It is the most famous monologue of William Shakespeare's opera Hamlet, and probably the most famous scene in the history of theater. We are in Act III scene I: Hamlet enters the stage believing he is alone while in reality he is spied on by Polonius and the King Claudius who want to observe his behavior with the young Ofelia.

The central dilemma in the monologue is expressed in the first verse: "To be or not to be" live or die, act or not act? Hamlet shuns not knowing how to choose between acting and not acting and presents the positive and negative considerations: on the one hand endure all the evil and misfortunes that happen to him, on the other dying, which would put an end to all his suffering. In fact, life is portrayed as a battle and a list of punishments and tortures. In describing it he never refers to positive or happy facts, but only to misfortunes. Here, then, that death is the only way out, the only salvation. At this point one wonders what stops this impulse that would put an end to all the suffering and the answer is fear, that is, not knowing what is after death. This arouses fear.