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Why Is Hamlet Seventh Soliloquy

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The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare is arguably one of the most well-known plays of all time. Written in the 1600’s, Shakespeare chooses Hamlet, a prince, as the protagonist and main character of the play. Hamlet experiences many emotionally life changing events from the opening scene until the culmination of the play. Hamlet’s transformation from a helpless man in despair into a determined, confident gentleman is revealed in his soliloquies, which are reflections of his multiple experiences. There is a drastic transformation from the initial soliloquy to the seventh soliloquy by Hamlet’s character. His growth is seen best through these soliloquies, being the only medium where he can truly open up and let out his inner thoughts and …show more content…

At the beginning of act 3, scene 1 however, Hamlet begins to play mind games with himself which sparks an internal philosophical debate on the advantages and disadvantages of existence, and whether it is right to end his or her own life. He contemplates whether it is fair to end his life so he could be free from his misery, troubles and heartaches. This is considerably the most famous soliloquy in all English literature. It starts off with the renowned lines of “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” (3.1.57-58). Hamlet is not necessarily talking about himself, but more of the ideology behind the existence of humanity. Nevertheless, he is terrified of the thought of death and the after-life that awaits him. A song that would relate well to the way Hamlet’s feeling is the song “Into the ocean” – Blue October. The lyrics “Wish I was much more masculine…I want to swim away but don’t know how… let the waves up take me down,” describe how hard life may be and I felt like Hamlet would completely relate to this song in his struggle of “to be, or not to be” (3.1.57). The dread of the afterlife, Hamlet concludes, leads to excessive moral sensitivity that makes action impossible: “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.” (3.1.84-86). Considering all said and done, Hamlet has lost hope and is in a state of despair, just as the song states “I'm sinking to the bottom of my, everything that freaks me

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