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.

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).

The way that Shakespeare portrayed Hamlet’s soliloquy touches on a global issue of suicide. While Hamlet considers his suicidal thoughts it reveals inklings about his character. Hamlet’s soliloquy advances the tone of the play because of

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.

"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.

Hamlet is undeniably an epic among all plays. Shakespeare’s command of storytelling and the meticulously sculpted layers of the play add to the sheer grandeur of the life of Hamlet and the multitude of forces acting against him. The complex dialogue, the magnificent story arches, and the archetypal themes are all essential to the understanding and enjoyment of Hamlet, but there is one particular subject matter that The Bard placed at the center of all the conflict and emotion of the play: grief. The Prince of Denmark’s burdened life after his father’s death is completely coerced by the tearing force of grief throughout his mental and emotional state of being. His purpose, his insanity, and ultimately his downfall stemmed from this encumbrance.

In two of his soliloquies, Hamlet questions whether life is worth living. With characteristic ambiguity and indecision, he wavers as he considers both the Christian and the classical perspectives on suicide. Much of the debate surrounding Shakespeare’s treatment of suicide in Hamlet develops from interpretations of those soliloquies. Focusing primarily on his most famous soliloquy at the start of act three, much critical debate has arisen over the subject of his ruminations, whether on suicide or revenge, as critics draw parallels of development in what is seen as the oppositional thematic relationship between self-murder and murder of the king. Although Hamlet’s spiritual conscience and his

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” .

Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet is a tragic play in which, one of the most famous speeches ever written was said. The speech “To be or not to be” was spoken by hamlet in Act 3, the first scene, in the famous “nunnery scene”. It referred to as soliloquy, the staging of this scene¬ considerably was to test Hamlet by King Claudius and Polonius. They were trying to figure out if Hamlet was truly mad or pretending to be, Hamlet by then surely knew who killed his father because of the earlier appearance of the Ghost. The tragedy of Hamlet is complicated but as it is read increasingly, a knot is untied, and you see hamlet differently every time, the monologue is basically a fluctuating argument Hamlet has with himself over committing suicide or

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.

Beginning his quest to kill the king, Hamlet begins to question who he can trust and if it is better to die than to live. The tragic flaws of paranoia, and selfishness lead to his own tragic death. The first flaw the reader

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

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.

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

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