“To be or not to be…” - Hamlet (soliloquy, Act Three, Scene One)

Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy is one of the most famous of Shakespeare’s lines, and can be analysed using many language features to understand the message behind the words. The soliloquy is part of Act Three, Scene One, and so helps shape the developing action in the play as it is when Hamlet realises he must take action. Previously in the play, his father’s ghost has charged him to take revenge on Claudius for murdering him, and he is torn between carrying out this vengeance and thus suffer the consequences, or ignoring the ghost’s pleas. During this scene, Hamlet is onstage with Ophelia nearby, though unable to hear him, and the audience are also aware that Claudius and Polonius are hidden and spying to Hamlet – “seeing unseen”.

A common cause of debate is the meaning behind Hamlet’s complex speech. There is a degree of ambiguity in this soliloquy, however the prevalently accepted interpretation is that Hamlet is considering whether or not to commit suicide, however another interpretation is that Hamlet is wondering if he should kill Claudius. An aspect that is commonly debated is whether or not Hamlet is aware he is being spied upon by Claudius and Polonius which, dependent on whether or not this is the case, can completely change the meaning behind Hamlet’s words. If Hamlet does know he is being watched, and thus is putting on an act of madness, then the soliloquy may be interpreted as a considering whether or not to kill Claudius. However if Hamlet truly is mad and debating with himself over the recurrent themes of death, the afterlife and suffering, then it is easily interpreted as Hamlet debating suicide. The soliloquy itself begins with Hamlet discussing suicide; he weighs it up, contemplating whether it is a noble action, and then further discusses nobility and coward-ness. Is the most noble course to suffer all life’s hardships or fight against them? This leads on to Hamlet discussing the idea of death as sleep – though we may suffer nightmares we wake up from them, while death’s sleep is eternal and it is unknown what suffering and nightmares will assault us. Hamlet uses this to reflect on what stops people from committing suicide – nobility, or fear of the unknown? He ponders the question, what is one most afraid of, the possibility of damnation for taking one’s life, or the certainty of suffering on Earth? The audience is lead to realise that it is conscience, our moral compass, that prevents us from doing the ignoble act of suicide; but also as Hamlet concludes, that such thinking in itself prevents decisive action, and makes us too cowardly to embrace a course which reason tells us is noble. The overall themes of death, afterlife and suffering present in the soliloquy allow the audience to see that he is feeling pressured (though we are unsure if he is mad) by life’s burdens and his problems, and so has a morose, bleak outlook on life.

This translates into a pessimistic and depressed mood in the soliloquy, as Hamlet contemplates his problems. Most of Hamlet’s negative emotions are displayed as he speaks; grieving his father’s death, disgusted by his mother’s hasty and incestuous marriage, angry at his disloyal lover and friends spying on him, as well as the pressures from the ghost. He is dejected and his words express his despair and unwillingness to carry on living. The mood of the speech also highlights his uncertainty about what to do concerning the ghost and its revenge, which leads to more questions as he sees a bleak and ruined future no matter what he chooses. Shakespeare uses many language techniques to convey this mood to the audience.

The vocabulary used in this soliloquy is one such language technique used to convey this sombre mood. Shakespeare uses certain words and phrases to highlight Hamlet’s inner turmoil and despair; his preoccupation with death using words and phrases such as; “not to be”, to “suffer”, “die”, “heartache”, and “shocks” is one such indication of these thoughts, as the negative connotations associated with this highlights to the audience Hamlet’s despairing state of mind. Shakespeare further creates an ominous tone

by using euphemisms such as “not to be”, “sleep”, “shuffled off this mortal coil”, “quietus” and “this undiscovered country”, which centre around death to highlight the negative tone of the soliloquy.

To further enrich the soliloquy and convey the tone Shakespeare uses plentiful imagery to show the audience how Hamlet currently sees life in this world. The entire soliloquy is rich in imagery, and Shakespeare begins with the metaphors, the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” and “take arms against..” to show that he feels like fate is armed against him as he is assaulted by life. The metaphor is extended “to take arms against..” – further displaying his attitude that he is under attack – but he then confuses the metaphor by describing a “sea of troubles”, as it is impossible to fight the sea. However the meaning behind his words is clear, as it gives the impression that the troubles piled against him are not something he can fight against, but merely stand and be battered by the tide of problems fate has dealt him – his father’s death, mother’s hasty remarriage, and friends’ betrayal. Further significant imagery in this soliloquy is “the whips and scorns of time”, and “the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” that suggest Hamlet is in constant pain as he struggles to push through the betrayals and heartache of living. This is further emphasised when he goes into depth concerning other times life becomes painful – “the oppressors wrongs” – when those more powerful abuse their power and treat those lower than them badly. The “pangs of disprized love” – unrequited love, “the law’s delay” – when justice seems slow in coming, if at all, to those in the wrong. The imagery created is relatable to us as we suffer from these inflictions life puts upon us as well, and thus helps us understand and feel for Hamlet as he essentially describes life as being under assault. A final pattern of imagery talks of the “undiscovered country” where “no traveller returns from” – death. During this time, he seems to forget the ghost, or simply does not consider the ghost as being alive. As he describes death he comes to the conclusion that taking his own life is not really an option, as we would “rather bear those ills...”, “than to fly to others we know not of”.

Shakespeare further develops the richness of the soliloquy with antithesis, and thus develops his ideas so that the audience is drawn into the depth of his discussion. A main use of antithesis is the use of opposites and oxymorons, which is used a lot in the play. The most obvious example being “to be or not to be”, but this also includes sleep/dream, calamity/long life, conscience/cowards. Hamlet’s way of explaining the two sides of the argument causes the audience to become more engaged as the dramatic tension builds. A reflective tone is created as Hamlet seems to weigh up and balance alternatives, almost as if he is debating with himself. The opposition of life versus death explored in this soliloquy – all an extension of the first line, “to be or not to be” gives the impression of an internal struggle and demonstrates the complex workings of Hamlet’s mind as he struggles to reconcile himself with what life is throwing at him.

A further language technique used in this soliloquy is repetition. This technique is used throughout the soliloquy to both emphasise ideas as well as creating a reflective, musing tone. Words such as ‘sleep’, ‘bear’, and ‘thus’ are repeated frequently; “who would bear…”, Who would fardels bear…”, “bear those ills”. Phrases are also repeated, “to be…”, “to die…”, “to sleep”. The repetition of these words and phrases highlights aspects of the soliloquy, such as ‘sleep’, which Hamlet uses as a metaphor for death, and ‘bear’, which has a connotation of struggle and suffering. These help convey the mood and theme of death and suffering explored in the soliloquy. A further technique of repetition is ‘doubles’, such as “slings and arrows”, “heartache and the thousand natural shocks”, “whips and scorns” and “grunt and sweat”. Without going into the meaning of each phrase, these techniques create a more reflective tone as it slows the pace of the words, and further adds depth and sincerity to ideas as the repetition reinforces the meaning of phrases. This reinforcement of particular ideas, such as sleep and death, also helps set the tone and atmosphere of the soliloquy.

Listing is also a technique used in the soliloquy, notably when we are presented with a litany of Hamlet’s complaints – “the whips and scorns of time”. Hamlet lists seven items which give a cumulative sense of humanity’s burden; “the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, the insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes”. One interpretation of this, leading on from the theme of death and suffering present in the soliloquy, is that Hamlet is referring to himself and listing his many problems; his father’s death, the rough hand fate has dealt him, his mother’s hasty remarriage, Ophelia pushing him away, Claudius’ oppression, and his friends spying on him, among others. However a further interpretation of this is that it is Hamlet’s general condemnation of how an individual is trapped in society. This is a viable interpretation as it is in accordance with how Hamlet is feeling at the time as he struggles to decide whether to act, or not to act, as well as feeling trapped in the state of Denmark with court and the oppression of Claudius.

A final technique used in this soliloquy is the staging opportunities, and how players are positioned on the stage. Though Hamlet’s words and phrases have been studied in great detail, we must remember that it is one of Shakespeare’s plays, and to be performed as such helps us understand the message Shakespeare is trying to convey through the soliloquy. The purpose of this soliloquy is to allow Hamlet to share his thoughts with us as an internal debate, and as a play this soliloquy is also presented to the audience. However stage direction and positioning are important factors in the interpretation of the meaning behind the words, and directors or actors can interpret the soliloquy very differently, and convey this to the audience through stage direction. Several main adaptations today include leading actors such as Mel Gibson, David Tennant, and Kenneth Branagh. Each has different interpretations of the exact same words, and this is conveyed through stage direction. In Tennant and Gibson’s versions of the play, they perform the soliloquy alone and focus on the aspects of death and suicide – though in Tennant’s case he is clearly not mad. However in Branagh’s version of the play, he speaks directly to the mirror behind which the audience knows Claudius and Polonius are hiding behind. This gives the impression that Hamlet either knows he is being listened to, or is suspicious of this, and so may in fact be putting on an act of madness and despair in the soliloquy. This changes the interpretation from the Gibson/Tennant clear private contemplation of suicide to a public contemplation of murder. Also on stage during this soliloquy is Ophelia, and though Hamlet does not know she is there yet, the audience knows she is also there. The main question raised from these different stage directions and interpretations is, does Hamlet whether or not he is being watched. Thus staging opportunities allow the same words to have completely different meanings, but also allow the audience to have a further in depth understanding of what the soliloquy is about.

Hamlet’s “to be or not to be..” soliloquy are some of the most famous lines in the whole English literary canon (Bloom), and in this way we are brought into Hamlet’s mind in a unique way – more than any other tragedy, our focus is on the mind, and madness, of the protagonist. This soliloquy focuses on themes of uncertainty, death, afterlife and suffering – the tragedy for Hamlet is that what he must do is both his duty and his downfall. The interpretations of Hamlet will change with different ages and changing values – is he a chivalrous knight, gentleman or son for taking revenge? Or does he hold true to Christian beliefs by not taking revenge and suffering the sin of sloth? Hamlet explores this theme of uncertainty and so reflects the modern man’s predicament of what to do with his free will – and thus of Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet stays the most closely identified with the modern age. As Ida Gaskin explains, even after centuries of study we still know nothing for sure about Hamlet – it is a play full of unanswered questions, reflecting the uncertainty and perception of our ever-changing understanding of life, and death.

Marie Poff