Hamlet Soliloquies
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William Shakespeare does an excellent job at portraying Hamlets evolving character after each of his soliloquies.. Hamlet is shown as a sniffling-little-boy to the last when he sets his priorities straight after witnessing Fortinbras’ army march out to a pointless death for honor. His point of view death also changes, at first being very scared to finally understanding that in death all men become equal. It is in these soliloquies that, Hamlet’s character and position in the play evolve.
The purpose of Hamlets first soliloquy is to show his anger and disgust over the union of his mom and uncle. Hamlet feels that Gertrude has betrayed his father “things rank and gross in nature … She married. O, most wicked speed” (1.2.140). He is also very aggravated at thought that Claudius was trying to be his new “dad”. “ …but no more like my father, Than I to Hercules”. Hamlet is basically saying that Claudius isn’t half the man that his dad was. In the end Hamlet doesn’t really make any effort to confront Gertrude or Claudius. He instead says “ But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”(1.2.164).
In the second soliloquy Hamlet is contemplates suicide. “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 en them?”(3.1.65). Since Hamlet is so depressed he thinks if it would be easier to just end life with one “stroke” than just keep living while suffering the hardships of life. Of course it is easier to just kill himself, but Hamlet is scared of what might come after death. “The undiscoverd country from whose bourn No travelers return,”(3.1.87).The reason being that no one knows what is in the after life. The difference between this soliloquy and the first is that Hamlet is being driven by reason and logic. This soliloquy is philosophical. In his first soliloquy hamlet is driven by emotion. He was only expressing his anger and frustrations with his current situation.
The third soliloquy takes place right after Hamlet has proven to himself beyond a reasonable doubt that Claudius is the one that killed his father. Hamlet is very proud of himself and the soliloquy brings about a sense of confidence. Hamlet is now ready to go to extremes , “And do such bitter business” (3.2.422). Instead of going after Claudius, he decides to go after his mom. “Soft! Now to my mother.”(3.2.425). Unlike his second speech, he is again