Shakespeare's Soliloquy In Hamlet

In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Hamlet, a young prince must avenge his father’s death by killing his uncle who murdered his father and married his widowed mother. This is not a simple task as Hamlet is no murderer, yet by circumstance and chance he is led down a path of no return in which he becomes a murderer, albeit a rightful one, like his uncle. The complex character of Hamlet that develops throughout the play aids in conveying the message of what true nobility is and also helps set up an ominous tone foreshadowing the eventual downfall of the state of Denmark. Shakespeare uses many soliloquies by Prince Hamlet to convey his progression from nobleman to murderer. One that stands out is Hamlet’s speech in Act I scene ii in which he calls out to the heavens in dismay after learning the truth about his father’s death. Shakespeare uses this speech as a turning point in the character of Hamlet to move his progression from rising king to devolving murderer.

Shakespeare begins this soliloquy by having Hamlet express his anger at heaven by exclaiming “O all you host of heaven” (Shakespeare 129). …show more content…
Shakespeare hammers home that King Claudius is a villain in this soliloquy as Hamlet exclaims the word “villain” four times in just three lines. Not only does he repeat “villain” throughout, all the lines in which Hamlet calls his uncle a villain, they do not break scansion. Shakespeare also clues the audience in on the fake persona Claudius is presenting as he is described specifically as a “smiling villain” (143) multiple times. The only line that does not scan towards the end of Hamlet’s soliloquy is one where Hamlet speculates about the corruption of Denmark. This break in scansion shows that Denmark is corrupt and the only way for it to be cleansed is for all things rotten to be removed, which by the end of the play includes