Hamlet

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Soliloquies make us understand the true feelings that someone is feeling. It unlocks the secret of the mind. What are soliloquies? “ A literary or dramatic form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or reveals his thoughts in the form of a monologue without addressing a listener”. Specific soliloquies illustrate what really goes on in Hamlet’s mind, and also other characters in the play.

Hamlet is a very complicating character, and the only way we can actually understand him is through his soliloquies. “O, that this too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew…”(page 31), in this soliloquy, its like he’s saying that he wants to melt inside earth like water into the ground. Hamlet expresses here his feelings towards his mother marrying his uncle, two months after the death of his father. “How weary stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of the world “(page 31). This quote shows the attitude Hamlet uses towards life, he is saying that the world is stale, it has no taste left. Hamlet is showing his pessimistic side in him in this soliloquy.

When the ghost of Hamlet’s father reveals to Hamlet who killed him, Hamlet becomes more complicating, he becomes furious. “…That one may smile and be a villain atleast I’m sure it may be so in Denmark” (page 69) in this soliloquy Hamlet shows his feelings towards Claudius, that Claudius is smiling to show that he is nice when he isn’t. In this soliloquy we also understand more about Hamlets character that he tends to be sarcastic and a bit hysterical. Another soliloquy that shows us Hamlets feelings is the one after Hamlet finds out that Rosencrants and Guildenstern were trying to spy on him for Claudius. “What a rogue and peasant slave I am…am i a coward?…but i am a pigeon livered and lack gall” (page 125)

Hamlet shows here his anger that he has to himself for not taking yet revenge against his father’s killer. He’s basically saying in this quote that he has no courage. Therefore this soliloquy reveals to the readers that deep inside Hamlet isn’t courageous. “ Why what an ass am I.. the son of the dear murdered prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must like a whore unpack my heart with words. At the end of this soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his plan to reenact the killing of his father to see Claudius’s reaction.

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