In Hamlet’s most recognizable soliloquy, he muses about death, wondering if it is harder to live with a life full of pain and difficulty or to confront the unknown:
HAMLET
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
And by opposing end them (3.1.56-60).
Why does the text use Hamlet’s contemplation of suicide as a platform for displaying a philosophy of death? The importance of this soliloquy, and why it probably holds such popularity, is how much it reveals about human existence. Its content transcends beyond just the fictional character of Hamlet. All humans have experienced some version of the “slings and arrows” …show more content…
Hamlet has spent the play displaying intellectual superiority with all of the other major characters, using his wit to trick the castle into thinking he is a madman. It is only when he comes across the gravedigger that we can see his wit is matched. “How absolute the knave is,” Hamlet says to Horatio after a number of quips from the gravedigger, “We must speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us” (5.1.129-130). Shakespeare has been known to portray clowns as the more intellectual beings and they often outdo those of higher social standings. It is only the Fool who can bluntly state the truth. While this scene is full of jokes and allows a bit of comic relief, it also serves a more serious purpose. It takes the gravedigger, a clever commoner, to put this complex play into perspective for Hamlet (and the audience). We have seen Hamlet struggle with coming to terms with death and what that will mean for him metaphysically, but when he comes across the gravedigger, the fears that have troubled him for so long seem to disappear. The humor in this scene blankly states the obvious truth about what really happens after we die—we become bones. All of this just in time for the audience to witness Hamlet finally become faced with his
HAMLET
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
And by opposing end them (3.1.56-60).
Why does the text use Hamlet’s contemplation of suicide as a platform for displaying a philosophy of death? The importance of this soliloquy, and why it probably holds such popularity, is how much it reveals about human existence. Its content transcends beyond just the fictional character of Hamlet. All humans have experienced some version of the “slings and arrows” …show more content…
Hamlet has spent the play displaying intellectual superiority with all of the other major characters, using his wit to trick the castle into thinking he is a madman. It is only when he comes across the gravedigger that we can see his wit is matched. “How absolute the knave is,” Hamlet says to Horatio after a number of quips from the gravedigger, “We must speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us” (5.1.129-130). Shakespeare has been known to portray clowns as the more intellectual beings and they often outdo those of higher social standings. It is only the Fool who can bluntly state the truth. While this scene is full of jokes and allows a bit of comic relief, it also serves a more serious purpose. It takes the gravedigger, a clever commoner, to put this complex play into perspective for Hamlet (and the audience). We have seen Hamlet struggle with coming to terms with death and what that will mean for him metaphysically, but when he comes across the gravedigger, the fears that have troubled him for so long seem to disappear. The humor in this scene blankly states the obvious truth about what really happens after we die—we become bones. All of this just in time for the audience to witness Hamlet finally become faced with his