Soliloquy

Actions Speak Louder than Soliloquies: Existentialism in Hamlet In the 1600s, existentialism did not yet exist in name, but the ideas behind the movement were circulating during William Shakespeare’s time. Existentialism as we define it now focuses on “existence before essence,” the idea that humans exist and then write their own narratives, not the other way around (Crowell). One of the most influential leaders of the existentialist movement was Jean-Paul Sartre; his lecture “Existentialism is…

Literature aids in the understanding of ideas, beliefs and ideologies from a context different to our own. William Shakespeare’s dramatic tragedy, Macbeth, published in 1606, follows the tale of a once noble man named Macbeth, who, influenced by his hamartia, became the catalyst for disrupting the natural balance of the universe. Macbeth is a text which relates to the contextual beliefs and ideologies of the Early Modern Period and whilst the text endorses those beliefs it also challenges the…

This is seen in Act 1 Scene 2 when Hamlet announces through a soliloquy that he feels that the world is “weary, stale, flat and unprofitable…” and this starts off the inclination that Hamlet was always insane and that this has caused much of his disconnect with reality, critics in the 19th century even stating that Hamlet…

Life is not a void filled with despair and difficulties as Hamlet has depicted in his soliloquy. Looking at Roger Ebert and Steve Jobs, we can see that it is possible to be content with your life even though it may seem like an unrealistic dream to some. Just because you can’t see it now doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And it most certainly does not mean you won’t be able to find happiness later down the road. Life is valuable; it just depends on how you choose to look at it. Hamlet does not…

By: Saidvij Portrayal of Iago Shakespeare’s Othello portrays Iago as a very cunning and evil mastermind next to only the devil himself. Iago not only destroys characters’ lives for fun, but also deceives them to gain self-righteous goals. Iago manipulates everyone but especially the general of Venice, Othello. Iago’s deception is more than what would be seen as normal. Iago is a selfish and manipulative person able to trick others, but failure is the logical consequence under his own…

The Vacillation that led to a Fatal Outcome Acording to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Hamlet’s delay, and ultimately his downfall, is caused by his thoughts, and images that aren’t in contact with the real world. This means that he is unable to apply his thoughts and actions in the real world that surrounds him. He is in a daze to the real world and he applied his energy to his intellect instead of the outside world. His shaded view of every action causes the death of himself and others. This is why…

In Hamlet’s soliloquy, Shakespeare uses the thoughts of Hamlet to build suspense to give the audience a guess as to what is going to happen next. While Hamlet is dealing with all of these awful things happening to him at once he reflects by stating, “To be, or not to…

“When sorrow comes, they come not in single spies, but in battalions”, claims Claudius, from the play Hamlet, who foreshadows his consequences that occur during the end of the play as result of his murderous act ( 4. 5. 78-79). In William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, Hamlet the character is shaped as a protagonist who weighs all his decisions based on his thinking of the world, the people around him and his relationship with God. The tragedies he faces condon him to think consequentially and non…

The Worth of Life and the Mystery of Death In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, death is a prevalent theme that Shakespeare explores in depth, throughout the play. Hamlet’s character is revealed through death, giving him an indecisive nature as well as an unstable state. Shakespeare captures the reader’s interest concerning death in the opening scene, when Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his dead father. This scene sets the tone of the entire play where death, murder, revenge and suicide are…

In his first soliloquy he states: “O! that this too too sullied flesh would melt … His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world.” (1.2.129-134). Even early in the play, Hamlet is questioning…