Analysis Of Shakespeare's Soliloquies In Hamlet

People reveal their true selves when they are alone, for when they are alone they are their only judge. Authors use this trait in writing to give only the audience important information and not the other characters. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s soliloquies in order to convey important information. It is during Hamlet’s soliloquies that Hamlet reveals his true thoughts of other. Hamlet’s soliloquies are used as a tool in order to understand his feelings about himself. It is during Hamlet’s soliloquies that his plans for the future are revealed. Hamlet chooses throughout the play to not inform other characters of his thoughts of them whether because it is to not harm their feelings or because it is imperative

When Hamlet is alone he speaks freely of himself and how he truly sees himself. During Hamlet’s third soliloquy he reveals to the audience that he sees himself as a procrastinator when he says “Yet I/ A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak/ Like a John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,/ And can say nothing—no not for a King/ Upon whose property and most dear life/ A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward” (II.ii.593-598)? Hamlet calls himself a coward and speaks about how he is sad man, unfulfilled, and how he has not completed his goals/ tasks and how he is a coward. He sees that he has this cause, this task he must complete but instead he sits absent mindedly and does nothing. Shakespeare conveys Hamlet’s feelings about his procrastination through his soliloquies. In this quote Hamlet also conveys how he finds himself unworthy and reiterates this when Hamlet says “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I” (II.ii.577)! Hamlet does not view himself as a heroic character who is doing great work but as someone who is unworthy and undeserving. Hamlet also reveals during his soliloquies of his suicidal thoughts. Although Hamlet has a whole soliloquy about suicide he first brings up his suicidal thoughts during his first soliloquy when Hamlet states “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,/ Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,/ Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon

Hamlet discusses his idea to use a play to determine the innocence of King Claudius when he states “The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King” (II.ii.633-634). The audience was only aware of Hamlet’s thought process and plans for King Claudius because of Hamlet’s soliloquies. The audience then learns about another one of Hamlet’s plans for the future during Hamlet’s sixth soliloquy when he says “…about some act/ That has no relish or salvation in ‘t--/ And that his soul may be as damned and black/ As hell, whereto it goes” (III.iii.96-100). In this soliloquy Hamlet decides to kill King Claudius but only when Claudius is in the act of something sinful so that he would face eternal damnation. Hamlet divulged this information solely during his sixth soliloquy. The final line in Hamlet’s final soliloquy is the final example of Hamlet revealing his plans for the future when Hamlet says “O, from this time forth/ My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth” (IV.iv.68-69)! Hamlet decides that from that point on he will only think about the death that he shall deal out to others and how his purpose and thoughts shall only be centered around bloodshed. It is during Hamlet’s soliloquys that his plans for the future are