him to stay alive, however he always chooses to stay. The first reason Hamlet seems to contemplate suicide is because his life is contaminated by sins and revenge. The other reason he is thinking about suicide is because he is young and immature. Young adults usually look for escapes when they become angry with things. There are many instances where Hamlet contemplating suicide and he treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56–88).
In the Shakespearean world of Hamlet, acting and putting on a mask are even more dangerous weapons that swords and poisons, for it is the one that acts that is able to be a foil to those. There are numerous instances of acting in the play, each one of them being detrimental to Hamlet’s revenge plot, for Hamlet uses the powers of acting to their utmost capacities.
The way that Shakespeare portrayed Hamlet’s soliloquy touches on a global issue of suicide. While Hamlet considers his suicidal thoughts it reveals inklings about his character. Hamlet’s soliloquy advances the tone of the play because of
In Hamlet, the title character Hamlet displays many different personas throughout the play. These personas are used to avoid confrontation or more often the opposite, but to avoid the consequences of saying the things he does. One of the most important and recognizable personas is Hamlet’s antic disposition or his fake insanity. Hamlet’s false insanity is used to throw off suspecting characters of his true intentions. Another persona that Hamlet portrays in the play is cruelty. Hamlet usually acts cruel toward Ophelia and Gertrude who in his opinion indirectly harm him. Then the final exterior that Hamlet represents is his true self. Hamlets’ reveal of his true feelings are especially important because they describe his true intentions for his false state of madness and his actual mental state of health. Hamlet portrays insanity, cruelty, and true self as his personas in Hamlet to persuade and further his intentions with unintended consequences in his quest to revenge his father’s murder.
In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he contemplates for a while whether to commit suicide. Hamlet’s unhappiness is caused by the people around him. His mother’s actions of marrying her brother-in-law made Hamlet extremely frustrated drawing him out of the right mental state. Meanwhile, his view of his father is godlike, but he distrusts the Ghost enough to think about killing himself instead of pursuing the Ghost’s request. In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “to be, or not to be;” he contemplates (3.1). “The Everlasting had not fixed, His cannon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (1.2). He is uncertain if things would be any better in the afterlife if he were to end his life. Hamlet’s hesitancy, especially concerning suicide, is the cause of his realistic and frightened nature. In this situation, his indecisiveness saves his life, but it also does not allow him to find another solution. Concluding, in his soliloquy he would rather
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, suicide is an important and continuous theme throughout the play. Hamlet is the main character who contemplates the thought of suicide many different times throughout the play, since the murder of his father. Hamlet weighs the advantages of leaving his miserable life with the living, for possibly a better but unknown life with the dead. Hamlet seriously contemplates suicide, but decides against it, mainly because it is a mortal sin against God. Hamlet continues to say that most of humanity would commit suicide and escape the hardships of life, but do not because they are unsure of what awaits them in the after life. Hamlet throughout the play is continually tormented by his fathers death and his
In Hamlet's first soliloquy, he reflects upon the major motif of suicide and death while speaking to himself. Hamlet’s father has just been murdered and his mother has now married Hamlet’s uncle who is the new king. This makes Hamlet contemplate suicide by saying, “Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!”(Shakespeare I.II.131-132)
In act 3 scene 1 of William Shakespeare “Hamlet” the main protagonist, Hamlet, recites a soliloquy “To be, or not to be.” Throughout his lines Hamlet explains the concept of suicide and why people choose to live long lives instead of ending their suffering. The main point he speaks on is the mystery of one’s afterlife, they never know for sure what happens when they die. For this reason, his speech does a good job highlighting the plays underlying themes of pervasiveness of death, and tragic dilemma, and tragic flaws.
Hamlets contemplation of ending his life shows an inward conflict within himself. In his first soliloquy, he debates whether he should commit suicide. "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" (3.1. lines 64-68 Shakespeare). He questions why he should live with all of this chaos but overcomes this internal conflict because he acknowledges that in his religion suicide is a sin. “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, / or that the everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst (self-slaughter). O God! God!” (1.2. lines 133-136 Shakespeare). This soliloquy signifies the reality of Hamlet s internal conflict and also shows the reality of his external conflict with the society he is surrounded by. This declamation establishes
The monologue is not only relevant to the characters in Hamlet, but to all people. Many people feel at some point that their lives are not worth living . They may question if life has a purpose, and whether or not they are serving that purpose. It is quite easy to relate to Hamlet's feelings of woe and uncertainty. This is what makes Hamlet timeless. No matter what century, country, or person, everyone has experienced to some degree what Hamlet endured. Perhaps someone has just lost a father, or undergone a divorce. They could relate to Hamlet's misery. They may not contemplate suicide, as is what is sometimes believed about Hamlet, but they do have questions about life, and the afterlife. Shakespeare uses Hamlet's feelings to express his own, as well as those of all people. Because of this, Hamlet has become a classic.
Hamlet is asking himself if it would be easier to endure a never-ending sleep, or to suffer; he asks who would tolerate the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong against us, the disrespect of proud men, the pain of rejected love, the proudness of authorities, and the advantage that the worst people take of the best when one could just release himself with a blade? Hamlet wonders who would carry this load, sweating and grunting under the burden of life if one did not have to dread of the after life. By Hamlet's in-depth thoughts of suicide, it is apparent that Hamlet is depressed and does not enjoy his life. "Repetition of words such as calamity, scorns, oppressor, despised, dread and weary emphasize the mental trauma he is portraying ("Passage analysis of Hamlet")." "Hamlet's speech contains obsessive concerns with suicide and death. His representation of himself as mentally unstable is an attempt to accomplish his super-objective of avoiding
Hamlet is a famous play by William Shakespeare. It is about Prince Hamlet, whose father has been murdered by his uncle Claudius, who then goes on to marry the widowed queen and take the title of king. The ghost of Hamlet’s father tells Hamlet to avenge him. There is some debate over where exactly the climax of Hamlet is. The climax of Hamlet is in act 3 scene 4 because it is the scene that demonstrates the inevitability of disaster, the most tense scene.
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.
For example, in the rest of the soliloquy he uses metaphors to say perhaps he should, “take arms against” a “sea of trouble” instead of killing himself (3.1.65). Perhaps the reason for lack of imagery to describe a terrible thing such as suicide is his insanity and indecisiveness. Though he plays with the idea of suicide, he is also fearful of it and cannot fully describe it with his normal enthusiastic imagery. In the soliloquy where he envisions himself murdering Claudius, Hamlet’s insanity is the most apparent. This time he again uses simile to describe how his father was “as flush as May” in his sins when Cladius killed the King (3.3.82). He also goes on to envision the murder and how he will kill Claudius, when he is sleeping, or gambling or in the “incestuous pleasure of his bed” (3.3.91). Hamlet is obsessing over murdering Claudius, but at the same time procrastinating the murder because he wants it to be at the perfect time, such as when Claudius is most sinful. This procrastination is slowly driving him insane as shown in this soliloquy. In his soliloquies Hamlet frequently associates metaphors and similes and it is important to realize the progression of Hamlet’s instability as well as his surprising actions and complex thoughts presented through these soliloquies.