Shakespeare's Use of Soliloquies:

Soliloquies are a key feature in Shakespeare's works, and Hamlet is no exception. They provide insight into the inner workings of the characters' minds. The soliloquies are often used to reveal Hamlet's deep psychological turmoil and to highlight the moral and philosophical dilemmas he faces.

The most famous soliloquy in Hamlet is "To be, or not to be," where Hamlet contemplates the nature of existence and the meaning of life. His soliloquies are a window into his intellectual and emotional struggles, allowing the audience to understand his reluctance to act and his philosophical debates about fate, justice, and mortality.

1. Act 1, Scene 2:

   O that this too solid flesh would melt,
   Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
   Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
   His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!
   How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
   Seem to me all the uses of this world!
   Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
   That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
   Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
   But two months dead! — nay, not so much, not two:
   So excellent a king; that was, to this,
   Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
   That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
   Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
   Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
   As if increase of appetite had grown
   By what it fed on: and yet, within a month, —
   Let me not think on't, — Frailty, thy name is woman! —
   A little month; or ere those shoes were old
   With which she followed my poor father's body
   Like Niobe, all tears; — why she, even she, —
   O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason,
   Would have mourn'd longer, — married with mine uncle,
   My father's brother; but no more like my father
   Than I to Hercules: within a month;
   Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
   Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
   She married: — O, most wicked speed, to post
   With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
   It is not, nor it cannot come to good;
   But break my heart, — for I must hold my tongue!

   Takes place after Claudius and Gertrude urge Hamlet in open court to cast off the deep melancholy that, they believe, has taken possession of his mind as a consequence of his father's death. According to them, Hamlet has already grieved enough for his father. Prior to the soliloquy, King Claudius and Queen Gertrude announce their upcoming marriage, so the court cannot afford excessive grief. This announcement sends Hamlet into a deeper emotional spiral and inspires the soliloquy.

   Hamlet refers to the world as an 'unweeded garden,' in which rank and gross things grow in abundance. He is upset that cannot commit suicide because it is forbidden by God. In the first two lines of the soliloquy, he wishes that his physical self might cease to exist on its own without requiring him to commit a mortal sin. The larger cause of Hamlet's misery is Gertrude's disloyal marriage to his uncle. She announces the new marriage when barely a month has passed since his father's death. Even a beast would have mourned a little longer. Additionally, he considers this marriage to be an incestuous affair. Hamlet shows deep affection for his father, the soliloquy also paints the dead king as a loving husband and a respected father. Concluding the soliloquy, he voices his frustration that he must keep his objections to himself.

2. Act 1, Scene 5:

   O all you host of heaven! O Earth! What else?
   And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart,
   And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
   But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?
   Ay, thou poor ghost, whiles memory holds a seat
   In this distracted globe. Remember thee?
   Yea, from the table of my memory
   I'll wipe away all trivial, fond records,
   All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
   That youth and observation copied there,
   And thy commandment all alone shall live
   Within the book and volume of my brain,
   Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
   O most pernicious woman!
   O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!
   My tables—meet it is I set it down
   That one may smile and smile and be a villain.
   At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
   [He writes.]
   So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word.
   It is "adieu, adieu, remember me."
   I have sworn 't.

   Before the soliloquy, the Ghost of Hamlet's father tells Hamlet that he was murdered by the new King Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, by poisoning. Before exiting the scene, the Ghost implores Hamlet to avenge his death.

   The soliloquy that follows carries Hamlet's rage, grief, and confusion. The prince invokes the greater cosmos- Heaven, earth, and hell- and asks that his body remain strong for what is about to happen. He refers to his head as a "distracted globe" and hopes to wipe his mind of his trivial facts and memories so that he may remember and live by his father's "commandment". Hamlet calls his mother the "most pernicious woman" and his uncle a "smoking, damnèd villain". He makes a mental note of the world's corruption, that people can deceitfully smile as they commit villainous acts. He is sure that such treachery is present in Denmark.

3. Act 2, Scene 2:

   O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
   Is it not monstrous that this player here,
   But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
   Could force his soul so to his own conceit
   That from her working all his visage wann’d,
   Tears in his eyes, distraction in’s aspect,
   A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
   With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing!
   For Hecuba!
   What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
   That he should weep for her? What would he do,
   Had he the motive and the cue for passion
   That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
   And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
   Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
   Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
   The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I,
   A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,
   Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
   And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
   Upon whose property and most dear life
   A damn’d defeat was made. Am I a coward?
   Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
   Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
   Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i’ the throat,
   As deep as to the lungs? who does me this?
   Ha!
   ‘Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
   But I am pigeon-liver’d and lack gall
   To make oppression bitter, or ere this
   I should have fatted all the region kites
   With this slave’s offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
   Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
   O, vengeance!
   Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
   That I, the son of a dear father murder’d,
   Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
   Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
   And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
   A scullion!
   Fie upon’t! foh! About, my brain! I have heard
   That guilty creatures sitting at a play
   Have by the very cunning of the scene
   Been struck so to the soul that presently
   They have proclaim’d their malefactions;
   For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak
   With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players
   Play something like the murder of my father
   Before mine uncle: I’ll observe his looks;
   I’ll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,
   I know my course. The spirit that I have seen
   May be the devil: and the devil hath power
   To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
   Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
   As he is very potent with such spirits,
   Abuses me to damn me: I’ll have grounds
   More relative than this: the play ‘s the thing
   Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

   This soliloquy highlights Hamlet's frustration and self-loathing due to his inaction. He criticizes himself for not avenging his father’s death, calling himself a coward for failing to act decisively against Claudius. Hamlet wonders if he is too weak and lacking in courage since he cannot even speak out, let alone seek revenge. He despises his inability to act, calling himself names like “scullion” and “whore” for not doing more. However, his mood shifts when he plans to use a play to expose Claudius’s guilt, as he fears the ghost might be a devil trying to trick him. This idea gives Hamlet hope, as it provides a way to confirm Claudius’s crime, and he starts to overcome his confusion and hesitation.

4. Act 3, Scene 1:

   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? To die: to sleep;
   No more; and by a sleep to say we end
   The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
   That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
   Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
   To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
   For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
   When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
   Must give us pause: there's the respect
   That makes calamity of so long life;
   For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
   The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
   The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
   The insolence of office and the spurns
   That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
   When he himself might his quietus make
   With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
   To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
   But that the dread of something after death,
   The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
   No traveller returns, puzzles the will
   And makes us rather bear those ills we have
   Than fly to others that we know not of?
   Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
   And thus the native hue of resolution
   Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
   And enterprises of great pith and moment
   With this regard their currents turn awry,
   And lose the name of action.

   Hamlet is once again overwhelmed with confusion and contemplating death. He wonders whether it’s better to endure the suffering caused by "outrageous fortune" or to end it all by dying. Although death seems appealing, he fears what might come after, particularly the unknown of the afterlife and the possibility of troubling dreams. Hamlet contemplates suicide as a way to escape life’s injustices, but he hesitates because he worries about the consequences for his soul, fearing damnation or purgatory. He concludes that it is fear of the unknown, particularly the afterlife, that makes people endure suffering rather than end their lives. This reflection reveals his own inaction: Hamlet is paralyzed by the uncertainty of what is morally and religiously right. Despite suspecting Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet is still unsure how to act, unable to resolve his internal conflict over what would be just in the eyes of God.

5. Act 3, Scene 2:

   Tis now the very witching time of night,
   When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out
   Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,
   And do such bitter business as the day
   Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother. —
   O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
   The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom:
   Let me be cruel, not unnatural;
   I will speak daggers to her, but use none;
   My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites, —
   How in my words somever she be shent,
   To give them seals never, my soul, consent!

   Hamlet resolved to be brutally honest with his mother but not to lose control of himself. At this moment, in the middle of the night, Hamlet is in such a foul mood that he could "drink hot blood" and do such deeds that would look gruesome in the light of day. In this mood, he feels as though he could even kill his mother, as Emperor Nero is thought to have done, but he resolves not to use violence. Instead, he vows to treat his mother harshly but to refrain from harming her, saying "I will speak daggers to her, but use none," creating a rift between what he will say and how his soul feels he should act.

6. Act 3, Scene 3:

   Now might I do it pat now he is praying,
   And now I'll do it, and so he goes to heaven.
   And so am I revenged, that would be scanned.
   A villain kills my father; and for that,
   I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.
   O, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
   He took my father grossly, full of bread -
   With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May.
   And how his audit stands, who knows save heaven?
   But in our circumstance and course of thought,
   'Tis heavy with him, and am I, then, revenged;
   To take him in the purging of his soul,
   When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?
   No.
   Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent:
   When he is drunk asleep or in his rage;
   Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
   At gaming, swearing or about some act
   That has no relish of salvation in it.
   Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
   And that his soul may be as damned and black
   As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays,
   This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

   In this soliloquy, Hamlet initially draws his sword with the intention of killing Claudius but stops himself upon realizing that killing him while he’s praying would send him to Heaven, which would not satisfy Hamlet’s desire for revenge. Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer for his sins, not be forgiven, and believes that if he kills the King while he’s in a state of prayer, the act will not fulfill his promise to his father. Hamlet wants to ensure that Claudius faces divine punishment, so he decides to wait for a better moment—when Claudius is "drunk, asleep, or in his rage"—a time when his sins would be unrepentant, ensuring that Hamlet's revenge would be just. This moment of reflection highlights Hamlet’s ongoing internal struggle over how to avenge his father while ensuring moral and divine justice.

7. Act 4, Scene 4:

   How all occasions do inform against me
   And spur my dull revenge! What is a man
   If his chief good and market of his time
   Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.
   Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
   Looking before and after, gave us not
   That capability and godlike reason
   To fust in us unused. Now, whether it be
   Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple
   Of thinking too precisely on the event
   A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom
   And ever three parts coward; I do not know
   Why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do'
   Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means
   To do it. Examples, gross as earth, exhort me:
   Witness this army, of such mass and charge,
   Led by a delicate and tender prince.
   Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed,
   Makes mouths at the invisible event.
   Exposing what is mortal and unsure
   To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,
   Even for an egg-shell. Rightly to be great
   Is not to stir without great argument,
   But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
   When honour's at the stake. How stand I, then,
   That have a father killed, a mother stained,
   Excitements of my reason and my blood,
   And let all sleep? While, to my shame, I see
   The imminent death of twenty thousand men
   That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,
   Go to their graves like beds — fight for a plot
   Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
   Which is not tomb enough and continent
   To hide the slain? O, from this time forth
   My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!

   The captain’s (fortinbras) words ignite Hamlet’s frustration with his own inaction, prompting him to scold himself. He contrasts his failure to act with the courage of soldiers willing to die for trivial causes, while he, with a clear motive to avenge his father’s murder, remains paralyzed. This soliloquy highlights Hamlet’s tendency to overthink and intellectualize rather than act, a flaw that has hindered him throughout the play. He argues that humans are meant to use their reason to fulfill their purpose and that inaction makes a man no better than an animal. Reminded of his powerful motive—"a father killed, a mother stained"—Hamlet finally decides to stop dwelling on the past and begins to resolve to take action, marking a crucial turning point in his journey toward revenge.

Motivation for the Character's Actions:

The central question in Hamlet is what drives Hamlet’s actions, or rather, his inaction. Hamlet is consumed by the need for revenge after the ghost of his father reveals that he was murdered by Claudius. Yet, Hamlet hesitates, not because of a lack of resolve, but because he is unsure of the right course of action. This delay stems from a conflict of moral, philosophical, and existential concerns. Hamlet’s quest for revenge becomes entangled with his reflections on life, death, and fate.

Claudius, the antagonist, is motivated by ambition and guilt. Having murdered his brother to take the throne, Claudius is consumed by paranoia and fear of being discovered. His actions throughout the play reflect a desperate attempt to consolidate his power and protect himself from Hamlet’s revenge.

Shakespeare’s Language and Prose:

Shakespeare's use of language in Hamlet is both poetic and philosophical. The play is written in a combination of blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) and prose, which helps to differentiate between formal and informal moments. The characters' speech varies from the majestic and high-minded (especially in Hamlet’s soliloquies) to the everyday and colloquial, reflecting both their social status and emotional states.

The famous "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, for instance, is a masterful reflection on life and death, demonstrating Hamlet’s introspective nature. Shakespeare uses language to explore deep psychological conflict, especially in Hamlet’s internal struggles between action and inaction, moral righteousness, and the burden of revenge.

Soliloquies are a key feature in Shakespeare's works, and Hamlet is no exception. They provide insight into the inner workings of the characters' minds. The soliloquies are often used to reveal Hamlet's deep psychological turmoil and to highlight the moral and philosophical dilemmas he faces.

The most famous soliloquy in Hamlet is "To be, or not to be," where Hamlet contemplates the nature of existence and the meaning of life. His soliloquies are a window into his intellectual and emotional struggles, allowing the audience to understand his reluctance to act and his philosophical debates about fate, justice, and mortality.

Shakespeare and His Plays:

Organization and content

Shakespeare wrote a wide variety of plays, from tragedies to comedies to histories. His works often delve into universal themes of love, ambition, betrayal, power, and the human condition. What sets Shakespeare’s plays apart is his ability to create complex characters that reflect both the virtues and flaws of humanity. Hamlet is one of his greatest tragedies, a work in which the protagonist's personal dilemmas are intricately tied to larger social and moral questions.

The Revenge Play and its Characteristics:

Hamlet is often categorized as a revenge tragedy, a genre that was highly popular in Elizabethan theatre. Revenge tragedies typically feature a wronged protagonist who seeks vengeance against those who have wronged them, often in violent and morally ambiguous ways. These plays explore themes of justice, morality, and the consequences of revenge.

In Hamlet, the revenge motif is central to the plot. Hamlet must avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius, yet his quest for revenge is marked by hesitation and uncertainty. The play examines the toll that the pursuit of vengeance takes on an individual’s psyche, as well as the broader consequences for society.

Character Analysis:

1. Hamlet:

   • Purpose: Hamlet is the tragic protagonist, driven by the need to avenge his father’s death. His internal conflict over how to act forms the heart of the play.

   • Motivation: Revenge for his father's murder. However, Hamlet’s delay in action stems from his deep philosophical musings about life, morality, and justice.

   • Fate: Hamlet’s fate is tragic. His indecisiveness and failure to act decisively led to his own death, along with the deaths of many others.

2. Claudius:

   • Purpose: Claudius is the new king of Denmark, having murdered his brother to seize the throne. His purpose is to maintain power and suppress any threats to his rule, particularly Hamlet.

   • Motivation: Claudius is motivated by guilt and fear. He is tormented by the sin of his fratricide but continues to cover it up, even as Hamlet seeks revenge.

   • Fate: Claudius is ultimately killed by Hamlet in the final act of the play, fulfilling Hamlet’s quest for revenge.

3. Gertrude:

   • Purpose: Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, plays a complex role in the play. She is caught between her son’s accusations and her love for Claudius.

   • Motivation: Gertrude is driven by love and a desire for stability. Her quick remarriage to Claudius after the death of her husband suggests a need for emotional and political security.

   • Fate: Gertrude dies by drinking poisoned wine intended for Hamlet, which is an unintended consequence of the tragic events surrounding her.

4. Ophelia:

   • Purpose: Ophelia is a young noblewoman who is in love with Hamlet. She represents innocence and the consequences of political and familial intrigue.

   • Motivation: Ophelia’s motivations are largely shaped by the men around her—her father, Polonius, and her brother, Laertes, as well as Hamlet’s erratic behavior.

   • Fate: Ophelia’s fate is tragic, as she goes mad following the death of her father and drowns in what is believed to be a suicide.

5. Polonius:

   • Purpose: Polonius is the royal advisor to Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. He plays a minor role in the play but serves as a symbol of meddling and political manipulation.

   • Motivation: Polonius seeks to maintain his status and influence in the Danish court. His over-involvement in Hamlet’s affairs ultimately leads to his death.

   • Fate: Polonius is accidentally killed by Hamlet while hiding behind a curtain, a moment that marks a turning point in Hamlet’s actions.

6. Laertes:

   • Purpose: Laertes is the son of Polonius and brother to Ophelia. He is motivated by a desire for revenge after his father’s death.

   • Motivation: Like Hamlet, Laertes seeks vengeance for his father's death, but he is impulsive and quick to action, contrasting with Hamlet’s hesitance.

   • Fate: Laertes dies in a duel with Hamlet, a tragic consequence of the revenge-driven cycle of violence in the play.

7. Horatio:

   • Purpose: Hamlet’s loyal friend and confidant; provides wisdom and a stable presence.

   • Motivation: Loyalty to Hamlet and a desire to protect him; later, the responsibility to tell Hamlet’s story.

   • Fate: Survives the tragic events, and is entrusted with the task of telling Hamlet’s story to the world.

8. Fortinbras:

   • Purpose: A foil to Hamlet, representing decisive action and ambition, seeking to avenge his father’s death and reclaim lost land.

   • Motivation: A strong sense of honor and duty, aiming to restore his family’s reputation and claim his rightful inheritance.

   • Fate: Fortinbras ultimately succeeds in his quest, becoming the new King of Denmark after the deaths of Hamlet and the royal family.

9. Ghost of Old King Hamlet:

   • Purpose: To reveal the truth of King Hamlet's murder and urge Hamlet to avenge his death.

   • Motivation: Justice for his untimely death and release from purgatory, as his soul is unable to rest while his murderer remains alive.

   • Fate: The Ghost is trapped in purgatory due to the sins he committed in life, and his fate remains unresolved until Hamlet avenges his murder. The Ghost's appearance symbolizes the moral decay in Denmark and sets Hamlet on his tragic path.

10. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:

    • Purpose: To spy on Hamlet for Claudius and act as an agent of the royal court. Their presence highlights Hamlet’s isolation and distrust of those around him.

    • Motivation: Motivated by self-interest, the desire to gain favor with Claudius, and a lack of personal conviction. They do not act out of malice but are easily manipulated.

    • Fate: They are sent to their deaths due to Hamlet’s manipulation, reflecting their role as pawns in the political and moral struggles of the play.