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Hamlet's Soliloquy Analysis

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Hamlet is dissatisfied with his inability to kill Claudius, thus allowing him time to rewrite his wrongs. Unable to muster up the courage to carry out his envisions of murdering Claudius, Hamlet calls himself “a dull and muddy-mettled rascal” (2.2.526) that is “unpregnant of [his] cause”. (2.2.527) In both the soliloquies Hamlet stands around dreaming of completing the act, but pushes aside his outraged feelings toward Claudius. Hamlet is mad at himself as he pretends he is unaware of the treason. The soliloquy “what is a man” starts out with “how all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge!” (4.4.31-32) By “spur my dull revenge” Hamlet is stalling and much like a dull revenge a dull knife would do little to help achieve a stout revenge. This soliloquy also ties in with the …show more content…

Levy said Hamlet’s “thought is not merely the operation or manifestation of his intrinsic nature, but the progressive creation of it. In the classical view, man thinks in virtue of his nature as a rational animal. Thought does not make his identity, but instead is the consequence of it.” (para 28) His cowardliness might come from the fear of having to murder someone making him commit a sin sending him into damnation. Religion is a part of his need to get his father out of the predicament he is by revenging his death, but also Hamlet’s “wisdom” of knowing by revenging his father in return he will be sending himself into his own hell. In the soliloquy “what is a man” asks the question “why yet I live to say “This thing’s to do,” sith I have cause and will and strength and means to do ’t. Examples gross as earth exhort me.” (4.4.44-46) Hamlet wonders why with all the days passing by, he is still alive to say Claudius is alive and well. Hamlet has all the motivation needed for one to commit a murder his dear beloved father was poisoned and taken from his reign and family. As everything he knows to be true, he knows he must murder the person responsible for the hideous

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