Act 3 Scene 1 Of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet Essay

Hamlet is strongly held by archetypes that can be revealed throughout the play. Death, itself, is a very strong archetype in the story exploring the social beliefs in that era; superstitions and societies loyalty to religion. Throughout the play, Hamlet experiences his main trifles over the concept of death. Reviewing the murder of his father and the task given to him to kill his uncle, Hamlet becomes fascinated with the idea of existence and afterlife.As a whole, Hamlet is primarily concerned with exploring the individual's relationship with death in which our fear of death comes from the notion that there must be something else, eliminating the fact that we can't ever know for sure if there is. This idea is explored in Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy, which questions the righteousness of life over death in moral terms. When Hamlet utters the pained question, “to be, or not to be: that is the question / Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles” (Act 3, Scene 1 59-61) there is little doubt that he is thinking of death. Although he attempts to pose such a question in a rational and logical way, he is still left without an answer of whether the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” can be eliminated since life after death seems so uncertain. All of this mirrors aspects of human nature as man has always questioned the meaning of life and the events that occur after. Theoretically, one will never understand the full nature of our

Hamlet recognizes that suicide is a sin in the eyes of God, so consequently wishes that he could simply cease to exist. In doubting that life is worth all the hardships one must face, Hamlet briefly relishes in the concept of death, equating it to nothing more than a sleep wherein one can be rid of the “heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” of physical life (III.i.70). Though immediately thereafter Hamlet acknowledges the startling unknown, and the fact that one does not know what comes after death. Hamlet feels a great deal of uncertainty, which surely enhances his overall frustration. Herein lies Hamlet’s reservations in regards to committing suicide: it is a sin, and the afterlife may prove to be more unpleasant than life itself.

In act 1 scene 2 of “Hamlet” the character Hamlet speaks his first soliloquy which reveals his innermost thoughts and feelings to the audience. In this soliloquy Hamlet’s unstable state of mind is evident as well as his feelings of despair about his father’s death and his disgust of his mother’s remarriage to his uncle Claudius. Hamlet’s hatred for his uncle is shown through harsh comparisons between Claudius and his late father. This soliloquy takes place after Claudius has begun his reign as king and has addressed the court for the first time but before Hamlet hears about the apparition that Horatio and the guards have seen. Hamlet’s character and personality are shown in this soliloquy through the use of classical imagery, diction and

One of the best known pieces of literature throughout the world, Hamlet is also granted a position of excellence as a work of art. One of the elements which makes this play one of such prestige is the manner in which the story unfolds. Throughout time, Shakespeare has been renowned for writing excellent superlative opening scenes for his plays. By reviewing Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet, the reader is able to establish a clear understanding of events to come. This scene effectively sets a strong mood for the events to come, gives important background information, and introduces the main characters. With the use of this information, it is simple to see how Shakespeare manages to create stories with such everlasting appeal.

She means a lot to him, but now she has rejected him (by returning his

When Hamlet is set up and spied on by Claudius and Polonius, he examines the moral aspect of suicide in a painful world. He opens his soliloquy with asking a simple question, "To be, or not to be:that is the question:" (III. i. 58), that is, whether to live or to die. He then begins to question whether it is nobler to suffer life and the, "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," (III. i. 66), or to take ones life and end one's suffering. He compares death to sleep and at first thinks that

By so doing it was believed that the sins of the dead person would be

In the soliloquy “To be, or not to be: that is the question” spoken by Hamlet, he discusses his views on death (III.i.56). In this scene he is contemplating his thoughts on suicide, death, life, and the afterlife as he awaits his meeting with Claudius. He reflects on whether the afterlife will have the same problems as his current life. He also shares his thoughts on death in another scene where he is a graveyard. Hamlet basically says you die and become food for the worms and then you are nothing in these lines “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returned into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam” (5.i.209-211). He gives so many details on life and death, yet he is the one causing so many of the deaths that occur within the play. If it were not for him seeking revenge for his father’s death then so many of the events that

In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, it’s clear that the title character, Hamlet, has a relationship with death, that relationship is often misunderstood. Some see him merely as an agent of death, and others believe he retains a lust for it throughout the entire play, inspired by the tragedy he’s experienced. While these interpretations are partially true, they don’t hold true throughout the play. Hamlet has a disdain for the world which makes him desire nothing but to fade away in the beginning of the play, but he develops a respect for fate and the unknown aspects of the afterlife. This respect eventually manifests itself in an attitude of indifference towards death.

Bad luck is also shown in act 3 scene 1 when Mercutio is killed under

For thousands of years, human beings have unquestionably wrestled with their own uncertainty of life and the afterlife.“To be, or not to be” is one of the most important lines Hamlet delivers in his soliloquy (III.i.56–88) from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. The unknownness of the afterlife frightens Hamlet away from his thoughts of suicide, yet throughout the play he seems to be consumed with it. What is the meaning of Life? What happens when you die? And if you're murdered, then will you go to heaven? Shakespeare tackles these questions in Hamlet but at no time in the play are they entirely answered, instead, Shakespeare leaves it up to the reader to determine. Bringing the modern day struggles

Firstly, the main theme considered in Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To be, or not to be” is death. Throughout the play, Hamlet considers death from many perspectives, as he is possessed with the idea of death due to his father's murder. An illustration of this is demonstrated when Hamlet questions his own death in his soliloquy, as he repeatedly contemplates whether or not suicide is a morally legitimate action in an unbearably painful world. Hamlet’s grief and misery are intriguing that he frequently longs for death to end his suffering, but he fears that if he commits suicide, he will be consigned to suffering in hell due to the Christian religion’s prohibition of suicide. In his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy (III.i), Hamlet philosophically concludes that no one would choose to endure the pain of life if they were not afraid of what was to come after death, and that is this fear, which causes moral considerations to interfere with the capacity for action. After considering this question and wondering about the nature of death and what comes after it, Hamlet then goes on to list many sufferings individuals are disposed to in the course of life, which makes it seem as though he is yet again considering the nature of death. Hamlet demonstrates this at the end of his soliloquy “But that dread of

as he was always off at war…who else to warm the royal bed than the

In a following speech Hamlet’s disposition towards the world persists, yet his attitude towards death has undergone a transformation. Previously, Hamlet was quick to proclaim his desire to die, but by the third act he’s become uncertain. This hesitation becomes apparent in Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech (3.1.56-90). With those opening words, Hamlet debates whether he should exist or not. The fact that this is still a question for him shows that he continues to be displeased with life. Hamlet asks himself, “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? To die to sleep.” This reveals a new concern that Hamlet has, he doesn’t ask what is best for him to do, but rather what is nobler, which makes it apparent that he’s concerned with maintaining his character. Even though he maintains the desire to escape the world and the experience in it, he still cares about the image that he leaves behind. Subsequently, Hamlet uses war-like diction, comparing life to war with “slings and arrows” which makes life intolerable. This just reaffirms the ideas Hamlet has had throughout the play, however, a shift transpires when he mulls over the idea that death is like being asleep. A problem arises when he realizes that even when you sleep you experience, “To sleep; perchance to dream: Ay, there’s the rub.” This could be easily misinterpreted as Hamlet hoping to dream, but perchance

To die, to sleep--/ To sleep,” (lines 5-10). This portion of the soliloquy expresses that Hamlet views death as something full of pleasure, especially with Shakespeare’s use in the word “consummation,” which means to complete, or sex, thus proving Hamlet’s opposition to life because he welcomes death with a pleasurable imagery. Shakespeare’s use of repetition of “to die, to sleep,” throughout this soliloquy expresses Hamlets want for death. “To say we end/ The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to,” truly depicts the emphasis that Hamlet has on the finality of death and it shows that he wanted it, but it can also convey confusion in Hamlet since he expresses this finality with this descriptive physical imagery. “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time.” (Line 15.) This is a question to mankind that Hamlet asks, but it also conveys his state of mind perfectly because the imagery articulates the pain and torture Hamlet’s character is dealing with since he views life in that way. The beginning of madness, which is another theme in Hamlet, can be represented with this soliloquy due to these feelings that Shakespeare conveys Hamlet of having towards death.