A Close Reading of a Passage in William Shakespeare's “Hamlet” “To be, or not to be: that is the question,” (3.1.1) is said by Hamlet at the beginning of his soliloquy, and it has become a well known phrase since Shakespeare's time. Even though the phrase is infamous, the meaning behind it isn’t always fully interpreted or considered. The phrase can be known as a representation of the Hamlet play itself, but the phrase is actually the words of someone whom is truly depressed and questioning life altogether. To live or to die, Hamlet questions his life by saying, “To be, or not to be.” However, is Hamlet truly depressed and crazed, or is he merely trying to fool everyone around him by playing the part? The following will explore that very question
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Hamlet claims his fear by saying, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all”(3.1.83). Hamlet is a suicidal, but religious character, which causes conflict within himself for his plan to relieve his sorrow. Hamlet begins to realize that his solution for his pain is something that he could never do if he wants to avoid consequences. Hamlet illustrates this by saying, “And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,/ And enterprises of great pith and moment” (3.1.85-86). Hamlet feels that this fear of sin may actually be the center of his problem as he approaches death from a religious …show more content…
Some consequences can be worse than the burden that one already carries, and to live is to suffer but to suffer is noble. Even though Hamlet chose the noble path of life, he also fell upon a downward spiral that led to the loss of his sanity and the death of everyone he loves. Hamlet may not deal with the consequences of his sins, but before death, he certainly paid for the consequences of his actions. Hamlet’s actions seemed to be the motives of a madman, but he also proved that behind the face of a lunatic is a calculative actor that knows the role all too well. Perhaps Hamlet knew the role of a crazed man so well because he had become the role himself, yet there is no way to truly know Hamlet’s true motives and feelings. It is simply left to the audience and the readers to decide whether or not, they too are fooled by the role he
Hamlet claims his fear by saying, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all”(3.1.83). Hamlet is a suicidal, but religious character, which causes conflict within himself for his plan to relieve his sorrow. Hamlet begins to realize that his solution for his pain is something that he could never do if he wants to avoid consequences. Hamlet illustrates this by saying, “And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,/ And enterprises of great pith and moment” (3.1.85-86). Hamlet feels that this fear of sin may actually be the center of his problem as he approaches death from a religious …show more content…
Some consequences can be worse than the burden that one already carries, and to live is to suffer but to suffer is noble. Even though Hamlet chose the noble path of life, he also fell upon a downward spiral that led to the loss of his sanity and the death of everyone he loves. Hamlet may not deal with the consequences of his sins, but before death, he certainly paid for the consequences of his actions. Hamlet’s actions seemed to be the motives of a madman, but he also proved that behind the face of a lunatic is a calculative actor that knows the role all too well. Perhaps Hamlet knew the role of a crazed man so well because he had become the role himself, yet there is no way to truly know Hamlet’s true motives and feelings. It is simply left to the audience and the readers to decide whether or not, they too are fooled by the role he