A Visual Interpretation Of Hamlet's Soliloquy '

Hamlet's famous soliloquy epitomizes his emotional distress and also his effectively debilitating indecision. His questioning of his own existence emphasizes the dual-sided nature to his internal conflict: to suffer or to act, to die or to kill, to be or not to be. Hamlet is a man of many words and few actions, usually preferring his reading and planning to any sudden movements. His delivery of the soliloquy, in my opinion, should reflect the depth of his feelings while also portraying him as someone who is more confused than decided and is not particularly close to making any drastic choice (i.e. killing himself). The setting in which Hamlet gives the soliloquy establishes, from the beginning of the scene, a mood for the audience and provides a visual interpretation of the inner workings of Hamlet's mind.
Hamlet delivers his soliloquy alone, surrounded only by the cold, stone walls of a dark tomb. He is isolated and shown talking only to himself, with no fear of potential spying onlookers. The presence of shadows, and the subsequent lack of light, in the scene often places an emphasis on Hamlet's head while keeping his body hidden. The silence and solitude gives the impression that Hamlet's words could just as easily be thoughts to himself as words spoken aloud to the audience. For a man as intellectually active yet physically sedentary as Hamlet, the quiet and solemn delivery of the soliloquy is appropriate. Furthermore, the use of a literal tomb reinforces the gravity of Hamlet's feelings. As he contemplates whether or not he wants to die, he is faced with a wall of bones and an assortment of sarcophagi. Hamlet's descent down the stairs into the tomb represents a descent into turmoil, wherein the play's eponymous character must wrestle with his various