Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Hamlet — Analysis of Hamlet’s First Soliloquy in the Play

test_template

Analysis of Hamlet's First Soliloquy in The Play

  • Categories: Hamlet

About this sample

close

Words: 1427 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1427 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

An in-depth analysis of hamlet's first soliloquy, hamlet's references to greek mythology, works cited:.

  • Fraser, A. (2001). Marie Antoinette: The Journey. Doubleday.
  • Hardman, J. (2016). The Life of Louis XVI. Yale University Press.
  • Lever, E. (2006). Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  • Nagel, S. (2008). Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman. Harper Perennial.
  • Roberts, J. B. (2015). The French Revolution. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • Scott, P. M. (2008). Marie Antoinette: The Crucial Years. University of California Press.
  • Weber, C. (2013). Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. Henry Holt and Co.
  • Yalom, M. (2008). Blood Sisters: The French Revolution in Women's Memory. Basic Books.
  • Zweig, S. (2002). Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman. Pushkin Press.
  • Zweig, S. (2017). The Struggle with the Daemon: Hölderlin, Kleist, Nietzsche. Pushkin Press.

Image of Dr. Charlotte Jacobson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Literature

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1285 words

2 pages / 1035 words

3 pages / 1438 words

6 pages / 2816 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Analysis of Hamlet's First Soliloquy in The Play Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is a tragic play that is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of literature in history. The play revolves around the character of Hamlet, a young prince of Denmark who is consumed by grief [...]

William Shakespeare's iconic play "Hamlet" intricately intertwines the physical and the supernatural to delve deep into the human psyche, the dynamics of complex familial relationships, and the intricacies of morality. Central [...]

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor. London: Arden Shakespeare, 2006. Print.Frye, Northrop. "The Mythos of Autumn." Shakespearean Criticism, edited by Laurie Lanzen Harris, vol. 4, Gale, 1986, pp. [...]

Shakespeare's Hamlet is renowned for its complex characters and timeless themes. Among these characters, Hamlet and Laertes stand out as intriguing figures whose parallel journeys ultimately lead to their tragic downfalls. [...]

In Hamlet, the philosophy and ideas of Stoicism make their appearance onstage and shape the themes and dialogue of the play. Stoicism, which praises the superiority of reason and civilization over the more base element of [...]

When Hamlet’s father orders him to kill Claudius, Hamlet’s reaction is one of questioning and disbelief. While he feels strongly about the murder of his father and yearns to discover the killer, he harbors suspicions about the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

Quotes & Plays

Quotes & Plays

Hamlet’s first soliloquy analysis: o that this too, too solid flesh would melt.

Hamlet First Soliloquy

Shakespeare in his play hamlet used seven soliloquies. Act 1, Scene 2 marks Hamlet’s first soliloquy. But before we dive into analyzing Hamlet’s first Soliloquy, let us first understand the meaning and purpose of using Soliloquies in drama.

What is Soliloquy

Soliloquy is a literary device used by dramatists to convey the secret thoughts or intentions of the character. The character reveals himself to the audience and his monologue is meant to be heard only by the audience and not by any character in the play.

Soliloquy as a literary device is very effective because it let’s audience predict the actions of the character, understand his positive or negative emotions, plans, etc.

Hamlet’s First Soliloquy Text

“The First Folio,” 1623.

Hamlet's first soliloquy

Hamlet’s First Soliloquy Analysis

Hamlet's first soliloquy

In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, he reveals the grief that has been tormenting his mind. He wishes to die, but unable to do so as it is sin to commit suicide. He feels disillusioned with the world. He compares his life with a garden that has been left wild.

How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Line – 133

Hamlet then starts talking about his father who died less than two months ago. He compares his father with Hyperion (A God of Wisdom) and his uncle with Satyr (half-human, half-animal monster). He also revealed how much his father used to love his mother.

Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!

Hamlet is unable to tolerate the fact that his mother remarried just after few days of the death of his father. He is losing faith in women. He compares his mother with Niobe and claimed that even a beast would have mourn for someone loved longer than his mother.

Like Niobe, all tears; — why she, even she, — O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn’d longer,

Hamlet is also disgusted with the fact that his mother married his own brother-in-law and got in bed with him before her tears for King Hamlet dried. But hamlet decided not to protest openly.

married with mine uncle, My father’s brother; but no more like my father

The first soliloquy in hamlet gives us an insight into Hamlet’s state of mind. He feels hopeless both by the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother. We also get to know, that he holds his father in high esteem. His reference to Hyperion, Niobe, and Hercules shows him to be well-versed in classical literature. His anger toward his mother and uncle is evident in the soliloquy. As an audience, we start to sympathize with hamlet and become curious about his next action.

PrepScholar

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, to be or not to be: analyzing hamlet's soliloquy.

author image

General Education

feature_hamlet_shakespeare_actor

"To be, or not to be, that is the question."

It’s a line we’ve all heard at some point (and very likely quoted as a joke), but do you know where it comes from and the meaning behind the words? "To be or not to be" is actually the first line of a famous soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s play Hamle t .

In this comprehensive guide, we give you the full text of the Hamlet "To be or not to be" soliloquy and discuss everything there is to know about it, from what kinds of themes and literary devices it has to its cultural impact on society today.

Full Text: "To Be, or Not to Be, That Is the Question"

The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy comes from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (written around 1601) and is spoken by the titular Prince Hamlet in Act 3, Scene 1. It is 35 lines long.

Here is the full text:

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, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; 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 fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? 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, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.—Soft you now! The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd.

You can also view a contemporary English translation of the speech here .

"To Be or Not to Be": Meaning and Analysis

The "To be or not to be" soliloquy appears in Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet . In this scene, often called the "nunnery scene," Prince Hamlet thinks about life, death, and suicide. Specifically, he wonders whether it might be preferable to commit suicide to end one's suffering and to leave behind the pain and agony associated with living.

Though he believes he is alone when he speaks, King Claudius (his uncle) and Polonius (the king’s councilor) are both in hiding, eavesdropping.

The first line and the most famous of the soliloquy raises the overarching question of the speech: "To be, or not to be," that is, "To live, or to die."

Interestingly, Hamlet poses this as a question for all of humanity rather than for only himself. He begins by asking whether it is better to passively put up with life’s pains ("the slings and arrows") or actively end it via suicide ("take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?").

Hamlet initially argues that death would indeed be preferable : he compares the act of dying to a peaceful sleep: "And by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to."

However, he quickly changes his tune when he considers that nobody knows for sure what happens after death , namely whether there is an afterlife and whether this afterlife might be even worse than life. This realization is what ultimately gives Hamlet (and others, he reasons) "pause" when it comes to taking action (i.e., committing suicide).

In this sense, humans are so fearful of what comes after death and the possibility that it might be more miserable than life that they (including Hamlet) are rendered immobile.

body_shakespeare_hamlet_title_page

Inspiration Behind Hamlet and "To Be or Not to Be"

Shakespeare wrote more than three dozen plays in his lifetime, including what is perhaps his most iconic, Hamlet . But where did the inspiration for this tragic, vengeful, melancholy play come from? Although nothing has been verified, rumors abound.

Some claim that the character of Hamlet was named after Shakespeare’s only son Hamnet , who died at age 11 only five years prior to his writing of Hamlet in 1601. If that's the case, the "To be or not to be" soliloquy, which explores themes of death and the afterlife, seems highly relevant to what was more than likely Shakespeare’s own mournful frame of mind at the time.

Others believe Shakespeare was inspired to explore graver, darker themes in his works due to the passing of his own father in 1601 , the same year he wrote Hamlet . This theory seems possible, considering that many of the plays Shakespeare wrote after Hamlet , such as Macbeth and Othello , adopted similarly dark themes.

Finally, some have suggested that Shakespeare was inspired to write Hamlet by the tensions that cropped up during the English Reformation , which raised questions as to whether the Catholics or Protestants held more "legitimate" beliefs (interestingly, Shakespeare intertwines both religions in the play).

These are the three central theories surrounding Shakespeare’s creation of Hamlet . While we can’t know for sure which, if any, are correct, evidently there are many possibilities — and just as likely many inspirations that led to his writing this remarkable play.

3 Critical Themes in "To Be or Not to Be"

  • Doubt and uncertainty
  • Life and death

Theme 1: Doubt and Uncertainty

Doubt and uncertainty play a huge role in Hamlet’s "To be or not to be" soliloquy. By this point in the play, we know that Hamlet has struggled to decide whether he should kill Claudius and avenge his father’s death .

Questions Hamlet asks both before and during this soliloquy are as follows:

  • Was it really the ghost of his father he heard and saw?
  • Was his father actually poisoned by Claudius?
  • Should he kill Claudius?
  • Should he kill himself?
  • What are the consequences of killing Claudius? Of not killing him?

There are no clear answers to any of these questions, and he knows this. Hamlet is struck by indecisiveness, leading him to straddle the line between action and inaction.

It is this general feeling of doubt that also plagues his fears of the afterlife, which Hamlet speaks on at length in his "To be or not to be" soliloquy. The uncertainty of what comes after death is, to him, the main reason most people do not commit suicide; it’s also the reason Hamlet himself hesitates to kill himself and is inexplicably frozen in place .

body_hamlet_horatio_ghost_scene

Theme 2: Life and Death

As the opening line tells us, "To be or not to be" revolves around complex notions of life and death (and the afterlife).

Up until this point in the play, Hamlet has continued to debate with himself whether he should kill Claudius to avenge his father. He also wonders whether it might be preferable to kill himself — this would allow him to escape his own "sea of troubles" and the "slings and arrows" of life.

But like so many others, Hamlet fears the uncertainty dying brings and is tormented by the possibility of ending up in Hell —a place even more miserable than life. He is heavily plagued by this realization that the only way to find out if death is better than life is to go ahead and end it, a permanent decision one cannot take back.

Despite Hamlet's attempts to logically understand the world and death, there are some things he will simply never know until he himself dies, further fueling his ambivalence.

Theme 3: Madness

The entirety of Hamlet can be said to revolve around the theme of madness and whether Hamlet has been feigning madness or has truly gone mad (or both). Though the idea of madness doesn’t necessarily come to the forefront of "To be or not to be," it still plays a crucial role in how Hamlet behaves in this scene.

Before Hamlet begins his soliloquy, Claudius and Polonius are revealed to be hiding in an attempt to eavesdrop on Hamlet (and later Ophelia when she enters the scene). Now, what the audience doesn’t know is whether Hamlet knows he is being listened to .

If he is unaware, as most might assume he is, then we could view his "To be or not to be" soliloquy as the simple musings of a highly stressed-out, possibly "mad" man, who has no idea what to think anymore when it comes to life, death, and religion as a whole.

However, if we believe that Hamlet is aware he's being spied on, the soliloquy takes on an entirely new meaning: Hamlet could actually be feigning madness as he bemoans the burdens of life in an effort to perplex Claudius and Polonius and/or make them believe he is overwhelmed with grief for his recently deceased father.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that Hamlet is an intelligent man who is attempting to grapple with a difficult decision. Whether or not he is truly "mad" here or later in the play is up to you to decide!

4 Key Literary Devices in "To Be or Not to Be"

In the "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Shakespeare has Hamlet use a wide array of literary devices to bring more power, imagination, and emotion to the speech. Here, we look at some of the key devices used , how they’re being used, and what kinds of effects they have on the text.

#1: Metaphor

Shakespeare uses several metaphors in "To be or not to be," making it by far the most prominent literary device in the soliloquy. A metaphor is when a thing, person, place, or idea is compared to something else in non-literal terms, usually to create a poetic or rhetorical effect.

One of the first metaphors is in the line "to take arms against a sea of troubles," wherein this "sea of troubles" represents the agony of life, specifically Hamlet’s own struggles with life and death and his ambivalence toward seeking revenge. Hamlet’s "troubles" are so numerous and seemingly unending that they remind him of a vast body of water.

Another metaphor that comes later on in the soliloquy is this one: "The undiscover'd country from whose bourn / No traveller returns." Here, Hamlet is comparing the afterlife, or what happens after death, to an "undiscovered country" from which nobody comes back (meaning you can’t be resurrected once you’ve died).

This metaphor brings clarity to the fact that death truly is permanent and that nobody knows what, if anything, comes after life.

body_hamlet_skull_book_candle_desk

#2: Metonymy

A metonym is when an idea or thing is substituted with a related idea or thing (i.e., something that closely resembles the original idea). In "To be or not to be," Shakespeare uses the notion of sleep as a substitute for death when Hamlet says, "To die, to sleep."

Why isn’t this line just a regular metaphor? Because the act of sleeping looks very much like death. Think about it: we often describe death as an "eternal sleep" or "eternal slumber," right? Since the two concepts are closely related, this line is a metonym instead of a plain metaphor.

#3: Repetition

The phrase "to die, to sleep" is an example of repetition, as it appears once in line 5 and once in line 9 . Hearing this phrase twice emphasizes that Hamlet is really (albeit futilely) attempting to logically define death by comparing it to what we all superficially know it to be: a never-ending sleep.

This literary device also paves the way for Hamlet’s turn in his soliloquy, when he realizes that it’s actually better to compare death to dreaming because we don’t know what kind of afterlife (if any) there is.

#4: Anadiplosis

A far less common literary device, anadiplosis is when a word or phrase that comes at the end of a clause is repeated at the very beginning of the next clause.

In "To be or not to be," Hamlet uses this device when he proclaims, "To die, to sleep; / To sleep: perchance to dream." Here, the phrase "to sleep" comes at the end of one clause and at the start of the next clause.

The anadiplosis gives us a clear sense of connection between these two sentences . We know exactly what’s on Hamlet’s mind and how important this idea of "sleep" as "death" is in his speech and in his own analysis of what dying entails.

The Cultural Impact of "To Be or Not to Be"

The "To be or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most famous passages in English literature, and its opening line, "To be, or not to be, that is the question," is one of the most quoted lines in modern English .

Many who’ve never even read Hamlet (even though it’s said to be one of the greatest Shakespeare plays ) know about "To be or not to be." This is mainly due to the fact that the iconic line is so often quoted in other works of art and literature ⁠— even pop culture .

And it’s not just quoted, either; some people use it ironically or sarcastically .

For example, this Calvin and Hobbes comic from 1994 depicts a humorous use of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy by poking fun at its dreary, melodramatic nature.

Many movies and TV shows have references to "To be or not to be," too. In an episode of Sesame Street , famed British actor Patrick Stewart does a parodic version of the soliloquy ("B, or not a B") to teach kids the letter "B":

There’s also the 1942 movie (and its 1983 remake) To Be or Not to Be , a war comedy that makes several allusions to Shakespeare’s Hamlet . Here’s the trailer for the 1983 version:

Finally, here’s one AP English student’s original song version of "To be or not to be":

As you can see, over the more than four centuries since Hamlet first premiered, the "To be or not to be" soliloquy has truly made a name for itself and continues to play a big role in society.

Conclusion: The Legacy of Hamlet ’s "To Be or Not to Be"

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most popular, well-known plays in the world. Its iconic "To be or not to be" soliloquy, spoken by the titular Hamlet in Scene 3, Act 1, has been analyzed for centuries and continues to intrigue scholars, students, and general readers alike.

The soliloquy is essentially all about life and death : "To be or not to be" means "To live or not to live" (or "To live or to die") . Hamlet discusses how painful and miserable human life is, and how death (specifically suicide) would be preferable, would it not be for the fearful uncertainty of what comes after death.

The soliloquy contains three main themes :

It also uses four unique literary devices :

  • Anadiplosis

Even today, we can see evidence of the cultural impact of "To be or not to be," with its numerous references in movies, TV shows, music, books, and art. It truly has a life of its own!

What’s Next?

In order to analyze other texts or even other parts of Hamlet effectively, you'll need to be familiar with common poetic devices , literary devices , and literary elements .

What is iambic pentameter? Shakespeare often used it in his plays —including Hamlet . Learn all about this type of poetic rhythm here .

Need help understanding other famous works of literature? Then check out our expert guides to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , Arthur Miller's The Crucible , and quotations in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird .

Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!

Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.

Connect With a Tutor Now

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Join the Conversation

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

  • For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2351 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11005 literature essays, 2759 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Hamlet’s First Soliloquy Nathaniel Clark

Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 1 Scene II is his first of the play and, as a consequence, allows the audience to see his inner thoughts for the first time. The subjects of this soliloquy are numerous: his father’s death, his mother’s response to this death, his mother’s remarriage to his uncle and Hamlet’s own sense of anger at how his life worsened in a short space of time. Shakespeare uses rich imagery to portray Hamlet’s sense of inner turmoil.

Shakespeare begins Hamlet’s soliloquy with immediate ambiguity. The word ‘sullied’, meaning dirtied or spoilt, is used to describe Hamlet’s flesh. This word may be used because the incestuous relationship between his mother and uncle has corrupted his family name and the purity of his blood. However, there are two other, equally pertinent, interpretations of the word Shakespeare meant to use: firstly, ‘sallied’, meaning ‘attacked’ or ‘assailed’ relates to the context because Hamlet may feel he is the victim in these set of circumstances. This would be consistent with Hamlet’s morose state of mind in the soliloquy and his self-piteous nature. Secondly, the word may have been ‘solid’. This is consistent with the changing of states in the next two lines (‘thaw’, ‘resolve’ and ‘dew’). It is...

GradeSaver provides access to 2313 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 10989 literature essays, 2751 sample college application essays, 911 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Already a member? Log in

hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

William Shakespeare

Everything you need for every book you read..

Action and Inaction Theme Icon

Analysis of Hamlet’s First Soliloquy

Hamlet’s first soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2, lines 133-164 is a passionate and startling passage that strongly contrasts to the artificial dialogue and actions that he portrays to his uncle Claudius throughout the remainder of the play. This soliloquy serves to reveal Hamlet’s melancholia and the reasons for his despair in an outpouring of anger, disgust, sorrow, and grief through which he explains how everything in his life seems futile and miserable.

He mourns the death of his father, is sickened by his mother’s marriage to his uncle, and also feels extremely miserable about the entire situation with regards to the value of his own life. Hamlet is so grieved by his father’s death that he too wishes to die. He feels as if he is a defiled person stating that

O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into dew” (I. ii. 133-134).

He seems to hope that if he was to die, then he would become cleansed and pure as the dew cleanses the earth at the dawn of day.

He wants to break out of the captivity of his flesh as a “spiritual release” of sorts. Shakespeare juxtaposes this notion with the term “Everlasting” (I. ii. 135) making his body possess a state of permanence something that is everlasting compared to breaking down into the dew that he wishes to become. Hamlet also realizes that committing suicide would be considered a sin in the eyes of the “Everlasting” God (I. ii. 135) who with his “ canon ‘gainst (self slaughter! )” (I. ii. 136) would prevent him from reaching heaven.

Shakespeare also uses metaphors for Gertrude, by stating that she is “an unweeded garden That grows to seed.” (I. ii. 139). This can be seen in many ways, one of which is the possibility that Hamlet is portraying his mother as a sort of Virgin Mary who was sexually untouched and unviolated like an unbreached garden prior to her “fall. ” This would make Claudius into a Satan-like figure who breaches the garden with his bed “stewed in corruption” (III. iv. 93) and she loses her purity and grows to seed.

Saddened not only by his father’s death, Hamlet is also outraged about the quick marriage between Gertrude and Claudius. Hamlet retracts Gertrude’s initial grief at the loss of her husband saying that she cried “unrighteous tears” (I. ii. 159) and he is tormented by images of his mother’s affection towards his father, believing that her display of love was a pretense to satisfy her own lust and greed. He feels that she acted too hastily and states

O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer! ” (I. ii. 54-155)

He is obviously against the marriage and believes that

She married. O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (I. ii161-162).

To Hamlet, Claudius is nothing compared to his deceased father. “So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr” (I. ii. 143-144) is a wonderful juxtaposition used by Shakespeare to compare Old Hamlet with Claudius. The allusion of Hyperion, the Titan God of Light, represents honor, virtue, and regality which are all traits that were common to Hamlet’s father.

Satyrs, which are half-human, half-beast creatures of the Wine-God Dionysus, represent lewdness and overindulgence much like the traits of Claudius. A final important contrast is seen in Hamlet’s self-depreciating comment “but no more like my father than I to Hercules” (I. ii. 157-158). This remark notes Hamlet’s continuing disgust and disapproval of Claudius, stating that he is no closer to the Old King Hamlet than he himself is to Hercules.

Overall, this soliloquy is packed full of deep meanings and carefully executed literary elements that make it a very powerful passage which helps the readers get into Hamlet’s head for the first time to see what his true thoughts are. Shakespeare uses many different literary elements throughout this passage which I have given examples of the tone of this passage is a very serious and personal one since it is Hamlet’s first soliloquy of the play. He speaks to himself seemingly to justify his feelings and to allow the readers to understand what it is running through his head.

A lot of strong specific imagery is used in order to create a serious and convincing mood on par with that of which Hamlet is feeling. Much of the imagery is dark, “rank”, and “gross” (I. ii. 140) which help create the somber mood that Hamlet is in. He uses an awful lot of juxtaposition , similes, and metaphors to make it obviously clear the point he is trying to get across. Shakespeare seems to use these comparisons in a fashion to make the difference between the two objects as blatant as possible, as evidenced by the Hyperion/satyr comparison .

Allusions are also used heavily throughout in order to give his ideas more backing and support, especially referring to past mythology with Hyperion, Hercules, and the satyrs. The overall tone of this soliloquy is a very personal and emotional one since it is really the first time that Hamlet has revealed his inner thoughts so openly. It accomplishes its objective of revealing the deep thoughts of Hamlet and his inner struggle with amazing proficiency, and helps the reader to understand the basis for his actions throughout the rest of the play.

Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies

Check out our Hamlet’s soliloquies analysis sample! Get more ideas and insights about the famous “To Be or Not To Be” quote for your Hamlet soliloquy essay.

Hamlet Soliloquy Essay Introduction

What hamlet wants, hamlet soliloquies analysis conclusion, works cited.

In his many conversations, Hamlet reminds the people around him and especially his mother that she does not know the real ‘Hamlet’. To Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he insinuates that they cannot fathom what he knows. This aspect leads to his many soliloquies, which expose his disparate characters. This paper analyses Hamlet’s beliefs, fears, wants, talents, and flaws solely based on his soliloquies.

The first soliloquy comes early in Act 1, scene 2 where Hamlet muses, “O that this too solid flesh would melt” (Shakespeare 1.2). This monologue exposes Hamlet’s beliefs and it becomes clear that he is religious due to his take on suicide.

From this monologue, it becomes clear that Hamlet is suicidal. He longs for his flesh to melt – in other words, he wishes to die, but he acknowledges that such a move would be sinful, which underscores why he laments why God had “fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter” (Shakespeare 1.2). He strongly believes in the existence of an all-powerful God and this assertion explains why he keeps on thinking about God and heaven.

Hamlet believes in love. In the first soliloquy, he expresses his love for his mother when he makes it clear that he would not even let the “winds of heaven visit her face too roughly” (Shakespeare 1.2). His loving nature also comes out in the way he mourns his befallen father. He is also a mature man as at the end of the first soliloquy; he notes that he must show deportment and keep silent despite his worries concerning his mother marrying a wicked man.

He also believes that humankind is “noble in reason…infinite in faculties” (Shakespeare 2.2). In his monologue in Act 4 scene 4, he muses “Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, Looking before and after, gave us not that capability and godlike reason, to fust in us unus’d’ (Shakespeare 4.4). This instance paints him as a logical person. He thinks first before he acts.

Hamlet’s greatest fear is the repercussion of doing what is wrong. Even though he knows who killed his father, he does not fall into the trap of unjustified vengeance. At one point, Hamlet finds Claudius on his knees deep in prayer. By this time, Hamlet knows that Claudius killed his father and so he has every reason and means to revenge. He pulls his sword, ready to strike, but something holds him back.

The fear of the implication of his actions illuminates his mind, and he starts to ponder on what might happen. He mulls, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying, and now I’ll do, and so he goes to heaven, and so am I revenged…A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Shakespeare 3.3).

On one side, killing Claudius would avenge the death of Hamlet’s father; however, on the other side, it would promote the villain to glory. Such an act would send Claudius to heaven and so after much thinking, Hamlet concludes, “O, this is hire and salary, not revenge” (Shakespeare 3.3). The logical side of Hamlet tells him that killing Claudius would be senseless, especially while purging his soul.

Even though Hamlet postpones his vengeance to perhaps a time when Claudius is drunk or asleep, he never executes his plans. This aspect is a clear indication that his greatest fear is the damnation that comes with sinning. Also, Hamlet fears mistakes.

He wants to be sure of what he does, which explains why he has to investigate everything before he acts. In the example given above, the fear of mistakenly killing Claudius without enough ‘reason’ that he killed the Old Hamlet prevents hamlet from acting.

Hamlet’s ultimate goal is justified revenge. He believes in revenge, but he also acknowledges that unjustified revenge is sinful, and it would attract God’s wrath. Unfortunately, Hamlet is confused on the best way to carry out his justice, and thus he resorts to self-condemnation. He wonders whether he is a coward.

He thinks, “Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing; no, not for a king, upon whose property and the dearest life, a damn’d defeat was made, am I a coward? (Shakespeare 2.2). In this soliloquy, it becomes clear that all Hamlet wants is justice; he just does not know how to execute it. He notes, “Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be” (Shakespeare 2.2).

He affirms to himself that he should take charge and avenge his father’s killing for the murderer cannot be allowed to continue living, as that would amount to injustice. In a bid to assert his quest for vengeance, he does not give up, but he comes up with a plan. He decides to stage up a play with the theme of murder and invite his uncle to the staging. He would then observe his father’s alleged murderer and see how he behaves after seeing staged killing.

He thinks, “I’ll have these players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle, I’ll observe his looks, I’ll tent him to the quick, if he but blench, I know my course” (Shakespeare 2.2). In plotting this play, Hamlet seeks only one thing, viz. justified revenge, which underscores what he wants in the entire play.

Hamlet is richly talented with critical thinking. In all his soliloquies, he probes everything before acting. Even in the face of obvious facts, he still investigates everything. When he finds Claudius on his knees, praying, he goes into a monologue to understand two things. First, he questions whether Claudius is the killer of his father. Second, even if Claudius were the killer, would it be worth to kill him while purging his soul.

Hamlet’s talent to think critically comes out clearly, as the soliloquy in Act 3 opens. He ponders, “Now might I do it pat” (Shakespeare 3.3). For a normal person lacking in this talent, the question to kill Claudius would not be ‘if’ but ‘when’.

However, Hamlet exercises his talent and decides to wait for another time when Claudius is perhaps merrymaking or cursing, and kill him. Due to his talent to think critically, Hamlet concludes that when one is killed while purging his soul, s/he goes to heaven directly. However, if one is killed while cursing, s/he would go to hell as at such a time, “his soul may be as damn’d and black” (Shakespeare 3.3).

For a character with multifaceted traits like Hamlet, it becomes tricky to pinpoint a flaw for in one instance what appears as a virtue may turn out to be a flaw in another case. For instance, Hamlet restrains from killing Claudius, which comes out as a virtue, but then he kills Polonius, which stands out as a flaw. However, the most outstanding Hamlet’s flaws are indecision and procrastination.

In all his soliloquies, he portrays deep-seated indecision and procrastination in his ever self-analysis way of approaching issues. In the first monologue in Act 1 scene 2, he cannot simply tell his mother not to marry Claudius. While he spends the entire monologue lamenting how the marriage would not materialize, he does not speak up. On the contrary, he concludes, “With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

It is not nor it cannot come to good but break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue” (Shakespeare 1.2). He should speak up instead of harboring something that would do him no good but hurt. As discussed earlier in this paper, Hamlet’s ultimate objective is to revenge his father’s brutal killing, and thus anyone would expect him to achieve this end after an opportunity presents itself when he encounters Claudius on his knees.

To the chagrin of the audience, when the chance comes, Hamlet resorts to his over-analysis traits, and he wonders, “And now I’ll do, and so he goes to heaven” (Shakespeare 3.3). This eternal flaw keeps Hamlet from achieving his goals, and he appears as a loser because, in essence, he only thinks without acting. Perhaps he has forgotten the maxim that an unexecuted idea never conquers.

Hamlet’s characters stand out clearly through his soliloquies. He is a religious person, as he believes in God and love. His greatest fear is the damnation that comes with one’s wrongful actions, and his goal is to achieve justified revenge. He is a talented critical thinker; unfortunately, his greatest flaws lie in his talent.

Shakespeare, Williams. “Hamlet.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th edn. Eds. Sarah Lawall, James Heather and Lee Patterson. vol. 1. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2005. 2409-2499. Print.

Cite this paper

  • Chicago (N-B)
  • Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2020, May 20). Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies. https://studycorgi.com/literature-analysis-of-hamlets-soliloquies/

"Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies." StudyCorgi , 20 May 2020, studycorgi.com/literature-analysis-of-hamlets-soliloquies/.

StudyCorgi . (2020) 'Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies'. 20 May.

1. StudyCorgi . "Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies." May 20, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/literature-analysis-of-hamlets-soliloquies/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies." May 20, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/literature-analysis-of-hamlets-soliloquies/.

StudyCorgi . 2020. "Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies." May 20, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/literature-analysis-of-hamlets-soliloquies/.

This paper, “Literature Analysis of Hamlet’s Soliloquies”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: June 12, 2022 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Marked by Teachers

  • TOP CATEGORIES
  • AS and A Level
  • University Degree
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Uncategorised
  • 5 Star Essays
  • Study Tools
  • Study Guides
  • Meet the Team
  • English Literature
  • Shakespeare

Analysis of Hamlet's first Soliloquy

Authors Avatar

Hamlet’s first soliloquy provides a striking contrast between the controlled, composed manner that he has around his mother, Gertrude, and uncle, Claudius, and his passionate melancholy which he expresses when he is alone. In this soliloquy, he is able to pour out his innermost feelings of hatred, anger, grief and pain.

His words are full of disgust and dissatisfaction, that he refers to Denmark as “an unweeded garden” (I,ii,135) and then describes it as being “rank” and “gross” (I,ii,136). It may be possible that due to his father’s death, it had affected the whole country and now the beauty and appeal have been extracted from the country. However this use of a negative language, which he uses to describe life, is opposite to the positive language he uses to describe death. In his first words of his soliloquy, he says “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt,” (I,ii, 129). When he speaks these lines, he wishes that he could somehow melt away but he considers his flesh too “sullied” or too solid. This then further exaggerates his desire for death.

Join now!

This is a preview of the whole essay

The nature of his grief is soon revealed to the audience. Although the death of his father has left him feeling depressed and sad, it is in fact that his mother, Gertrude, had married his Uncle at an “oh most wicked speed” (I,ii,156). The memory of his mother and father’s relationship is almost too painful for him to bear, knowing that his mother is marrying Claudius. However, he goes on to explain how perfect their match was. He further praises his father by admiring how he treated his wife by not letting the “winds of heaven / Visit her face too roughly” (I,ii,141-142). Hamlet also explains that his mother loved his father equally well. This explains why he found it very difficult to understand the idea that she has married in a short time span.

Not only does he praise his father, but he puts down his uncle and compares him to his father. He describes his uncle as “no more like my father / Than I to Hercules” (I,ii,152-153). In those lines, he also compares himself to Hercules and it is evident that Hamlet does not think much of himself; he certainly does not think that he comes close to being anything like Hercules.

Throughout this passage, Shakespeare cleverly uses language to create an initial impression of how Hamlet views the situation in Denmark and gives the audience a brief introduction to the philosophical debate on life and death that will be an ongoing theme in the play. It creates a rather pensive and intense atmosphere that will continue to develop as the play matures.

Analysis of Hamlet's first Soliloquy

Document Details

  • Author Type Student
  • Word Count 445
  • Page Count 2
  • Level AS and A Level
  • Subject English
  • Type of work Homework assignment

Related Essays

What does the audience learn from Hamlet's first soliloquy?

What does the audience learn from Hamlet's first soliloquy?

Comment on the use of soliloquies in Hamlet. Discuss Hamlet's first soliloquy and show how it reveals certain aspects of Hamlet's character.

Comment on the use of soliloquies in Hamlet. Discuss Hamlet's first soliloq...

How Shakespeare presents Hamlet's turmoil through soliloquy

How Shakespeare presents Hamlet's turmoil through soliloquy

Hamlet's first soliloquy is essential to the play as it highlights his inner conflict caused by the events of the play.

Hamlet's first soliloquy is essential to the play as it highlights his inne...

Hamlet First Soliloquy Essay

Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a play that focuses on Hamlet’s own character development. Through his soliloquies the audience learns a lot about how he truly feels. This evidence leads to the essence of Hamlet’s lunacy. The function of these soliloquies is to track his maddening behavior as it evolves. Hamlet’s first major soliloquy occurs in Act I of the play. He contemplates killing himself as well as how he truly feels about his mother and father. About his mother he says, “frailty, thy name is woman” (I:ii:150). He insults his mother, but calls his father proactive, gentle, and an excellent king.

Pearce and Duffy write, “In the first soliloquy, Hamlet’s thinking tends towards an emotional rather than a rational extreme. . . At this point in the play, he is not able to think logically about his predicament and his conclusion is that he needs to remain silent” (“Hamlet:”). Hamlet does not want to speak out about how he really feels about the marriage between Gertrude and Claudius. Here, Hamlet acts as an intelligent man, he chooses not to speak publically about these feelings or else it would be treason. In Act II, Hamlet makes several illusions.

He also shares that he believes that only he has a real reason to be crying, instead of the actors. This motivates him to create a plan to avenge his father’s murder. Hamlet says, “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King” (II:ii:633-634). During this soliloquy, Hamlet now acts very driven to fulfill his destiny. Pearce and Duffy write, “his outbursts become even more violent, yet one is also aware of a critical mind at work – posing questions about himself in relation to his predicament, as he compares himself to the Player” (“Hamlet:”).

During this scene Hamlet calls himself a coward, and a villain. He exclaims, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I” (II:ii:576). His outburst is now more extreme and since he has a plan to catch Claudius, his madness develops further. In Hamlet’s third soliloquy he contemplates suicide again. He says, “to die, to sleep – no more – and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to” (III:i:68-71). He comes to this conclusion because he no longer wants to suffer, but the idea of suicide is very irrational.

Hirsh writes, “Hamlet’s omission of any reference to his personal situation is coupled with another kind of omission that makes the speech a tour de force of impersonality. In the entire thirty-four lines of the speech until he overtly addresses Ophelia, Hamlet never once uses a first-person-singular pronoun” (“The ‘‘To be, or not to be’’ Speech:”). During this speech Hamlet refers to himself in third person. For example, he says, “That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? ” (III:i:82-84).

One can assume that talking about yourself in the third person shows that you are truly turning mad. Hamlet contemplates about his own death as though he is not talking about himself. During Hamlet’s final soliloquy in Act IV, his attitude changes once again. He decides that all he cares about is killing Claudius, he does not care about the evidence. He explains, “How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge. . . I do not know why yet I live to say ‘This thing’s to do,’ sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means to do’t” (IV:iv:34-35, 46-49).

Pearce and Duffy write, “his thought has become more linear and is less inclined to revolve on itself” (“Hamlet:”). Hamlet is now driven especially, to kill Claudius. After many sad attempts, he knows he must do this now or never. He also compares himself to a coward and a beast. He realizes he does not want to be a coward because he wants to live up to his expectation his father gave him. Hamlet finishes with, “O, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth! ” (IV:iv:68-69).

Hamlet’s four soliloquies tract his developing madness. In the first speech he has reason for the what he says about his mother’s affair and his father’s death. He is upset about his parents and wants a way out, but know not to speak openly about his feelings or else it would be treason. In his second soliloquy he believes he finally has a plan to see if Claudius is truly guilty. He does not want to kill the wrong guy, a smart choice, but during this speech Hamlet also acts as though he is the only one aloud to cry.

He insults the players for their lack of real emotion because Hamlet believes only he can feel pain. His third soliloquy begins with him questioning if he should even be alive. He looks at suicide as a way to escape from all of his problems and the way out of killing Claudius. At this point, Hamlet’s madness is surrounding him, his only way out of his self-hate is Ophelia. In his last soliloquy Hamlet wants his plan for revenge to just be done with.

He wants to kill Claudius just so he can stop stressing out about avenging his father’s death. Hamlet is now truly crazy because he looks at killing another man as a survival tool. He believes he should be, “exposing what is mortal and unsure to all that fortune, death, and danger dare, even for an eggshell” (IV:iv-54-56). Hirsh also writes, “Hamlet expressed disgust with life and a longing for death . . . In his disgust and longing for death were provoked by an intensely personal grievance—his mother’s marriage to his hated uncle.

By omitting all references to his personal grievances when in the presence of agents of his enemy, Hamlet tries to convey the impression that his disgust with life is merely the result of a generic melancholy temperament, an antic/antique disposition, not any personal grievance” (“The ‘‘To be, or not to be’’ Speech:”). Hamlet’s speeches show that he is truly mad because he loses his moral reasoning. Instead, he acts in the spur of the moment and does not think about his decisions. This later leads to his death because he becomes so head-strong and does not listen to others trying to protect him.

More Essays

  • Hamlet’s Third Soliloquy Analysis Essay
  • Revenge vs Justice Hamlet
  • The play Hamlet
  • Hamlet Revenge Essay
  • Theme Of Death In Hamlet Research Paper
  • Hamlet Summary Essay
  • Essay on The Role Of Fathers In Hamlet By William Shakespeare
  • Hamlet Procrastinates The Murder Analysis Essay
  • What Is Hamlet’s Tragic Flaw?
  • Hamlet Madness Essay

IMAGES

  1. Hamlet Monologue

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

  2. Hamlet First Soliloquy Analysis

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

  3. "Hamlet's First Soliloquy" (Act 1, Scene 2): Text, Summary, and

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

  4. Hamlet's "To Be, or Not to Be" Soliloquy and Summary

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

  5. Hamlet's Soliloquys: Unveiling Tragedy, Philosophy, and Inner Turmoil

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

  6. Themes in "Hamlet"

    hamlet's first soliloquy analysis essay

VIDEO

  1. ENGL 3135 Intro to Shakespeare Lecture 10 Hamlet 1

  2. Most important Quotations based on Shakespeare's play Hamlet Part -2

  3. Hamlet Soliloquy (In Hindi)

  4. Soliloquy in Hamlet

  5. Hamlet, Act IV, sc(iii)

  6. Hamlet's first soliloquy

COMMENTS

  1. Analysis of Hamlet's First Soliloquy in The Play

    The subjects of this soliloquy are numerous: his father's death, his mother's response to this death, his mother's remarriage to his uncle and Hamlet's own sense of anger at how his life worsened in a short space of time. Shakespeare uses rich imagery to portray Hamlet's sense of inner turmoil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on

  2. Hamlet's First Soliloquy, Act 1, Scene 2: Text, Summary, Analysis

    Syed Hunbbel Meer Updated: Nov 24, 2023 11:31 PM EST Ingolf Schanche as Hamlet, 1920 Public domain Hamlet's First Soliloquy: Act 1, Scene 2 O that this too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable

  3. A Summary and Analysis of Hamlet's 'O that this too too solid flesh

    Hamlet's first soliloquy in Shakespeare's play, the speech beginning 'O, that this too too solid flesh would melt' (in some editions, 'O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt' while, in some others, 'O, that this too too sallied flesh would melt') is one of the most famous speeches in the play, and as with all of Hamlet's soliloquies, the ...

  4. Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis: O that this too, too solid flesh

    In Hamlet's first soliloquy, he reveals the grief that has been tormenting his mind. He wishes to die, but unable to do so as it is sin to commit suicide. He feels disillusioned with the world. He compares his life with a garden that has been left wild. How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Line - 133

  5. To Be or Not to Be: Analyzing Hamlet's Soliloquy

    The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy comes from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet (written around 1601) and is spoken by the titular Prince Hamlet in Act 3, Scene 1. It is 35 lines long. Here is the full text: 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,

  6. Hamlet Essay

    Hamlet's First Soliloquy. Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 1 Scene II is his first of the play and, as a consequence, allows the audience to see his inner thoughts for the first time. The subjects of this soliloquy are numerous: his father's death, his mother's response to this death, his mother's remarriage to his uncle and Hamlet's own ...

  7. Hamlet Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

    Analysis. Inside the walls of Elsinore, Claudius —the new king of Denmark—is holding court. With him are his new wife Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and the queen; Hamlet himself; Claudius's councilor Polonius; Polonius's children Laertes and Ophelia; and several members of court. Claudius delivers a long monologue in which he laments the ...

  8. Act I Scene 2 Hamlet's first soliloquy Hamlet: AS & A2

    Hamlet's first soliloquy Zack C/Shutterstock.com The major artistic advance Shakespeare made in Hamlet was in developing the audience's understanding of the central protagonist 's inner life. Whereas Brutus in Julius Caesar has about fifty lines of soliloquy, Hamlet has approximately two hundred.

  9. Hamlet Soliloquy Too Too Solid Flesh with Commentary

    Hamlet's Soliloquy: O, that this too too solid flesh would melt (1.2) Commentary. Hamlet's passionate first soliloquy provides a striking contrast to the controlled and artificial dialogue that he must exchange with Claudius and his court. The primary function of the soliloquy is to reveal to the audience Hamlet's profound melancholia and the ...

  10. Analysis of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

    Hamlet's first soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2, lines 133-164 is a passionate and startling passage that strongly contrasts to the artificial dialogue and actions that he portrays to his uncle Claudius throughout the remainder of the play.

  11. Analysis of Hamlet's Soliloquies in Acts I, II, and III

    Hamlet's Soliloquy, Act 1. Scene II O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,

  12. Hamlet'S First Soliloquy Analysis And Summary Essay

    Hamlet's soliloquy in Act I Scene 2 is the first time that the reader fully understands Hamlet's character, his inner thoughts and opinions. The general tone of this soliloquy is very personal and emotional revealing Hamlet's despair over the current situation and his depressing state of mind.

  13. Hamlet: the first soliloquy

    The second post based on a podcast I did a while ago: here's the first, on the opening scene. One of the most distinctive and important dramatic techniques that Shakespeare deploys in Hamlet is the soliloquy. He uses it in other plays too (perhaps most powerfully in Macbeth), but nowhere else does it have such a prominent role. It is used most significantly by Hamlet, and also, once and ...

  14. Hamlet's Soliloquies Analysis

    First, he questions whether Claudius is the killer of his father. Second, even if Claudius were the killer, would it be worth to kill him while purging his soul. Hamlet's talent to think critically comes out clearly, as the soliloquy in Act 3 opens. He ponders, "Now might I do it pat" (Shakespeare 3.3).

  15. What does Hamlet's first soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2 reveal about his

    This is Hamlet 's statement that he wishes he were dead, that his body, all too physical, could just melt away "into a dew" or that God had not forbidden suicide, "fixed his canon against...

  16. Analysis of Hamlet's first Soliloquy

    Hamlet's first soliloquy provides a striking contrast between the controlled, composed manner that he has around his mother, Gertrude, and uncle, Claudius, and his passionate melancholy which he expresses when he is alone. In this soliloquy, he is able to pour out his innermost feelings of hatred, anger, grief and pain.

  17. Hamlet: Important Quotes Explained

    O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead!—nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this,

  18. Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis

    In this soliloquy, we learn that through Hamlet's inaction he sees himself no better than a beastly animal where he should see himself as a man that takes action into his own hands which, makes him as the same level as the gods. 746 Words 3 Pages Hamlet Act 1 Scene 2

  19. Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis

    During Hamlet's first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2, the prince's emotional struggle with life and death are revealed. Hamlet's fragile state is exposed as he struggles to deal with his anger towards Claudius and dissatisfaction with his unworthy ascension to King.

  20. Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis

    In Hamlet's first soliloquy we can see how distraught he is over his father's death but we can also see the anger he has towards his mother for marrying so quickly. He establishes that even though he wants to hate her, he can only say nice things towards her because she is his mother.

  21. Hamlet First Soliloquy Essay Essay

    Hamlet's first major soliloquy occurs in Act I of the play. He contemplates killing himself as well as how he truly feels about his mother and father. About his mother he says, "frailty, thy name is woman" (I:ii:150). He insults his mother, but calls his father proactive, gentle, and an excellent king. Pearce and Duffy write, "In the ...

  22. Hamlet's First Soliloquy Essay

    The tone of Hamlet's first soliloquy begins as sad and depressed as Hamlet contemplates suicide. The tone changes to angry and bitter while Hamlet ponders the relationship between his mother and his uncle. Through Shakespeare's use of diction and syntax he shows Hamlet's disapproval of this relationship.…. 470 Words.

  23. Theme Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

    Show More. Hamlet's first soliloquy is an example of Shakespeare's motif of garden imagery and a theme of corruption in the play. In this passage, Hamlet is talking to himself after the Queen and Claudius ask why he is acting so strangely. He goes on to lament that suicide is against God's law, then describes his life as "an unweeded ...

  24. The Depiction Of Theme Of Disgust In Hamlet Free Essay Example

    Hamlet's soliloquy in act one scene two depicts a theme of disgust by his use of metaphors, hyperboles, and similes to depict his genuine disgust of his status quo. In act one scene two we are introduced to one of Hamlet's soliloquies, an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any ...

  25. Hamlet: To Be Or Not To Be Free Essay Example

    Hamlet's "To be or not to be"soliloquy is a notable piece from the play, and it also serves as an important reminder of Hamlet's central themes. Hamlet's soliloquy uses imagery to address the themes of life and death and speculate what occurs after death as Hamlet is debating whether he wants to kill himself or continue to struggle ...