The Role Of Suicide In The Elizabethan And Jacobean Era

Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy is conceivably the most prominent soliloquy in the archive of the theatre. Even now, more than 400 years after it was originally written there is still an air of familiarity that reaches others even if they do not know the play itself in detail. In act 3, scene 1, Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” Soliloquy is critical in developing the plot because this is when Hamlet discusses his most suicidal thoughts.

In act 3 scene 1 of William Shakespeare “Hamlet” the main protagonist, Hamlet, recites a soliloquy “To be, or not to be.” Throughout his lines Hamlet explains the concept of suicide and why people choose to live long lives instead of ending their suffering. The main point he speaks on is the mystery of one’s afterlife, they never know for sure what happens when they die. For this reason, his speech does a good job highlighting the plays underlying themes of pervasiveness of death, and tragic dilemma, and tragic flaws.

The "To Be or Not To Be" speech in the play, "Hamlet," portrays Hamlet as a very confused man. He is very unsure of himself and his thoughts often waver between two extremes due to his relatively strange personality. In the monologue, he contemplates whether or not he should continue or end his own life. He also considers seeking revenge for his father’s death. Evidence of his uncertainty and over thinking is not only shown in this speech, but it also can be referenced in other important parts of the play.

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

The Hamlet play by William Shakespeare, the “To Be or Not To Be” speech is a very famous soliloquy in English Literature. This piece refers to the theme of the afterlife, it also provides Hamlet’s continued reflecting contemplation between his ambiguous personalities. Throughout the speech Hamlet contemplated the thought of offing himself right then and there. This is shown by his depressed sequestered tone and his distressed actions with the dagger that successfully programs the audience to truly see what hides under Hamlet’s previous actions in the play. The Hamlet film by Olivier is most true to the original text because of the creative music choice, the actor’s actions and movements shown in the setting, and

Hamlet’s famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy, Hamlet argues whether to be alive or kill himself to end all these miseries for once and for all. Hamlet comes across the view of suicide, and alternative decision he could make to take the easy way out of his misery. Hamlet thinks about leaving his fate as is, a misfortunate fate, or take his matters into his own hands and change his fate. But, he consideres death for an escape route from all of his misfortune. Later on in throughout his soliloquy, we find out that Hamlet has conflicted thoughts about suicide. Now possessing the thoughts of the later consequences one must face after death, he is not so confident about committing suicide. Hamlet begins bombarding himself with questions. What will

     In the opening line of Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To be or not to be” Hamlet is contemplating suicide. He is talking to himself about if

Hamlet’s has the idea of suicide. His famous speech, “To be or not to be” is symbolizing his thought on killing himself, in the cause of his father’s death. He expresses how he desires revenge on King Claudius for forcing poison down his ear while sleeping which then killed him.

William Shakespeare is one of the most creative play and poem writer in the English language. In the poem Hamlet he has many different scenes that are moving to many people, there is a particular scene in the poem hamlet that has many different terms and meanings “to be, or not to be”, that is the question some will say. What does those simple words, is it a joke or something to take serious, is it a term used when your parents are mad, or does it mean if people want to be something and they fail then they give up. In the poem Hamlet Prince Hamlet say “to be, or not to be” because he is considering suicide as an escape from all of his trouble. There are three important messages in this unpretentious, but threatening quote.

During the Renaissance and Reformation period thoughts and attitudes towards suicide were shown that could not be dismissed. In the year of 1600 suicide became a topic of social interest, strongly examined in art, theatre, text and academia. In Shakespeare dramas and plays an individual could see the reflection of changing views about suicide. Several of his most important characters died by taking their own life. Shakespeare reflected on the concepts of depression, escape from shame or disgrace, and the pain of lost love in his depictions of suicide.

“To be or not to be”, one of Shakespeare’s most well known lines (3.1.64). In Act 3 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet begins a soliloquy with the famous line “To be or not to be.” Throughout this scene, Hamlet contemplates suicide and whether or not life is worth all the suffering. While he initially views sleep as a solution, he realizes that with sleep comes dreams and that those dreams may be good or just as miserable as life. Later, he touches on the fear of the unknown and that the fear of death keeps people from taking their own lives. Following his soliloquy, he encounters Ophelia and she returns gifts to him. Hamlet is furious at his mother and already very depressed, so when Ophelia comes to return gifts Hamlet had given her, he views this is a form of rejection. This rejection compounded with the other issues Hamlet is dealing with, such as his father’s murder and his mother marrying his uncle, intensifies his anger. He in turn tells her “Why woulst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me: I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offense at beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven?” (3.1.131-139). He argues that women should all grow up to be nuns and never have children, because children grow up to be corrupt adults. Also, Hamlet expresses his frustration when he mentions “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and your wantonness your ignorance. Go to, I’ll have no more on ‘t. It hath made me mad. I say we will have no more marriage” (3.1. 154-160). He believes women’s beauty is a trick and if they did not marry, there would be less confusion. While he may be mad at Ophelia and blame her for making him believe he may have loved her, he is really more angry at his mother because he does not think she was loyal to King Hamlet. Hamlet’s anger stems from his hatred for his mother’s actions because she so quickly jumped from “loving” her former husband to “loving” Claudius.

In Act 3, scene 1, Hamlet delivers arguably the most famous soliloquy in all of Shakespearean literature and provides and insight into his philosophical outlook of human suffering. The use of an infinitive central existential question in the very opening line, “To be or not to be,” immediately establishes the contemplative and indecisive tone for the entirety of the soliloquy, whereby Hamlet contemplates the value of existence and suicidal thoughts. Shakespeare poses this rhetorical question with a deliberate sense of ambiguity, to enhance the mystery surrounding Hamlet’s psychological state,

Hamlet, although he is a rather irresolute and indecisive character when Shakespeare wrote the “To be or not to be…” speech, Hamlet not only contemplates whether or not to commit suicide but for once in the play he answers and resolves his own problems. Hamlet

In the play “Hamlet” by Shakespeare hamlet is thinking about his life and if we still wants to live or not. With everything that have happened to him and his family is so messed up that he is thinking about killing himself. He has gone through a death of his father, a new dad which was his uncle, and the ghost of his dad telling him that this new dad killed him. These are some of the reasons why he said this famous line “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (line 63 act 3 scene 1 “Hamlet”) and in this line it’s basically saying to die or not to die. Most people don’t really know what this means they just know that it’s a famous line. Back in the day and even today christens frown on people who commit suicide and so I think that is one reason he didn’t kill himself but also to get revenge on his step dad for killing his real dad. One thing that

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we are introduced to the most controversial question; “to be or not to be”. To be, or not to be, what? Alive, Dead, Happy? That is the question. Throughout time this phrase has been used over and over, for the right reasons, and in a joking manner, but everyone has had trouble figuring the meaning. In reality, to be, or not to be, could be relevant to anything. In the tomorrow soliloquy a person can learn about most of the play, and pick up a sense of who Hamlet is. The honesty, his search for the reason to exist, and revenge. Shakespeare’s Hamlet, tomorrow Soliloquy Act III is significant to the play to show who Hamlet is.