Suicide In Hamlet

Hamlet’s determination and addiction for revenge is confirmed when he is willing to sacrifice his entrance to heaven by separating from his values and beliefs. Initially, Hamlet wishes “that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!” He is contemplating suicide as a result of his father’s death and his mother’s haste in remarrying to his father’s brother, Claudius. However, Hamlet brushes off this idea as an option by saying, “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! Oh, God, God” This portrays the religious beliefs of Hamlet at the time. He wishes suicide was not a sin. However, since it is, he cannot commit it. Similarly, Hamlet also shows his beliefs and values when the Ghost shares his story and then commands Hamlet to avenge his death.

When your back is against a wall and it seems that all hope is lost, do not give up. Because if you choose suicide, you will never live to see it get worse, however, you also pass up the chance to see life get better. Suicide is an important, recurring theme in William Shakespeare's, Hamlet, and it is a topic that Hamlet contemplates quite often throughout the play. Hamlet often goes back and forth between to be or not to be, but continues to believe that people although capable of suicide, choose to live. Hamlet is adamant that the unknown, the inconclusiveness of nobility, along with the sin attached to suicide is what ultimately keeps people from taking their own lives.

Its becomes obvious that despite Hamlet becoming insane he still cared about her, and throughout his entire soliloquy he never once referred to himself which shows that he's attempting to compare himself to others that think about committing suicide. To Hamlet, moral resolution would be seeking revenge for his father, therefore he must end a life to seek vengeance on

Hamlet has two main reasons for not committing suicide. Firstly, he believes that it is a major sin to kill oneself in Christianity, when he says “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon ‘ganist self-slaughter!” (Shakespeare 1.2.135-136) He also does not commit suicide because “The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?”(Shakespeare 3.1.87-89) Even though Hamlet has gone through a tough time, he still chooses life over death, which an insane person may not always do. For example it is known that Ophelia has gone insane ever since the murder of her father, and she suddenly dies by drowning in a river. While it is not certain whether it was an accident or not, there are many signs that point towards it being suicide. On the other hand, Hamlet is able to steer clear of suicide which is another example of how he was not truly

Hamlet demonstrates strong feelings about suicide. His now famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy (lines 56-89, #1846-47), contains all of his thoughts and feelings toward suicide. Hamlet demonstrates here, that suicide may be more honorable than living in a world so twisted and evil. Hamlet also indicates his misunderstanding as to why more people do not take their own lives, he states, “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, To die, to sleep--No more--and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to” (Act, Scene 1 56-63). At this point, Hamlet feels hopeless about everything that has been going on and feels like suicide it the only way out of everything.

Throughout the play, Hamlet is dealing with conflict within himself. When Hamlet finds that he must take revenge on Claudius, he is unsure whether there is any point in having to kill, to take another human life, and whether he would be able to handle this. Hamlet fights inside himself. Is this right? Is this his duty? He considers suicide again, "To be or not to be, that is the question." Hamlet shows his philosophical nature, and talks himself out of the idea of suicide, fearing the unknown beyond. He is thoughtful and intelligent and not first a man of action.

Hamlet was so obsessed with his lack of action and the worthlessness of life that he contemplates suicide asking, "For who could bear the whips and scorns of time" ( III. i. 69-70). He believes he would be foolish to suffer through his life when he will simply be

Many controversial topics are touched on in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". These topics include revenge, marriage, and teenage relationships. One of the strongest themes that occurs in the story is suicide, and the consequences thereof, brought by grief over the loss of a loved one, specifically a parent.   In the instance that a suicide occurs, usually it is as a result of long-term untreated depression.

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

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).

(Shakespeare 1.2.133), Shakespeare shows Hamlet’s interest in suicide early in the story. By saying this, he is stating that God has not made a law against suicide and therefore if he did commit it, he would not be sinned. Hamlet continues to ponder the pros and cons of suicide throughout the rest of the story. Hamlet questions life itself as he wonders “[t]o be, or not to be?...

Moreover, in Hamlet, Hamlet's decision on suicide is impacted by the view of society during his time. The social life in Hamlet is based on a Christian lifestyle and around the church. Due to everyday life being based on the church, suicide is greatly looked down upon in the society. On page 253, Act Five, Scene One, lines 244 and 245 when the Doctor says, “No more be done. We should profane the service of the dead...” The Doctor is saying that he can do nothing more for Ophelia’s death and that it needs to be profaned, which means to treat her death secular rather than religious because she has committed suicide and that is against the bible and their society. Societies view of suicide can be found on page 241, Act Five, Scene One, lines twenty-seven to thirty when the Gravedigger says, “Why thou sayst. And the more pity that great folk should have count’nance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even-Christian.” The Gravedigger is saying that it is not fair to the rest of the Christians that Ophelia gets a proper Christian burial as a response to Other because he is talking about that since Ophelia is rich she gets a proper Christian burial and if she is poor she would not have gotten that because she committed suicide. This shows that the rich in their society receive benefits that the poor do not get, even when it comes to tragic things such as suicide, yet, as mentioned previously the Doctor could not do much for her because suicide is so badly looked upon. Ultimately the view societal view of suicide effects Hamlets choice to not commit suicide because society is extremely religious. On page twenty-nine, Act One, Scene Two, line 136-138, “His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world.” Hamlet is saying that God has made it a sin against suicide, but life is pointless and unprofitable to him. To Hamlet, suicide seems like a desirable alternative to life in a painful world, but Hamlet feels that the option of suicide is closed to him because it is forbidden by religion and society, so he does not commit it.

Although most people would consider suicide as the last resort, if that, but Hamlet on the other hand jumps to the first possible conclusion which he bases solely on his emotions. Hamlet rather than using his logic to think through his rational to commit suicide, he acts solely on his emotional impulse. This action upon emotional impulse can be seen when Hamlet stabs Polonius who was hiding behind the certain. Hamlet’s soliloquy of “To be or not to be…” elaborates on his confusion of how people can bare such large pangs and burdens all throughout life just to end up dead. Hamlet would rather end his own suffering while it had not yet become that terrible.

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

Hamlet recognizes that suicide is a sin in the eyes of God, so consequently wishes that he could simply cease to exist. In doubting that life is worth all the hardships one must face, Hamlet briefly relishes in the concept of death, equating it to nothing more than a sleep wherein one can be rid of the “heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” of physical life (III.i.70). Though immediately thereafter Hamlet acknowledges the startling unknown, and the fact that one does not know what comes after death. Hamlet feels a great deal of uncertainty, which surely enhances his overall frustration. Herein lies Hamlet’s reservations in regards to committing suicide: it is a sin, and the afterlife may prove to be more unpleasant than life itself.