Verified Document

Hamlet's Soliloquy Is Touted As Term Paper

To die, to sleep: perchance to dream:" He is doomed to a sleep that is plagued by fear and reprisal, to seek out revenge for worldly actions against him. Hamlet knows that if he were to die today he would likely be doomed to walk the halls, as his father dreaming of the day that he was killed and the betrayal that ended his life, "ay there's the rub; / for in that sleep of death what dreams may come." Hamlet knows that reaching out to seek the sleep and dream of death he would be dooming himself to an eternal seeking of revenge, not unlike that of his father who reached out to him in death to tell his story of betrayal and exact revenge upon the wife (mother) and brother. The soliloquy reveals that Hamlet is mortal, that he is afraid of the un-avenged death and that he is now willing to let himself die in an act of avenging his father. He is also clearly willing to take the eternal scorn that will likely be waged against him in life and death with regard to the wrong he did to the fair Ophelia. In this passage he is more honest with his feelings about Ophelia than at almost any other time in the work. He has previously lamented that the fair Ophelia has been used, as he has to try to cover the story of his father's death, by allowing those who follow to live on without revenge. He takes responsibility for his actions against her, knowing that he and others have caused her death and that...

The passage reveals that Hamlet is done being afraid of death, of the fearful dreams of eternity, he is willing to take actions that will hasten his won death walk, hoping to do so in such a way that what he laments is his own action towards the fair Ophelia, rather than the actions of others toward him and his father. Hamlet reveals that he, like Ophelia has been a pawn in the game of others and that if he can exact revenge than he can go on to live in eternity with the remembered sins against Ophelia.
The soliloquy is likely the most analyzed of all passages in this very moving and eternal work. Shakespeare's portrayal of the mortal Hamlet, the thinking man is clearly displayed in this short passage. Shakespeare's eloquence regarding, Hamlet's humanity and the willingness of Hamlet to live with his actions, even to eternity if he has to, to exact revenge upon those who betrayed his father is startling and insightful. Hamlet must make a choice, and in this passage is the precipice of his thoughts. He will no longer live in fear, as if the fair and soft Ophelia can choose to take her life's woes with her to eternity, than he can as well. He will act, rather than think and in so doing hopefully, erase the number of unanswerable dreams that he dreams in eternity, stave one, his responsibility…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Hamlet and Oedipus Though Written
Words: 1999 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

For Oedipus to be considered successful, then, he would have had to challenge his own fate and succeed, rather than enact it entirely according to what was set out for him. In Hamlet, on the other hand, the enemy is tangible and human in the form of Hamlet's uncle, and thus Hamlet is able to confront and vanquish him. Thus, Oedipus represents a kind of ignorant struggle against the

Hamlet Is a Play About
Words: 746 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

He does however, have a reason for his treatment of these people. In the case of the king's courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, they can be seen as plotting against Hamlet and being 'two faced' in their treatment of him" (Hamlet). From the above evidence, it is clear that due to the consequences of the actions of characters, lives are destroyed, which can be seen from the direction of the stage.

Hamlet "How All Occasions Do
Words: 763 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

He never sees things from the perspective of other people or overthinks the moral implications of his deeds. Fortinbras challenges Claudius openly, unlike Hamlet who merely stages a play to test Claudius' guilt and tries (and fails) to kill the King at prayer. At first, Hamlet drew inspiration from a Player King's passion. In his "How all occasions" soliloquy he draws inspiration to take revenge from a real person. Fortinbras'

Hamlet's Emotional State the Oxford
Words: 2374 Length: 6 Document Type: Thesis

He questions whether he should try to clear the court of corruption or just give up and end his life now. It is this emotional doubt that drives Hamlet to act deranged at times, but he overcomes it, and almost manages to answer the difficult questions posed in his life. In Act V, when calm returns, Hamlet repents his behavior (V, ii, 75-78) (Lidz, 164). In Lidz's book Freud is

Hamlet Research It Is Doubtful
Words: 1856 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

" This madness likely leads to Ophelia's suicide but, consistent with the entire theme of this play, the exact nature of Ophelia's demise is left to speculation. The fascination with Hamlet is uncanny. What provides this fascination is the fact that there is always more to what is going on in the play than what actually appears to be. Observers of the play are left with an overwhelming feeling that they

Hamlet's Ghost
Words: 1959 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Hamlet's Ghost has presented a problem for critics and readers since it first appeared on stage some four hundred years ago. Serving as the pivot upon which the action of the play is established -- Hamlet's father's ghost delivers him important information about his death and the throne -- one is likely to ask whether the ghost is truly the soul of King Hamlet or rather a devil appearing in

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now