Hamlet Soliloquy
Cali Fairway
Mrs. Constantini
ENG4U
5 March 2013
Hamlet’s Soliloquy II Shakespeare uses the staggering concept of a soliloquy in order to identify his characters. Shakespeare presents Hamlet to be a very complex character, which readers find difficult to discover Hamlet within. However, each soliloquy presented by Hamlet throughout the play offers the reader to understand his character better. So far in the play, this is Hamlet’s second soliloquy. His first one exposed to the reader his inner hatred towards his mother being newly-wed to his former uncle, and the death of his father is still haunting him. This particular scene, being a little bit further into the play, goes deeper into Hamlet’s true inner thoughts and feelings. In this soliloquy, Hamlet’s character begins to reduce into self loathing. Hamlet is having an identity crisis, and it is seen as a pity party. He begins to refer to himself as a slave, coward, whore, ass, and rascal while he talks about a resolution. Hamlet begins to be aware, and reach self recognition. “Out of my weakness and melancholy” (Act 2, Scene 2: 599), Hamlet recognizes that he is melancholic and begins to feel no remorse. “For murder, though it hath no tongue will speak”. (Act 2, Scene 2: 591) Hamlet expresses how he understands that regardless of his actions, murder has a way of getting out into the open. Shakespeare connects the two most beautiful things in life together to reveal Hamlet’s individual self; art and life, but he does it in an adverse way. Before getting revenge, he wants to trigger his uncle’s conscience to see if he is guilty of the death of Hamlet Sr. “The spirit I have seen may be the devil: and the devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape” (Act 2, Scene 2: 596-598) Hamlet is religious, so he wants to see if his father’s ghost is really just the devil messing with him. In order to do this, he puts on the play. Hamlet is looking for vengeance, but he does not want to damn himself to hell.
Mrs. Constantini
ENG4U
5 March 2013
Hamlet’s Soliloquy II Shakespeare uses the staggering concept of a soliloquy in order to identify his characters. Shakespeare presents Hamlet to be a very complex character, which readers find difficult to discover Hamlet within. However, each soliloquy presented by Hamlet throughout the play offers the reader to understand his character better. So far in the play, this is Hamlet’s second soliloquy. His first one exposed to the reader his inner hatred towards his mother being newly-wed to his former uncle, and the death of his father is still haunting him. This particular scene, being a little bit further into the play, goes deeper into Hamlet’s true inner thoughts and feelings. In this soliloquy, Hamlet’s character begins to reduce into self loathing. Hamlet is having an identity crisis, and it is seen as a pity party. He begins to refer to himself as a slave, coward, whore, ass, and rascal while he talks about a resolution. Hamlet begins to be aware, and reach self recognition. “Out of my weakness and melancholy” (Act 2, Scene 2: 599), Hamlet recognizes that he is melancholic and begins to feel no remorse. “For murder, though it hath no tongue will speak”. (Act 2, Scene 2: 591) Hamlet expresses how he understands that regardless of his actions, murder has a way of getting out into the open. Shakespeare connects the two most beautiful things in life together to reveal Hamlet’s individual self; art and life, but he does it in an adverse way. Before getting revenge, he wants to trigger his uncle’s conscience to see if he is guilty of the death of Hamlet Sr. “The spirit I have seen may be the devil: and the devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape” (Act 2, Scene 2: 596-598) Hamlet is religious, so he wants to see if his father’s ghost is really just the devil messing with him. In order to do this, he puts on the play. Hamlet is looking for vengeance, but he does not want to damn himself to hell.