Essay "To Be or not To Be:" Hamlet and His Suicidal Tendencies

In this play “Hamlet” written by William Shakespeare, there are many soliloquies that are said by Hamlet to depict various meanings of his thoughts, feelings, and actions that are inside of him. More specifically the soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, in lines 57-91 starts off with the famous saying known as “To be, or not to be”. Throughout this soliloquy, Hamlet is asking himself the question of whether it is better to live or not to live. In life, we are faced with many situations where we feel the need to give up our life and not face the problems. Only by facing all the troubles, will a person become stronger and more courageous to handle anything in life. By believing in one’s self, can man have the courage to follow what they think is right. Killing yourself or giving up is never a solution in life. This soliloquy reveals Hamlet’s fearful personality by showing that his decision-making process is slow and that he fears risks or uncertainty. These character traits are depicted thoroughly by Hamlet throughout the play.

"To be or not to be, that is the question". This is probably one of the most famous soliloquies. You could say that Hamlet sounds like a broken record with the whole suicide thing. However, he just might be moving on here. After all, instead of obsessing about whether or not to kill himself, he is exploring the reason why people in general don't commit suicide. When it comes down to it, he is talking about you, us and everyone else out there. Life is worth because we are experience every single moment. And there are some special moment that define who we are.

Shakespeare had many playwright that he created one of his most famous was about Hamlet. Hamlet once said “And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep No more--and by a sleep to say we end” . To explain commit suicide is like sleeping and we can end any pain or difficulty we may have. Hamlet even stated that “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune we must suffer,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles” .

The character of Prince Hamlet, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, displays many strong yet justified emotions. For instance, the "To be or Not To Be" soliloquy, perhaps one of the most well known quotes in the English language, Hamlet actually debates suicide. His despair, sorrow, anger, and inner peace are all justifiable emotions for this troubled character. Hamlet's feeling of despair towards his life and to the world develops as the play moves on. In Hamlet's first soliloquy he reveals that his despair has driven him to thoughts of suicide; "How weary (horrible) ... His law 'gainst self slaughter." Likewise, when Hamlet talks to his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2, scene 2, Hamlet wishes they tell the King and Queen that he has

Shakespeare introduces suicide as a tantalizing possibility; however, Hamlet ultimately deems it to be unacceptable because of his Christianity. Hamlet fixates on the prospect of killing himself throughout the play. As early as the second scene, he exclaims “oh 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” (Shakespeare 1.2.129-132). At this point, Hamlet is still unaware of his Uncle’s treachery and yet he still feels such deep despair that he considers suicide. Although religious mandates constrain Hamlet from taking his own life, he still wants to. His troubles are so overwhelming that he is unable to ignore the possibility. Later in the play, he remarks “to die, to sleep--/No more--and by a sleep to say we end/The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that the

With every introduction to a play of tragedy comes the eventual downfall of the leading protagonist. In Shakespeare's play of Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced with the devastating death of his father, King Hamlet. With this immense loss, the young prince is faced with a vast array of destructive emotions, one being the single most tragic flaw that inevitably sends him on a one-way trip to further heartache and tribulation. Hamlet, faced with innumerable amounts of pain, has the tragic, and unfortunate, flaw of being unable to act when necessary. This inability to act is displayed when he is unable to commit suicide, unable to kill his uncle, and unable to be straightforward with both his uncle and mother.

When Hamlet is set up and spied on by Claudius and Polonius, he examines the moral aspect of suicide in a painful world. He opens his soliloquy with asking a simple question, "To be, or not to be:that is the question:" (III. i. 58), that is, whether to live or to die. He then begins to question whether it is nobler to suffer life and the, "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," (III. i. 66), or to take ones life and end one's suffering. He compares death to sleep and at first thinks that

“A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction” (bisd303.org). The judgement errors that tragic heroes face are due to their own tragic flaw. Hamlet, from the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, is one of many tragic heroes who must bear their flaws until they meet their noble death. Before his imminent downfall, Hamlet is approached by the ghost of his father, Hamlet Sr. This ghost explains to him that he was murdered by the king and that Hamlet must avenge him.

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).

Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.

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

With Hamlet’s tragic flaw being his inability to act, he is plagued throughout the play by his immense intelligence and philosophical nature, which causes him to overanalyze each situation, rendering him unable to carry out any action in response. This is evident in the play by the frequent delay of acting out his father’s revenge due to the uncertainty of the evidence pertaining to his uncle’s crime. Hamlet’s inability to act creates a discourse between hamlet and his consciousness, generating an abundance of stress, which causes him to become increasingly frustrated as the play progresses. This frustration leads to him at moments in the play to behave in a rash and impulsive way or acting in an inappropriate manner, contradicting his methodical and reserved disposition. It is the consequences of these “inappropriate” actions that resurfaces at the plays end, to haunt the character, as Hamlet’s inability to act while using his renowned logic and intelligence ultimately leads to his eventual demise at the plays conclusion, due to his inability to act both “effectively” and “appropriately” in critical situations.

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.

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.

The tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s most popular and greatest tragedy, presents his genius as a playwright and includes many numbers of themes and literary techniques. In all tragedies, the main character, called a tragic hero, suffers and usually dies at the end. Prince Hamlet is a model example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Every tragedy must have a tragic hero. A tragic hero must own many good traits, but has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. If not for this tragic flaw, the hero would be able to survive at the end of the play. A tragic hero must have free will and also have the characteristics of being brave and noble. In addition, the audience must feel some sympathy for the tragic hero.