Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis

The purpose of a soliloquy is to outline the thoughts and feelings of a specific character at a point in the play. It opens up the characters views and philosophies to the audience while offering an unprejudiced perspective. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the first soliloquy of Act I, scene ii, is essential to the play as it highlights Hamlet's inner conflicts. It develops themes such as lack of self worth, unfaithfulness, and mourning. All of which illuminate character traits of Hamlet.

The theme of lack of self-confidence is predominantly present in Hamlet’s first soliloquy.
This is the point in which he is most melancholic, and most desperate than any other point in the play. “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew. Or that the Everlasting had not fixed. His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!” (Act I, Scene ii). At his weakest point, Hamlet wishes for suicide to not be a sin. Another indication of his lack of self-confidence is in lines 154-155 when Hamlet recites “…but no more like my father than I to Hercules.” (Act 1, Scene ii). This comparison of Hamlet to Hercules demonstrates how little he thinks of himself. These quotes go hand in hand when distinguishing character traits of Hamlet within this
Hamlet opens up about his disgust towards his mother and compares her to “a beast that…would have mourned longer!”(lines 151-152). As she had only mourned the death of her caring husband for less than a month before marrying his brother, Hamlet relentlessly calls her weak and believes she is unfaithful in doing so. Hamlet exhibits signs of obvious betrayal by his mother. He believes she disrespected her previous marriage in remarrying too soon, and takes this to heart. Hamlet clearly still thinks highly of his late father and this sets him into a defensive tone when thinking of the disloyalty his mother has put towards his