Analysis Of Hamlet Soliloquy

Hamlet Soliloquy

(An Analysis of Major Themes and Questions Introduced in Soliloquies of Acts 1-3 of Shakespeare’s, Hamlet) What exactly is a soliloquy? Soliloquies are a playwrights method of conveying the most crucial themes and messages to the audience through one character thinking out loud to themselves. Even the most famous tragedy of all time, Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, is filled with critical soliloquies that prove themselves the driving force of the play. Particularly those made by the main character, Hamlet, contain the most thought provoking and intensive messages to the plot. “Hamlet shares his inner feelings, thoughts, and plans for the future. These soliloquies are the pivotal pillars of the drama and are still considered some

This soliloquy opens with Hamlet calling himself a wretched villain who lacks courage to carry out his mission. At this moment, Hamlet is unsure if he is making heroic choices in avenging his father, or if he is the villain doing unspeakable deeds. “Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!” (569-570). Gradually, he will come to question if the ghost he saw was truly his father, or some other malicious apparition. “Hamlet’s mood shifts from self-loathing to a determination to subdue passion and follow reason, applying this to the testing of the Ghost and his uncle with the play,” (Allan). Ultimately, this question leads Hamlet to find the proper motivation to use the performers and play within a play to “catch the conscience of the king”. This will be his self pep talk to carry out a plan in order to determine the true guilt of his step

This speech echoes the soliloquy of Act 1, however, he now questions how someone should deal with the struggles of life. “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,” (63-67). Hamlet questions what we are to do in the face of strife before we finally sleep for eternity and end our troubles. “Hamlet’s famous ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy questions the righteousness of life over death in moral terms, much of the speech’s emphasis is on the subject of death—even if in the end he is determined to live and see his revenge through,” (Smith). Despite his questioning over how to proceed, he ultimately comes to one pivotal conclusion, “He observes that such thinking turns people into cowards, and action into inaction,” (Applebee). This marks his official plan taking shape and action. In conclusion, the three major soliloquies from Hamlet each reflect the major themes of revenge, death, religion, as well as espionage. Through these incredibly engaging, Shakespeare addresses the greatest of the tragedy’s themes to the audience repeatedly. These speeches show the evolution of internal struggle within the protagonist, as he ultimately questions his position in life, as well as death. Due to the countless interpretations to these main soliloquies, Hamlet continues to demand respect