Complexity Of Death In Hamlet

The complexity of death leaves people with varying opinions of what it truly means. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the young Prince Hamlet is left to cope with his ideas about death. Over the course of the play, Hamlet’s opinion of death evolves. The progression of thought about death ultimately sets Hamlet’s course of action into motion. He originally believes suicide is the best option and later contemplates life after decease, the cost of death, and how it is inevitable. One of Hamlet’s first revelations about what death would be like comes after he learns about the murder of his father and how his uncle, Claudius, essentially stole the throne. He sulks, “This too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, / . . . How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (I.ii.133-138). This seemingly depressing passage depicts how Hamlet does not see purpose in his life and instead thinks everything is meaningless. At this point in time, his world is crashing down around him and he finds that death would be the easiest solution to end it all. His wish to be able to become dew is evident that he is not prepared to keep fighting the obstacles thrown at him. Hamlet would rather melt away from existence so as to not carry the burden of having to …show more content…
Although he at first believed suicide is the only way to escape his misfortunes, Hamlet grew through his experiences to consider the consequences of death. Hamlet also recognizes the cowardice within himself that delayed his tasks because of his fear of dying. As he learns that death is a natural part of life, it becomes clear to him that he needs to make his time alive worthwhile. So although the concept of death may be complex, it is up to each individual to define what it takes to die feeling