Hamlet Essay

                “To Be or Not to Be that is the question.” Or maybe this is a bold statement. Maybe this is the turning point in the entire play that has created for a dramatic change of events resulting in a deadly, mysterious theme that continues through the rest of the play. Hamlet’s soliloquy resembles perfect performative utterance; philosophy of speech describing a given reality, but also changing the social reality they are describing. It sets a mysterious, contemplative, and contradicting tone that results in a theme of revenge and death. Hamlet’s soliloquy demonstrates his characteristics as a young adult struggling with the idea of right from wrong, moral from immoral, true life from unconscious life, and the importance of respect towards ones family while staying true to his moral biblical codes. The audience becomes aware of Hamlet’s critical thinking and rational as we watch him conclude his final decision to murder Claudius in a creative revenge plot.

                Hamlet’s “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy offers a new tone to the rest of the play. We watch as Hamlet contradicts his decision to “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.” From the very beginning, Hamlet is introducing the audience to his stream of consciousness which battles the worth of living as a coward when it’s not truly living at all. Hamlet feels he can seek nobility through revenge towards Claudius and finally find peace ending the “The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir to.” These words offer pathos towards Hamlet; a sympathy that makes the immoral act of revenge seem so moral due to such suffering. Shakespeare’s literary element of stream of consciousness offers a sort of chaos that creates a weighing, serious, dark tone. This continues throughout the play.

                This soliloquy creates for a continuous theme of mysterious death. Hamlet set a dark tone that centers around a revenge plot towards Claudius after his last line, “be all my sins remembered.” From this point on, Hamlet concluded his plan towards resolving his misery and staying genuine to his father’s orders. While it is easy to overlook Hamlet’s last lines towards Ophelia as mentally crazy and easily distracted, his actions offer a sort of foreshadowing; Hamlet’s plan to act insane to find information significant to killing Claudius. A religious theme is also relevant in his line, “Nymph, in thy orisons.” Hamlet’s faith stands significant in his contradicting throughout the soliloquy as he listens to the words of the bible with love as its principle and weighing it to his respect towards his father.

                Shakespeare introduces Hamlet as a young teenager suffering from the death of his father and infidelity of his mother all caused by the antagonist, Claudius. Hamlet’s cry for clarity in his soliloquy “To Be or Not To Be” offers a new characterization of Hamlet as more than the average, immature teenage boy. Hamlet’s critical thinking and deeper insight into the meaning of life and all its tragedies creates a heavy, dark tone. As Hamlet goes back and forth trying to find “the rub,” he finally finds a solution to the dilemma through deep, conscious thought. He finds it is “nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” This is the climax in the play as we watch the falling action unfold as the common theme of death plays out through extraneous measures. “To Be or Not To Be” is the most significant line and speech in the entire play because it offers a deeper insight to Hamlet’s character that calls for a plot twist resulting in a breathtaking ending. 

Hamlet (The Madman?) Essay

                “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” John Dryden never said this in direct regards to Hamlet; however, the analysis seems appropriate in regards to the debate regarding Hamlet’s sanity. Dryden states that there’s a thin line between genius and madness which makes it difficult to classify Hamlet as one of the two. Through careful analysis, I have come to a conclusion. Hamlet is sane in every aspect of the play. In all the available instances where Hamlet could easily lose sophistication and integrity, Hamlet consistently reserves himself appropriately and intelligently. Whether it be his soliloquy “To Be Or Not To Be,” his hallucinations and conversations with his deceased father, or his murderous revenge act towards Claudius, Hamlet uses rational, logic, critical thinking that classifies him as a genius.

                Hamlet’s speech of “To Be Or Not To Be,” demonstrates Hamlet’s sanity in his stream of consciousness contemplating whether to live actively or die passively. He provides a deeper understanding to just living through life unaware and uninterested. Hamlet brings awareness that just going through the motions of everyday life in a state of mind that is asleep to reality is cowardly and not truly living at all. Hamlet’s idea of death is living cowardly and not killing Claudius like his father, the Ghost, instructed. This goes on to say that Hamlet’s rational of the importance of nobility, honoring family, and the true meaning of life poses Hamlet as a contemplative character with a greater insight into society’s ways. Shakespeare also uses Hamlet’s haunting Ghost as a symbol of Hamlet’s conscience. While the audience sees Hamlet as a lost teenager who is blabbing on and on about life and death and talking to Ghosts, they immediately characterize Hamlet as suicidal and crazy. On a deeper note, Hamlet is providing a greater idea of what life truly is and is able to conclude that idea of living cowardly is not living at all so he decides to live nobly by respecting his father’s orders.

                Death is an occurring theme in Hamlet. Hamlet’s father is killed from the beginning, Polonius is killed in Act Three, and the rest of the play revolves around a revenge murder plot towards Claudius. In no way is murder genius, but in every way does Hamlet go about his murder plot as a genius. Hamlet introduced his intelligent act of murder in his statement to Claudius, “The tim is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right.” Hamlet’s decision to act as a sociopath in order to obtain information, pragmatic for his murder plot towards Claudius, is genius. Hamlet reserves himself from lashing out at Claudius several times. Take Act IV Scene II for example, when Claudius’s back is turned from Hamlet in prayer. After Claudius’s murder towards Hamlet’s father, act of infidelity with Hamlet’s mother, and unjust authority as King, the normal reaction would be to take advantage of the opportunity of revenge. Hamlet appropriately reserves himself and reflects on the idea of Claudius attending Heaven due to getting murdered during prayer. This demonstrates Hamlet’s integrity and critical thinking skills. Hamlet’s analysis of society serves useful in his revenge plot. He outwits society in a humble manner.

                Society may see Hamlet as a madman, but the audience is able to see Hamlet insight and out and understand that he is actually a genius. Hamlet’s soliloquy of To Be or Not To Be provides a critical analysis of Hamlet’s idea of genuine living and serves as a rational deciding whether to take part in right from wrong. The death of Hamlet’s father and infidelity between Claudius and Hamlet’s father gives Hamlet every reason to be irrational and lash out in anger. However, Hamlet, after continuous thought, decides to take advantage of acting crazy in the effort to reveal Claudius’s murder of Hamlet’s father and send him to his death in revenge. In no way is Hamlet’s idea of murder sane. If it was, the world would a bloody mess. However, in every way is Hamlet’s act in the murder genius.