Hamlet
Hamlet, the classic play written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of a prince whose throne is taken from him by the same uncle who he learns has murdered his father and then married his mother. These events throw the prince into thoughts of suicide, revenge, and the purpose of his own life; ideas that can best be examined through the four soliloquies given by Hamlet. These four soliloquies not only give the audience a window into Hamlet's troubled mind, but also reflect the significant themes of justice and revenge and destiny and the purpose of life. The first soliloquy is at the beginning of the play, where Hamlet describes his disgust with his mother for marrying her husbands' brother. He makes this speech after his "parents" ask him why he is depressed, and they both think it is time that Hamlet stops mourning his fathers' death. Hamlet views the marriage of his mother to his uncle as incestuous, and he feels like his mother has betrayed his father for marrying so soon after his death. He views her as a weak, sinful woman whose tears of mourning her late husband had hardly dried before her tears of marriage bliss had flown. A very compelling line is spoken in line 146, one that summarizes Hamlet's view of women
" The fourth and final soliloquy made by Hamlet occurs after Fortinbras informs the household that he will be bringing his troops through their land on his way to battle. The third soliloquy occurs after Claudius has responded to the play and Hamlet knows for sure that Claudius killed his father. Hamlet never takes action against his own life, he is like those men he speaks about who will not take their own lives because he does fear what happens after death, "for in that death, what dreams may come. Fortinbras troops are willing to follow their leader and risk their lives for land that they will never have the pleasure to enjoy, yet do it for the sake of their country, and yet Hamlet does not have the gall to take revenge for his own fathers' murder, the soiling of his mother, and the fact that the crown was unjustly taken from him. Sadly, it turns out to be too late for him, and both he and Claudius are slain. Finally, in the last line he says, "My thoughts be bloody, or nothing worth. "To be, or not to be" line 56, is the famous line spoken in this soliloquy, and is a line in the play that strongly exhibits his balancing of life and death. Hamlet again is disgusted with his own cowardice and says that he is more like a beast than a man. The second soliloquy takes place after Hamlet speaks to his fathers' ghost, who explains to him that Claudius, his uncle, has in fact murdered him and Hamlet must seek revenge. " Hamlet has no intention what so ever to explain to them that their marriage is disgusting to him, instead he acts depressed and they begin to think he has gone mad. " Meaning that he will seek retaliation, finally promising himself to do so. Hamlet, however, just has not taken it because of his doubts and cowardice. In waiting to see what Claudius's reaction will be to the play, "to catch the conscience of the king," Hamlet is again procrastinating what the ghost had commissioned him to do- seek revenge. At this point in the play, Hamlet does not believe that there is much of a point to his life, and the thought never occurs to him that the purpose of his life may very well be to avenge his fathers' murder, and to restore balance to Denmark and rid it of incest caused by the marriage of his mother and uncle. These four soliloquies in themselves form a summary of the play, Hamlet, by outlining the most significant themes in the play, the themes of justice and revenge and destiny and the purpose of life.
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