Hamlet Soliloquy

“To be or Not to be, that is the question...” These are possibly one of the most well known and widely quoted words written by Shakespeare. However, this famous soliloquy by the crazed prince Hamlet goes much deeper than many understand. A man struggling with a sense of duty and whether he should fulfill it or just simply give up, voices his struggles and desires to end his suffering in 34 lines of dramatic distress. What makes these lines so universally appealing? Shakespeare takes a deep look into life’s struggles and explores the themes of death and what lies beyond death. It is this exploration that draws people to question their very existence over the centuries as Hamlet debates whether he wants to end his life or continue in his depression.

Throughout the soliloquy Hamlet wavers between two extremes: life and death. However, he also rests upon another dilemma: revenge. The evidence of this dilemma is seen all throughout the play and comes to a tipping point in hamlets soliloquy. Hamlet questions whether he should live and continue to suffer the hardships of life, like his duty to his father, or take his life and end the suffering. He also questions where fulfilling his duty will lead him, and where he might go if he does not fulfill it. Much like humans of every time and place, Hamlet fears the afterlife and what it entails and he doesn’t just contemplate death and life but he contemplates how to avoid an afterlife full of punishment. Hamlet is not only a crazed man contemplating the extremes of life and death, but a man who is pushed by his duty to question life’s worth and how to save his soul from eternal pain and depression. It is Hamlet 's sense of duty that pushes him to question whether life is truly worth

It is his timeless language that gives the common struggles of life a timeless feel and poetic layer. By exploring the themes of life and death through Hamlet 's soliloquy, Shakespeare leaves the battle of every human 's thoughts and minds bare, and his words resonate with every reader. Hamlet contemplates death throughout his soliloquy and sees it as an easy escape route from the pains of his life. It is Hamlet 's sense of duty that pushes him to question whether life is truly worth living. Although Hamlet contemplates escaping this world by taking his life, he chooses to live for fear of what lies beyond the endless sleep and the sense of duty he clings to in this world. It is the relateable struggles that are portrayed in Hamlets soliloquy that make it so universally appealing. In his soliloquy Hamlet strikes the fundamental nerve that is found in ever human being: the worthiness