Hamlet Soliloquy Comparison Essay Example

me all the uses of this world! " (1. 11. 129-134). In addition, suicide seems like the proper fix to his problems In this soliloquy. But religion conflicts, putting a halt to his attempt to end his life. Next, Hamlet goes in depth about his mother's marriage to Claudia, Hamlets uncle.

The disgust triggered by his mothers actions, compels him to say, "she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown, By what it fed on," (1. 11. 144-145). Furthermore, Hamlet believes that his mother shouldn't have married his uncle so quickly after his father's death because it Is degrading towards herself, her father, and her role as a public figure. He also emphasizes his pity towards her need to be sexually comforted by Claudia, another degrading attribute he finds sickening, armorial because the love she had for his father now appear spurious.

Finally, in act two, Hamlet expresses to Polonium a brief flash of his weary idea of life. While Polonium says goodbye, Hamlet replies by saying, "You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will willingly part withal: except my life, except my life, except my life," (11. 11. 215-21 7). This meaner that Hamlet clearly does not put any value on living and he Is to a fragile state of mind, to the point where he nonchalantly makes witty comments about how careless he is about living.

Specifically, through Hamlet's motions in these examples, Shakespeare is teaching readers that thoughts create feelings which trigger our behavior. He is saying that because Hamlet Is fixated on this idea of possibly killing himself, that he is incapable to solve any

other issues that are going on In his life. While reflecting on Hamlet's actions, it becomes apparent that It Is necessary to take time to step back and evaluate a situation, before acting out about what happens after death, his outlook on death transitions, leaving him uncertain if suicide is the solution to his problems.

Prior to his famous soliloquy, Aphelia is in an empty room for Hamlet to stumble upon, although as previously mentioned, he is so fixated on death that he is oblivious to everything surrounding him, including her. Then, one of the most famous speeches throughout the play begins. "To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'its nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," (111. 1. 56-58). Hamlet is occupied in scrutiny, debating whether life or death is the best option.

While contemplating, he asks himself if he should suffer through troubles or take action and stop the agony. He continues to state, And "by opposing end them? To die, to sleep?No more?and by a sleep to say we end heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, 'its a consummation," he is stating that death is a peaceful, final sleep. In addition, Shakespeare uses the word 'consummation' to display that Hamlet is welcoming of death and that it is almost as if it is an accomplishment Hamlet is achieving.

By analyzing these lines in the soliloquy, it is apparent that Hamlet is almost listing off pros and cons of living vs.. Dying. Following, he questions hat happens in the afterlife, when he says, "For who would bear the

whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin?

Who would Farrell bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than lay to others that we know not of? " (111. 1. 70-82). Here, he is questioning what happens after death, but also admits that those who battle through struggles in life are admirable to do so. His thoughts are primarily influenced here by the return of his father, who hints at the possibility of being murdered.

This conversation has instilled fear, which is exposed through this soliloquy. By Hamlet becoming skeptical of death, Shakespeare is using this emotional state of mind to show that people often over think situations and then when there is not a solid answer to be found, they do nothing. He is afraid of risking the disapproval of God, and so he remains engulfed with guild and does not know what to do. Following, Hamlet decides he does not want to turn to death as an escape from the troubles of life because he is unsure if death would be better than life.

Death is a concept in which he clearly has a difficult time understanding. This is evident in the graveyard scene, which shows how Hamlet views death and that he fears how

no matter who you were or what you did that someday you too, will be at one with the earth and dirt only to become decayed, fed upon and then nothing. Hamlet states, "Not where he eats, but where he is eaten, a certain convocation of politic worms are nee at him.

Your worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots, your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but one table, that's the end," (IV, iii, Through this gruesome explanation of the decaying of a corpse we see that the thought of death is Hamlet turns to the death of Alexander to express his new, negative views on death by saying, "No, faith, not a Jot; but to follow him thither with modesty enough and childhood to lead it; as thus' Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returned into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might they not stop at a beer-barrel? " (V. I. 201-206).

Elaborating on this point, this scene in the graveyard shows Hamlets fear of death and that no matter what ones role was in society or what they accomplished, that it will inevitably end in death, they will turn to dirt and decay into dust. Finally, Hamlet states, "Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, When our deep plots do pall: and hat should learn us, There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will. " (V. Ii. 8-1 1). This line exemplifies that Hamlet has

welcomed the idea that everything happens for a reason, and inevitably whatever happens is part of the journey. Through Hamlets final perspective on death, Shakespeare is implying that we must realize death is inevitable and that becoming fixated on it, only distracts us from living our lives until it is too late.

Furthermore, although Hamlet ultimately accepts death as something he cannot control and realizes that he should overcome the troubles in life, it is too late. His death in the play was certainly something he had coming the entire time. Death offers him no choice and his aptitude to choose how to live is harshly restricted by his death. In the end, all of the characters died, therefore, there were no choices to be made or no struggles left to overcome, based on the fact that death controlled their fate. Shakespeare is teaching his readers to understand that life is a full circle and by tinkering with the thought of suicide, it robs the opportunities presented in the future.

Throughout the play, Hamlet illustrates a person who is confused and besieged with lilt, but does not know how to handle the melancholy feeling. His perspective on death begins with the automatic assumption that death is the solution to all of his problems, to hesitantly glancing into the uncertainty of what happens after he dies. Finally, he ultimately decides that death may not be better than life at all. Although, by the time he makes up his mind, it is too late. His fixation of death stripped him of the opportunity to live, and as German communist and dramatist Barrett Breech once said, "Do not

fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life. "