Essay about Suicide in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Hamlet's iconic quote, “To be, or not to be: that is the question,” (Act III, Sc.1) is the greatest example of his suicidal debate. Hamlet questions why it is not a common act for people to commit suicide, for individuals to escape reality and their current problems. He cannot fathom why a person would endure the tragedies of life throughout the years and whether it is nobler to do so or nobler to end it all. Albeit his Christian beliefs,

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.

Since the beginning of the 17th century when William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was first performed by the crew of a ship Red Dragon, the play itself has gone on to become one of the most famous literary tales of all time, creating four centuries’ worth of legacy. Attracting lead actors of all backgrounds, the titular character’s convoluted personality and life has spawned countless variations and interpretations of the play for 400 years. In William Shakespeare’s Act 5 Scene 1 of the play particularly, the scene introduces the gravediggers who argue as to why Ophelia is being buried. Christian theology claims that because she committed suicide, she is to not be given a proper burial. However, Claudius insisted that she deserves one, even if it’s

“To be, or not to be: that is the question,” said by Hamlet at the beginning of his soliloquy, and it has become a quite well known phrase since Shakespeare 's time. Even though the phrase is well known, the meaning behind it isn’t always fully interrupted or considered. The phrase can also be known as a representation of the Hamlet play itself, but the phrase is actually the words of someone whom is truly depressed and questioning life all together. “To be, or not to be,” in other words to live or to die, and at this time for Hamlet that is the ultimate question. However, is Hamlet truly depressed and crazed, or is he merely trying to fool everyone around him by playing the part? That will be the true question throughout this essay, and the following will question and explore Hamlet and his questioned sanity. I will do so by exploring events that lead up to Hamlet’s questioning of suicide, a close reading and reasoning behind Hamlet’s soliloquy, events resulting from Hamlet and his feelings, and how this passage of Hamlet reflects upon William Shakespeare himself.

Suicide in Shakespeare’s time was a controversial issue. On one hand, it held the theme of Christians, who associated suicide with humiliation and disappointment. Someone who committed suicide would be denied a Christian burial in consecrated ground as further punishment. However, on the other hand, the growing Renaissance tradition saw suicide as a noble and courageous act. Someone who committed suicide would be denied a Christian burial in consecrated ground as further punishment. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare scrutinizes suicide through the moral, religious, and aesthetic events that occurred in Hamlet’s life, revealing his belief, in

Confused between The grief and the Anger “Losing a parent means a loss of childhood, of innocence, and a part of oneself; no other bond exists like the one with a parent.” Young Hamlet of Denmark felt this way when he lost his father Old Hamlet of Denmark when he was assassinated in his sleep by his own brother, Claudius. Every dead person deserves to be mourned, and even more if its coming from the wife and the son, it’s okay to be in grief and to suffer for your loved one. However is not acceptable to try to quickly forget by founding relieve in someone else and force others to do it as well. In the tragedy “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, Young Hamlet’s first soliloquy reflects the grief of his father’s death as the disgust and desire of death in reaction to his mother,

“So shall you hear of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,” (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2, Lines 381-384). So says Horatio, best friend of Prince Hamlet in the final few lines of the play. He speaks these words after the deaths of Hamlet, Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, and Laertes, son of Polonius. Also dead are Hamlet, King of Denmark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former friends of Hamlet, Polonius, councilor to the King, and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius. Death is an extremely prevalent theme in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, each death is unique in circumstances, causes, and effects. Three important deaths in Hamlet were

One tragic flaw that Hamlet has is his incapability to commit suicide. There are many signs of him talking about death and showing that he is not mentally stable after his father death and the marriage of his mother and uncle.

Since this is a theme that affects all characters to a certain degree, it is interesting to see how the idea of suicide is treated both morally, religiously and aesthetically. This essay will mostly be based on Hamlet´s own soliloquies, considering their relevance to the theme,

Life can be a real pain. Several millions of people end their lives every year. In the article, Depression, suicide, and deliberate self-harm in adolescence, it informs, “However...in 1990 the suicide rate for males aged 15-19 years was 57 per million,” (Harrington). Harrington also states that men have a higher rate in suicide than women. A character with the name of Hamlet, in the play Hamlet, felt the same way as these boys and men. Once again, the amazing and wonderful William Shakespeare is the creator of this tragedy. Hamlet was, and still is, one of Shakespeare’s greatest hits. In the play, Hamlet loses his father, for his uncle murders him. Hamlet also becomes devastated due to his mother remarrying quickly to his uncle. His love life goes down the drain as well, and Hamlet becomes depressed. In Hamlet, Hamlet speaks three soliloquies, in the first three acts of the plays, each portraying their own message.

The main love interest of Hamlet, Ophelia, displays some symptoms of major depressive disorder that include sadness, thoughts of suicide that lead to a supposed suicide attempt, and hopelessness. Ophelia likely developed this disorder from dealing with a very unstable relationship and losing her father. She shows her sadness when she sings of a story that likely resembles her own about a young girl, tricked into losing her virginity. The betrayal Ophelia feels has happened by Hamlet’s hand destroys her happiness and she then sings to the court about her feelings. A short while after this, she returns to court and sings about her father’s death. “No, no, he is dead . . . He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow, he is gone, he is gone, and we cast away moan, God ha ' mercy on his soul”(Shakespeare 117). Distraught by the news of her father, Ophelia sings multiple verses about her father’s untimely demise and lack of hope which points to her immense sadness indicating depression. Furthermore, a major indication of her mood disorder is her successful suicide attempt, even though the manner of Ophelia’s death remains uncertain by most characters in the play. “Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation”(Shakespeare 127)? The gravedigger asks an unknown person this as he debates on whether he should dig Ophelia a grave or not because giving a Christian burial to

His father’s death and mother’s quick remarriage has him contemplating the world he lives in, and if he would like to continue doing so. This soliloquy is the first that starts to delve deeper into Hamlet’s mind pertaining committing suicide. Hamlet is fascinated with the idea, but his doubt of the paradise-like afterlife stops him “Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d/ His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!”

This soliloquy spoken by Hamlet during this play worries some individuals with the concern over the concept on whether or not life is worth living. Would it be easier for one to just put an end to all the pain one may be facing in life than to “suffer/ the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (Act III, Scene I)? The thought of suicide at times

”Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?” Is a question asked by Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare (3.1.63-64). This is a question he answers himself through various his soliloquies. Shakespeare analyzes the idea of suicide in three different ways: morally, religiously, and aesthetically. The thoughts of suicide are explored through multiple characters but more specifically in the cases of two, Hamlet and Ophelia; while the audience knows Hamlet’s thoughts, the audience never truly knows what Ophelia thinks; Hamlet's thoughts of death and suicide change throughout the play, at first, Hamlet believes that death is the best escape from life’s problems, but because of moral and religious reasons he doesn’t take this route at first; as his understanding of death expands, he realizes that while death may be aesthetically pleasing on the surface, death is permanent and you don’t know whether death will be a dream come true or a nightmare, this is why we continue to live.

In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the prince of Denmark embarks on a quest of revenge against his Uncle Claudius, the new king, for the assassination of his father. In the beginning, Hamlet was contemplating suicide with the news of his father’s sudden death and the quick marriage of his mother, Gertrude and Uncle Claudius, but decides not to by virtue of being a sin. In the play “Hamlet,” Shakespeare examines the role of suicide in morality and religion providing a new perception into how they affect each other, and how both belief guide characters ' motives.