Hamlet Soliloquies Essay

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is centered around the dynamic protagonist, whom shares the name of the play, and his emotional struggle which is shown throughout his seven soliloquies. Hamlet is a young man whose life is interrupted by his father’s death which in turn, leads him to questions that cannot be answered with certainty. The play stems from Hamlet’s obsession with proving his uncle’s guilt of murdering his father, and his inability to execute revenge. Hamlet’s life falls to ruin due to his tragic flaw of indecisiveness.

Hamlet’s first soliloquy takes place as his life seems to be falling to ruin due to the death of his father, King Hamlet. Hamlet is upset and disgusted with his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle, Claudius, and

says “It is not, nor it cannot come to good; But break my heart, - for I must hold my tongue!” Hamlet is unhappy with his mother but feels he must not hurt her by speaking his opinion. “O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d His cannon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How wear, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world!” The young man feels he has no one to confide in and contemplates his own death, wishing that suicide was not a sin. Through his first soliloquy, Hamlet has a tone of woe and despair and shows his discontentment with life.
Hamlet speaks his second soliloquy as he has just met the ghost of his father and received disturbing news. The ghost has just told Hamlet that King Hamlet was murdered by his own brother, Claudius. Hamlet is outraged and a definitive change is shown in him as he swears revenge on his uncle. He says, “So Uncle, there you are. Now my word. It is ‘adieu, adieu, remember me.’ I have sworn’t.” Hamlet is irate and his character has changed as he now has an even greater reason to despise his uncle.
In Hamlet’s third soliloquy, his tragic flaw of indecisiveness becomes more evident. As Hamlet watches a play he realizes the passion he lacks, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! Is it not monstrous that this player here, But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, Could force his soul so to his own conceit.” Hamlet wishes he had the passion to revenge his uncle, as the actors had over something fictional. He decides to create a play that will make certain his uncle is guilty which will allow Hamlet to kill him. “I’ll have these players Play something like the murder of my father Before mine uncle: I’ll observe his looks.” Although Hamlet has just sworn his revenge, he is indecisive and uncertain of it, and still awaits his uncle’s confession.
Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy reveals a softer, emotional side of him.

He questions, “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.” Hamlet does not know if he should exist or kill himself, and what makes him a better person. His indecisiveness is shown again as he desires to end the pain of his life but is afraid of the afterlife. He says, “And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others we know not of. Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all.” In the last line Hamlet says, “Be thou all my sins remembered,” hinting that he has now finally decided to seek revenge upon his uncle. Through his fourth soliloquy, you can see Hamlet’s true sadness and how his indecisiveness reigns in every aspect of his life.

The next soliloquy in which Hamlet speaks takes place as the play has just ended and Hamlet is going to have a conversation with his mother. He says, “‘Tis now a very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out,” meaning he has decided to now take action against his uncle. Hamlet is planning his conversation with his mother and is angry. When speaking of her he says, “I will speak daggers to her, but use none.” Hamlet desires to kill his mother but isn’t going to. The fifth soliloquy shows, once again, Hamlet’s uncertainty and

anger.
When Hamlet presents his sixth soliloquy, he is in the presence of his uncle. Hamlet had planned to kill his uncle but then says, “Now might I do it pat now he is praying, And now I’ll do it, and so he goes to heaven.” Hamlet makes excuses for why he cannot murder his uncle at this time, although he is actually just uncertain of his decision. “When he is drunk asleep or in his rage; Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; At gaming, swearing or about some act That has no relish of salvation in it,” Hamlet says he will kill Claudius when he is sinning to make sure he goes to Hell, but is he just avoiding the action. Hamlet is too indecisive to take action against his uncle.
Hamlet gives his final soliloquy as he ponders his inability to execute his father’s revenge, even with sufficient motive and cause. He says, “What is a man If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more,” calling himself simply a beast because he has not done anything to avenge his father. Hamlet becomes inspired by Fortinbras’ army who are walking in to certain death in order to gain a worthless piece of land. Hamlet finally resolves that killing Claudius would be justifiable and that it must be done. He vows that he will now murder his uncle and says, “My thought be bloody, or be nothing worth!” Hamlet’s continuous indecisiveness finally came to an end.
Throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist’s compelling characteristics are portrayed through his seven soliloquies. Hamlet has multiple dimensions and when looked at from multiple aspects, he is different. He is impulsive and driven by emotion yet uncertain of his decisions. Hamlet decides early that he must avenge his father but fails to do so as he wavers throughout the entire play. Hamlet’s tragic flaw of indecisiveness leads to not only his death but many others around him.