Hamlet Soliloquy Act 4 Analysis

One of Shakespeare’s most interesting, yet often forgotten about, soliloquy’s takes place at the end of Act four, Scene four in Hamlet. The soliloquy occurred near the end of the play, after Hamlet had just left his home. In this scene, Hamlet watched as the Prince of Norway, Fortinbras, lead his large army to fight for a small piece of land, ultimately worth nothing. This caused Hamlet to think about the situation he was in, being that his father was killed by his uncle Claudius, who then took the throne and married Hamlet’s mother. However, Hamlet had done nothing to avenge his father or redeem the honor of his mother. This speech at the end of act four targets Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience. This speech was presented to the audience …show more content…
Hamlet came to the realization that God did not create freewill for people not to use it. The effect of this soliloquy on the Elizabethan audience is that the people will look at themselves and how they live their daily lives. It allows the audience to connect to what Hamlet is feeling and connect with his beliefs. This is important because back in the Elizabethan years everything revolved around religion. This speech made the audience think of ways to change their lives in order to truly bring out the meaning of life, which is what God has intended for them to do, and therefore had an effect on the Elizabethan …show more content…
How stand I then,
That have a father killed, a mother stained,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep” (4.4, pg.169, 54-59).
Hamlet realized what he was left with, if his honor was taken away, which would be a dead father and a mother who’s honor had been taken by his father’s brother. This soliloquy showed these feeling more than any part of the play before that. It has taken an effect on the audience, for this is the first time Hamlet truly showed his emotions. Hamlet’s developed character showed the audience to stand up for what one believes in, which again, brings in the theme of ambition. Hamlet realized that if he didn’t do anything, no one else would. It was his responsibility to defend his family’s honor.

The play Hamlet has targeted the Elizabethan audience in many different ways. The play shows the audience the different ways in which a theme or emotion can change develop a plot, a new perspective on what it really means to be human can change the way a person lives and how honor can be restored if one chooses to act. Hamlet has shown many aspects of life that people can relate to and that is why the play has targeted the Elizabethan audience in different