TO BE OR NOT TO BE - Shakespeare soliloquy page 153

COMPREHENSION

• Hamlet describes life as a “sea of troubles”, made of “slings and harrows” that can always hurt. It is “outrageous fortune”, because you cannot expect anything certain from destiny.

• Death is described as a simple sleep: Hamlet compares it to the act of sleeping and forgetting problems.

• Hamlet thinks that he can stop all his trouble by dying, but he is worried about after-death life. He cannot know what he should expect after dying: fair is the main obstacle that stops Hamlet’s idea of suicide.

• Life is composed of torments: Hamlet may refer to common human pains, for instance too much work, love sufferance, mourning and so on. In addition, people have to make many efforts to manage life, and sometimes it is not easy.

• Line 11-14: people are afraid of what may come after death.

  Line 24-25: death means going to an “undiscovered country”, who no one knows because no body ever returns from there. It underlines fair of human being.

• Hamlet concludes claiming that knowledge makes people be scared.

• His mood is sad, tragic and critical.

INTERPRETATION

• I agree with the last interpretation: Hamlet is reflecting about his personal situation and he is choosing the best solution to solve his problems. At the same time, he is also talking about human being’s trouble. It is a universal reflection and it concerns everyone’s situation.

•REPETITION: line 5-9-10-11 “to die to sleep” represents the idea of death, that is seen as a sleep that helps forgetting problems.

ANTITHESES: line 1 “to be or not to be” is the contrast between life and death, it represents the opposing thoughts of Hamlet (to keep on living or to end his life).

Line 2 “to suffer”…line 4 “to take arms”: opposing possible choices of Hamlet. He could continue suffering or he could fight to stop his torments.

• I think Ophelia is coming closer just when Hamlet is going to end his soliloquy, that is when he says the last lines. Claudius and Polonius may be focused on Ophelia approaching and their plan, therefore they should not think about what Hamlet does. Moreover, they consider him only a mad: they do not pay attention to his words.