Hamlet Soliloquy

Hamlet’s “ To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy clearly expresses his feelings towards life, death, and the afterlife. By beginning with “To Be or Not To Be,” Shakespeare creates a morbid and pensive atmosphere (3.1.56). Hamlet truly contemplates his life and what has all happened to him. He struggles with the death of his father, the reappearance of his father as a ghost, and his mother's recent incestuous marriage. Throughout the whole soliloquy, Shakespeare utilizes a meditative tone, depressing metaphors, and frequent repetition to create the theme the mystery of death. The “To be or Not To Be” soliloquy implements a meditative tone where Hamlet is faced with a serious decision. He is overwhelmed with his family situation and his vengeance against Claudius. As a result he considers
After everything that has happened, Hamlet has fallen into a somber state of mind. To illustrate this state of mind, Shakespeare uses metaphors, such as, “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (3.1.58). In that slings and arrows refer to war weapons concluding that everyday life is a disastrous battle. By comparing life to war Shakespeare deduces that life is our enemy. Also he relates life to “ a sea of troubles,” meaning the world is full of struggles (3.1.59). This metaphor reveals how Hamlet weighs the evils of life and how death could bring and end to those struggles. Shakespeare utilizes another metaphor contributing to the mystery of death with, “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come/ when we have shuffled off this mortal coil/ must give us pause.” (3.1.67-69). In this quote “sleep” refers to death. This “sleep” will resolve earthly problems, but what comes after? Shakespeare's metaphors contribute to the theme the mystery of death because Hamlet does not see any point in living and does not know what will come death, which ultimately terrifies