Hamlet

             William Shakespeare, a famous playwright of the English language, wrote the play Hamlet, where one finds the quote "to be or not to be." In this quote, Hamlet questions himself on life or death. His fear of death is an existing theme throughout most of his soliloquies, delaying him to act. Shakespeare's plays are timeless studies of the human character as one will clearly see through the seven soliloquies that are interpreted below. A soliloquy is a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself, or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener. Hamlet's isolated speeches play a vital role in the progression of the play. Throughout the seven soliloquies in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the reader witnesses Hamlet's fear of death, delaying him to act and causing him to go insane. Whether he is in a state of mourning, going through a case of madness, or ultimately able to retaliate, each soliloquy reveals his fear of the beyond, which puts off most of his decisions, directing him towards his downfall.
             In both the first and second soliloquy, there is the existing theme of death and suicide. In Hamlet's first soliloquy, he appears very sad and depressed, ready to kill himself. This is clear when he says, "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw and reolve itself into a dew, or that the everlasting had not fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter" (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 129-132). Here, he is disgusted by his "sullied flesh," and can see no outcome to his disgust other than death. To free himself from this sadness and disgust, he must put an end to his life. However, Hamlet says that there is God, "the everlasting," who does not allow one to act in this way. God rules the universe and Hamlet fears God, realizing he must obey him. While mourning his father's death, Hamlet remembers how great his father w...

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Hamlet. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 02:01, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/95370.html