Hamlet Soliloquy Analysis

A soliloquy is a dramatic convention, in which the character stands alone on the stage, speaking. Originally it was a plot device, to enable a character to tell the audience what he or she planned to do next, for example, when seeking revenge. Soliloquies are essential to the presentation of a story through the medium of a play because they provide the opportunity to tell the audience specific pieces of information which cannot be disclosed through normal conversation. But with Shakespeare the device’s use is heightened as it enables a character to reveal the inner soul to the audience without telling the other characters. In most cases one discovers more about a character from a soliloquy than from the action of the play alone. Shakespeare uses the soliloquies in Hamlet to great effect especially with the character Hamlet. In his work, Hamlet, Shakespeare’s title character is shown to speak in seven soliloquies. Hamlet’s are the most informative and advance the plot the greatest. Each soliloquy advances the plot, reveals Hamlet’s inner thoughts to the audience and helps to create an atmosphere in the play. Through the title Hamlet, as a reader it is known that only so much can be obtained from action and that through interpreting soliloquies the best form of understanding is received. In the first soliloquy the audience is shown their first look at Hamlet’s character. Hamlet is reflective and depicts the way he views his own position; he tells of his father’s death and