The Justification Of Suicide In Hamlet's Soliloquy '

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).

Progressing through the play, Hamlet continually experiences existential thoughts, as Hamlet’s logic and sanity slowly unravel scene by scene, revealing snippets of Hamlet’s emotion and feeling. As Hamlet’s thoughts actions become increasingly erratic and his inability to cope with his father’s death worsen, Hamlet dives deeper into the realm of existentialism. As he is continually provoked by others telling him to cope with his father’s death, he utters, “Now I am alone. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! (2.2. 48).” Hamlet reaches his pinnacle of despondency; he begins to lose hope. As Hamlet delves deeper into the story of his father’s murder and the correlation of Claudius and the murder, his actions become more wild. Contemplating death and the immorality of the world, Hamlet then utters his famous speech “To bee or not to be… To die to sleep… That makes calamity of so

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

Hamlets contemplation of ending his life shows an inward conflict with himself. In his first soliloquy, he ponders 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" (iii.i. lines 57-61). Scene 5, Shakespeare). He ponders why he should live with all of this chaos but overcomes this internal conflict because he concludes that suicide is a sin. “O that this too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fix 'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. O God! God!” (i.ii. lines 129-132). This soliloquy shows the reality of Hamlet s internal

(III.i.65-68). Hamlet asks if it would be nobler to simply end all the suffering he is constantly bombarded with, as it has all become too much of a burden for him. With this questioning, Hamlet is again obsessively thinking about taking his own life, in the midst of a depression spurred on by his father’s death and perpetuated by the guilt he feels for being unable to successfully slay

Suicidal death and losses are seen throughout the entire play of Hamlet. Every character throughout Hamlet experiences death and loss. Hamlet questioned death many times, but at the same time, he knew he could not kill himself due to his religious beliefs. Hamlet, “to be or not to be-- is the question.” (Act

Hamlet’s Motivation Throughout the exposition of Hamlet, readers have been able to examine five possible motivations for Hamlet. Hamlet appears progressively more crazy as the work progresses but readers are left to determine why. Hamlet cannot even ascertain Claudius’ guilt until Act III and substantiates his judgment before then on an apparition only he could speak to. Hamlet appears to be partially motivated to save his own soul and the souls of those he loves, but through soliloquies that reveal his inner thoughts, Hamlet showcases his deep melancholy and depression which leads to his insanity.

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.

Hamlet and suicide Suicide is one of the themes in Hamlet. How is suicide as an idea treated morally, religiously and aesthetically? You can base your reply on the «O´that this too, too solid flesh would melt» soliloquy and the «To be or not to be» soliloquy. In what way do Hamlet believe that, even though the opportunity of suicide is there, most human beings choose to live; despite the cruelty and injustice in the world. Suicide is a reoccurring theme in Hamlet.

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.

Hamlet begins his soliloquy by reflecting on how his father’s unjust end taints the peace and finality that death brings. He bluntly states that “no more” could death be an end to suffering and “heartache” endured by mankind (3. 1. 68, 3. 1. 69.). Hamlet’s father endured the torture of purgatory even though he was a righteous man, solely due to the nature of his death. To Hamlet, not only is this an insult to his father but the corruption of death as well. Death should allow individuals to “dream” and give “respect” to those who had past (3. 1. 72, 3. 1. 75.). Hamlet scoffs at such an idea, calling it a “rub”, as the exact opposite had befallen his father (3. 1. 72.). The quintessential nature of death was so entirely damaged that Hamlet’s father remained walking on earth as a restless spirit. At this point, Hamlet was so hopeless in his situation that he desired death himself. However, he refrained from committing suicide simply because of how unsure of death he was. What once had been a solstice from “a weary life” turned to “dread of something after death” (3. 1. 84, 3. 1. 85). Since Hamlet constantly thoughtfully analysis his situation, he would rather “bear those ills [he has]/ than fly to others that [he knows] not of” (3. 1. 88-89.). In other words, he would prefer to suffer through life than face the new, unknown woes of death that his father suffers from. Since there’s ultimately no escape from death, the shift from peaceful dreams to unrest and pain spoils the most definite occurrence of human existence, causing Hamlet to question the value of life and death itself.

In the Shakespearian tale of Hamlet, Hamlet gives a famous speech. This is also known as a soliloquy. The soliloquy is called the “to be or not to be” speech, where Hamlet is talking to the skull of his old jester. He gets excited that he got to see the bones of his old friend and just starts going on a rant for the skull. If looked at from a pea brained audience’s perspective, he is seen as a loon. “We need to mediate between our wide experience as readers of Shakespeare and our limited training as spectators.” (Charney 2) It’s just like he is for the entirety of the play. But if looked at from a closer perspective, it has a couple of messages that are a common thing in Shakespeare’s plays. These messages can overlook the play, and many of

This will keep people from choosing death because of the unknown. The whole soliloquy compares the two extremes, life and death. Hamlet thoroughly analyzes both situations and considers the consequence of both. He decided against killing himself, he knew that God would not accept his suicide and he didn’t know what would be in store for his after life. Hamlet is upset because of his mother's marriage to Claudius but especially how quickly they got married about the death of his father. He is constantly expressing his hate and angry toward Claudius while he praises his father and says how great of a king he was. Suicide is a major recurring theme found in the play and Hamlet finds himself considering it.

Throughout Hamlet, William Shakespeare’s eloquence and use of thematic imagery helps convey Hamlet’s state of mind as troubled and ambiguous, establishing him as a tragic hero whose feelings of death are nothing short of an enigma. From the opening scene with the ominous apparition to the brutality of the final scene, death is seemingly portrayed further than that of its simplistic physical nature. Hamlet’s thought provoking and introspective nature causes him to analyze death on different levels, ways that are much more profound. Hamlet’s acceptance of death is gradual but very much evident in the play, as his idle nature transitions to one of cowardice and eventually determination and resolve. As the reader is introduced to Hamlet, it is evident that he is tortured by grief from the death of his father and the much too premature, incestuous marriage of his mother with Claudius. Following his meeting with his father’s ghost, readers are able to see Hamlet’s attitude towards suicide and the afterlife in his “To be or not to be” soliloquy. He knows that he must avenge his father’s murder, but is paralyzed by his inaction and instability. Ensuing his fourth soliloquy, Hamlet legitimately develops a fixation on the certainty of death. He is cognizant of death’s inevitability and comes to accept it and sees the futility in living in fear and desperation.

In a following speech Hamlet’s disposition towards the world persists, yet his attitude towards death has undergone a transformation. Previously, Hamlet was quick to proclaim his desire to die, but by the third act he’s become uncertain. This hesitation becomes apparent in Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech (3.1.56-90). With those opening words, Hamlet debates whether he should exist or not. The fact that this is still a question for him shows that he continues to be displeased with life. Hamlet asks himself, “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.” This reveals a new concern that Hamlet has, he doesn’t ask what is best for him to do, but rather what is nobler, which makes it apparent that he’s concerned with maintaining his character. Even though he maintains the desire to escape the world and the experience in it, he still cares about the image that he leaves behind. Subsequently, Hamlet uses war-like diction, comparing life to war with “slings and arrows” which makes life intolerable. This just reaffirms the ideas Hamlet has had throughout the play, however, a shift transpires when he mulls over the idea that death is like being asleep. A problem arises when he realizes that even when you sleep you experience, “To sleep; perchance to dream: Ay, there’s the rub.” This could be easily misinterpreted as Hamlet hoping to dream, but perchance