A Rhetorical Analysis Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

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(An analysis of Hamlet's Soliloquies and the messages derived from them) “To be or not to be is probably the best-known line from all drama or literature.” (Martin). That soliloquy came from Act 3 Scene ! of Hamlet, and the topic revolved around the idea of life or death. The main character, Hamlet, is trying to decide whether or not life is truly better than death. The consequences of death inevitably crossed his mind as well, which led this scene into being tremendously relatable. The fact that these lines are so relatable and discuss the unknown, could be the very reason why they are so infamous. The soliloquies in the play Hamlet, provided the audience with a few take home messages. First of all, in the soliloquy “To be or not to be,” Hamlet provides the audience with the message that death can be something that is desirable. He is constantly debating over whether or not he should truly just end all of his misery, and simply commit suicide. “To die - to sleep, no more; and by sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir too” (Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 67-70). It seems as if Hamlet believes death is a huge relief, and he is clearly trying to portray it in that manner. This is not always the case in Shakespeare’s eyes and he illustrates later in the soliloquy. …show more content…

Immediately after Hamlet stated that death can be desirable, he quickly realized that may not always be the best for everyone. This includes himself, because now he begins to think about how the afterlife might not be the best bet for him. “And make us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we not know of” (Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 88 and 89). Hamlet realized that if he were to kill himself that he could then possibly go to hell, which would make the afterlife actually worse than his previous

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