www.marilenabeltramini.it |  Site map | Search  | Advanced search
[Forum]  [Wiki]  [Blog] [SW 2005/06] [SW 2006/07]    [login]
Home  » Textuality » Hamlet's Monologue
Study Areas
    » class
    » 2A
    » 3A
    » 4A
    » 5C
    » 5D
    » teacher
EGalopin's Hamlet's Monologue
[author: Emilio Galopin - postdate: 2008-06-02]

HAMLET'S MONOLOGUE

Considering from the title, the intelligent reader can understand that the poem is about a person called Hamlet. Probably he is in trouble, he has to make a decision. For this reason he is talking to himself, trying to find out a solution to his problem. I expect Hamlet to compare two different points of view of the same thing, aspect, object or what else the poem will talk about.

The poem starts with one of the most known phrases in the world: "to be or not to be". I think that everyone has heard it al least once in his life.

 "to be or not to be" expresses Hamlet's dilemma between suicide and life. Life appears to him as painful and full of troubles. Against this hard life suicide is a solution.

The idea of Hamlet's indecision is given better by the words the poet chooses. "To die, to sleep" "shocks" are words related with "to be or not to be".

Hamlet thinks that life is just like a war, you have to combat strongly to survive, and other people try to "destroy" you, using arms like "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". From this phrase the intelligent reader can also understand that Hamlet wanted to be a valorous person, his values were very strong. As a matter of fact, many words used in the poem(like "nobler", outrageous...), belong to the same semantic area: the semantic are of values.

The general idea about life is a negative one. In fact Hamlet sees life as a continuous fight characterized by evils and pains. He also thinks there is not reward in the end he doubts there is life after death.

So he wonders if it nobler to suffer or to oppose and choose death.

Death, like sleep, is seen as a way out, because it puts an end to suffering.

He is afraid of being accused of cowardice and he also fears that death would not be a solution.

The "whips and scorns of time" and "the fardels" of life are injustice, arrogance, offence, unreciprocated love and scorn.

There isn't any positive aspect of life.

Man could choose suicide or accept life as it is.

The fear of death can make a man undecided, full of doubts, irresolute.

He is afraid of being accused of cowardice.

Hamlet used a metaphorical language. Metaphors are associated with nature, travel, fighting and pain.

The main theme is incapacity to face life, indecision, irresolution. Hamlet expresses the doubts of a man about a painful life and death, who choose not to act with fear of what comes after death.

Another theme is the fear of the unknown after death that comes out from the analysis of the last lines.

At the end of the poem, the reader can not understand which will be Hamlet's decision.