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Hamlet Soliloquy

Decent Essays

William Shakespeare’s extraordinary play Hamlet eloquently describes the protagonist’s dramatic journey to revenge. In the process of grieving for his father’s death, a ghost appears to Hamlet, telling him that his father was cruelly murdered by his uncle Claudius in order to take the crown. To further complicate the plot, Claudius defiles Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet is enraged by these injustices and is fueled with rage and distaste for his uncle. Therefore, in Act IV scene iv, the soliloquy is a moving and descriptive speech which effectively targets the Elizabethan audience.
Shakespeare’s use of language greatly influences the social, cultural and economic values of the time. Hamlet’s speech discusses the theme of revenge. He clearly describes …show more content…

This quote describes a higher order and how Hamlet must correct the wrongs that were committed against him. Therefore, he would be vindicated and thus his honour and social standing in society would be redeemed. The culture of the time is reflected in the writing by the significance of honor in society. Everything depended on a person’s honour and how they were respected by those around them. If honour was breached, a person was degraded. In the soliloquy, Hamlet says “Exposing what is mortal and unsure to all that fortune, death, and danger dare, even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great is no to stir without great argument but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honour’s at the stake.”(IV.iv.50-55) This quote reflects the need for Hamlet’s honour to be held in great esteem by his culture of the time period. In order to be a great man, one would fight for anything that would threaten his honour. In terms of economic values, war is often brought about for political reasons and not for moral ones. Hamlet heads an army that will go to their deaths in order to win an insignificant parcel of land. This is evident as Hamlet says “The

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