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.