The Tale Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, is a tale that has withstood the

test of time because of the relevance to modern day and the near flawless delivery of the story’s

themes.

Though many sections and passages can capture the spirit of Shakespeare’s tales, none

does so better than the famous soliloquy Hamlet spoke to Ophelia. In the opening lines, Hamlet

says:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die, to sleep- (3.1.138)

In other words, Hamlet is starts off by asking whether it is better to be alive or dead. As

pessimistic as his question seems, it can be deemed reasonable considering his life, at this point, is

solely devoted to killing Claudius and avenging his father. Then, Hamlet reiterates his initial

statement but uses more poetic language and detail. First, by asking if a person’s decision to live

through deep misfortune is the noblest choice. Next, Hamlet presents death as an alternative by

declaring it an end, something not done with the first option. To deduce which choice Hamlet is

currently leaning on, one must only look at the metaphors used to describe the two options.

Initially, life is described as slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune. This insinuates that life’s

misfortunes are both constant and severe, considering arrows and slings were often shot in

barrages. This is further reinforced when fortune is described as outrageous, ruling out the idea of

a mild barrage out of question. Contrastingly, death is compared to concepts humans associate

with peacefulness such as an ocean or sleep. Hamlet also describes death as an en...

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... little authority figures for the

operation and Hamlet never told anyone about his plan to murder Claudius. Fortunately for them, they

were successful meaning that taking justice into ones own hands is an alternative. In other words, The

killing of Claudius is Hamlets most justified assassination.

After establishing the many parallels to modern day, one may still wonder what to make of

Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The answer is simpler than one might expect: Learn from what the story of

Hamlet offers. If a society does not learn from the past, that society is doomed to repeat the same

mistakes indefinitely, a fate worthy of the terrible outcome Hamlet thought death bring will bring. Stated

plainly, Hamlet’s themes of manipulation, power, and revenge are best used as a cautionary tale for

those who venture choose to venture on through life.