Tuesday, January 28, 2014

What is the subject of Hamlet's second soliloquy, the famous "To be or not to be" speech?Act 3

The subject could actually be a variety of things as Hamlet addresses many different ideas during the soliloquy.  The beginning question is basically centered around the idea of whether or not life is worth it, do we suffer the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" or kill ourselves and end it all?


He goes on from here to suggest that perhaps death is not the end of it all, perhaps we go on to a sleep but still we dream and if that is the case, maybe all this stuff about morality and doing what's right is important, perhaps the mortal sin of suicide isn't worth it either if you have to deal with the consequences even after you've put yourself to sleep.


He goes on to speculate about this state after death, the fact that no one has ever come back to tell us about it leaves us in the dark and it is this uncertainty that leaves him, and by extension many others, unable to make choices and take action in this mortal world.

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