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Summary Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy In Act 1

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Hamlet’s first soliloquy in Act One is an examination of his own suicidal ideation.Hamlet seems to feel out of control, conflicted, and restless. The first portion of his speech expresses his desires- to either disappear by outside trauma or to disappear by his own hands without damnation. He describes his flesh as “too sullied”- meaning defiled. This shows he believes that he is a victim- he started out pure, but the trials he has gone through have made him dirty. He goes on to say that he wishes his skin would “melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew”. Melting implies the presence of heat, and thawing is the quality of something frozen. Heat is associated with passion, pressure,hell, and,problems. If intense heat is applied to …show more content…

He is essentially “owned” by the Crown- he is branded by his royal lineage and trapped within the obligations of being the heir. Again, Hamlet seems to feel feel like his only option to escape the oppression of his life is death. However, Hamlet is a very inactive character- throughout the play, he fails to effectively commit to any planned course of action. This is no exception- he longs to feel in control and to escape his problems, but he is stopped by the threat of damnation. This unknown factor leads to Hamlet doing a lot of complaining, and a lot of doing nothing, much like his bovine counterparts. In the next portion, Hamlet seems flippant about living. He truly doesn’t care or see his life as a valuable privilege, but rather as a failing acquisition. He calls it “unprofitable”. Why would Hamlet view his life as some kind of business transaction? Perhaps because many things in life kind of are. Marriage, politics, and etiquette are all carefully planned out so that both parties benefit. However, in the deal between him and Life, Hamlet feels he is bankrupt. Further along, Hamlet uses the metaphor of an “unweeded garden” to reinforce Hamlet’s lack of control in his life.”Growing to seed” is the state of a plant which has dropped its leaves and is in a dormant state. The seasonal implication is winter- cold and isolating.Unweeded gardens are overgrown and disheveled due to neglect. No one is taking care of Hamlet’s “garden”, and now that

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