Analysis of Hamlet's Soliloquies Essay Example

Hamlet begins this speech after an incident with two of his close friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He had found out that they came to speak to him only because King Claudius had asked them to spy on Hamlet. They tell Hamlet of a group of actors performing a play for the king. After finding this out Hamlet devises a plan to confirm his uncle's guilt in murdering King Hamlet. He is going to have the actors reenact his father’s death in front of everyone and see if Claudius flinches or even makes a face. Hamlet comes up with this plan because he truly does not know if it really was his father that came to see him or if it was the devil taking advantage of him in his state of weakness and sadness. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report back to the King and Queen that Hamlet is not mad but confused, different and that Hamlet says he doesn’t know the reason. Rosencrantz reveals that Hamlet is very interested in watching the play which makes king Claudius happy. Just moments before Hamlet begins this speech King Claudius and Polonius hide to observe Hamlet. 

This speech reveals Hamlet’s morose and melancholy nature. We see this all throughout the play. Ever since King Hamlet’s death Hamlet has been in a gloomy state of mind. We as readers have seen anger and sadness among other things through Hamlet’s behavior and words. We the readers don’t know what Hamlet was like before his father’s death so all we know is his anger towards others. Many would say that Hamlet is suffering. When Hamlet says, “To die, to sleep- No more-and by a sleep to say we end/ The heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir-’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished”, it further proves that Hamlet is mentally struggling as well because he’s saying that dying will end all heartache and troubles that life brings us. That type of hurt can really mess with someone’s mind. He says that dying would be an achievement that should be wished for. Although it seems that Hamlet no longer wants to live, this soliloquy also reveals that Hamlet is strong enough to fight for his life. This can be proved at the very beginning of the soliloquy when he asks if it’s nobler to just live through the hard times.

This soliloquy also reveals that Hamlet is a bit of an optimist. Like anyone else would, Hamlet wants to see the good in the world. Life would be so much easier to live if there weren’t any troubles and if everyone was treated equally. Hamlet doesn’t quite understand why good people must be mistreated and used by the bad people in the world. As he’s contemplating the morality on the act of committing suicide, Hamlet says, “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th’ unworthy takes”. If the world overall was a good place to live in then Hamlet would not be considering suicide. One inference that can be made about these specific lines is that deep down Hamlet actually wants to live.