Hamlet’s inability to avenge the murder of his father drives the plot and leads to the deaths of most of the major characters, including Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The phrase "to die, to sleep" is an example of repetition, as it appears once in line 5 and once in line 9. To many readers, Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most personal play expressing his most intimate thoughts. What is the only catch "rub"? The first line and the most famous of the soliloquy raises the overarching question of the speech: "To be, or not to be," that is, "To live, or to die.". Many movies and TV shows have references to "To be or not to be," too. Hamlet is most worried about what characters speaking his lines exactly? Specifically, he wonders whether it might be preferable to commit suicide to end one's suffering and to leave behind the pain and agony associated with living. For example, this Calvin and Hobbes comic from 1994 depicts a humorous use of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy by poking fun at its dreary, melodramatic nature. But there’s a catch, which Hamlet calls a rub. How does Ophelia describe Hamlet's behavior to Polonius in Act 2 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare? … (Act 3, Scene 1). "To be or not to be" is actually the first line of a famous soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Sign up now, Latest answer posted June 30, 2010 at 11:23:33 AM, Latest answer posted December 08, 2020 at 1:46:08 PM, Latest answer posted May 04, 2020 at 7:02:28 PM, Latest answer posted August 25, 2008 at 5:00:00 PM, Latest answer posted May 14, 2008 at 11:04:07 AM. Between November 1912 and February 1913, Joyce gave a series of 12 lectures on the Shakespeare play, at the Università del Popolo, in Trieste. While living itself involves pain, death is a great unknown. Though he believes he is alone when he speaks, King Claudius (his uncle) and Polonius (the king’s councilor) are both in hiding, eavesdropping. William Shakespeare's Hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father's funeral. Age: 30. He is in one sense drawn towards the active side of heroism by his father's legacy ("He smote the sledded Polaks on the ice") and the need for revenge ("now could I drink hot blood. This literary device also paves the way for Hamlet’s turn in his soliloquy, when he realizes that it’s actually better to compare death to dreaming because we don’t know what kind of afterlife (if any) there is. let us be prepared for his return, accept it as certain that he is returning. Others believe Shakespeare was inspired to explore graver, darker themes in his works due to the passing of his own father in 1601, the same year he wrote Hamlet. ... What is the purpose of plays / drama according to Hamlet? ... What is the purpose of plays/drama according to Hamlet? What does Hamlet call Polonius? This expression comes from Shakespeare 's Hamlet: ‘To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause’.  Hamlet knows that he is risking his life with his enterprise, but it is worth it because he does it for his father. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. It is this general feeling of doubt that also plagues his fears of the afterlife, which Hamlet speaks on at length in his "To be or not to be" soliloquy. What are the consequences of killing Claudius? What is iambic pentameter? Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, and Gertrude all die from: poison: Hamlet’s attitude towards Laertes in the last scene include all of the following except: … Hamlet has had many views on death during this play. What is the "undiscovered country"? William Shakespeare's Hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father's funeral. Since the two concepts are closely related, this line is a metonym instead of a plain metaphor. Many movies and TV shows have references to "To be or not to be," too. The Shakespearean critic A.C. Bradley, in arguing against the case that Hamlet lacked the strength of will to do the deed (i.e.  Hamlet says, if death is an eternal sleep, what would happen when we dream?Â, The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation. This metaphor brings clarity to the fact that death truly is permanent and that nobody knows what, if anything, comes after life. The rub or obstacle Hamlet faces is the fear of what dreams may come (74), i.e. ACTING THE PRINCE: GIACOMO JOYCE AND HAMLET 105 of Hamlet’s beloved.7 Hamlet appears, either echoed, mis- or directly quoted, and distorted everywhere in Joyce, as we know: Giacomo Joyce is no exception. The uncertainty of what comes after death is, to him, the main reason most people do not commit suicide; it’s also the reason Hamlet himself hesitates to kill himself and is inexplicably frozen in place. Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. In the "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Shakespeare has Hamlet use a wide array of literary devices to bring more power, imagination, and emotion to the speech. This realization is what ultimately gives Hamlet (and others, he reasons) "pause" when it comes to taking action (i.e., committing suicide). Why does Hamlet tell Ophelia to go "to a nunnery," and what does he give as his reason? Conclusion: The Legacy of Hamlet’s "To Be or Not to Be". In what ways might Hamlet be relevant to a modern audience? To die: to sleep;No more; and by a sleep to say we endThe heart-ache and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummationDevoutly to be wish'd. What is the "mortal coil" your body. Think about it: we often describe death as an "eternal sleep" or "eternal slumber," right? “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. A metaphor is when a thing, person, place, or idea is compared to something else in non-literal terms, usually to create a poetic or rhetorical effect. I totally disagree with any claim that we are to understand that Hamlet is obese. clowns (bc they level truth) What does Hamlet confide his plan? Whatever the case, it’s clear that Hamlet is an intelligent man who is attempting to grapple with a difficult decision. What does Hamlet realize after talking to the Ghost in Hamlet? Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. You can also view a contemporary English translation of the speech here. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. By the last act, he has come to view death as: He believes God controls all and things work out the way their supposed to. This soliloquy, probably the most famous speech in the English language, is spoken by Hamlet in Act III, scene i (58–90). The rub or obstacle Hamlet faces is the fear of what dreams may come (74), i.e. the dread of something after death (86). Here, Hamlet is comparing the afterlife, or what happens after death, to an "undiscovered country" from which nobody comes back (meaning you can’t be resurrected once you’ve died). He begins by asking whether it is better to passively put up with life’s pains ("the slings and arrows") or actively end it via suicide ("take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?"). The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Log in here.  He fully has his wits about him while he is surrounded by death. In this sense, humans are so fearful of what comes after death and the possibility that it might be more miserable than life that they (including Hamlet) are rendered immobile. In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide , bemoaning the pain and unfairness of life but acknowledging that the alternative might be worse. One of the first metaphors is in the line "to take arms against a sea of troubles," wherein this "sea of troubles" represents the agony of life, specifically Hamlet’s own struggles with life and death and his ambivalence toward seeking revenge. While is Hamlet playing crazy, this speech actually demonstrates that he is not. your body. Â. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 30,557 words. Ophelia insists that Hamlet gave her many gifts and sweetly-composed letters—but says that the joy they once brought her is gone, and she doesn’t want them anymore. Shakespeare wrote more than three dozen plays in his lifetime, including what is perhaps his most iconic, Hamlet. What literary devices are used in the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare's, What is the importance of the gravedigger scene in the story of. Appearance: Ready to take arms. Because the act of sleeping looks very much like death. who would fardels bear,To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after death,The undiscover'd country from whose bournNo traveller returns, puzzles the willAnd makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of?Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,And enterprises of great pith and momentWith this regard their currents turn awry,And lose the name of action.—Soft you now!The fair Ophelia! "To be, or not to be, that is the question.". What happens in this incident? Hamlet initially argues that death would indeed be preferable: he compares the act of dying to a peaceful sleep: "And by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to.". In Hamlet, why does Polonius send Reynaldo after Laertes. to dream. Orthographic irregularities. Are you a teacher? hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? a piece of work. The anadiplosis gives us a clear sense of connection between these two sentences. Before Hamlet begins his soliloquy, Claudius and Polonius are revealed to be hiding in an attempt to eavesdrop on Hamlet (and later Ophelia when she enters the scene). Hamlet is a Shakespearean tragedy about Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, who discovers that his father was murdered and seeks revenge on Claudius, the one who killed him to become the king of Denmark. In order to analyze other texts or even other parts of, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, named after Shakespeare’s only son Hamnet, tensions that cropped up during the English Reformation, Learn all about this type of poetic rhythm here. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Top subjects are Literature, History, and Social Sciences, Hamlet fears the nightmares that might plague a person in the sleep of death.Â, Hamlet is having a hard time processing his father’s death.  He even had a visit from his father from beyond the grave, where King Hamlet spoke to him as a ghost, explaining to him that he was murdered and that he wanted Hamlet to avenge his death by killing his murderer—the current King Claudius.Â, Hamlet ponders life and death in his famous soliloquy, where he asks himself about the meaning of death.  Part of his conversation with himself is a comparison of death and sleep. To die, to sleep;To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;For in that sleep of death what dreams may comeWhen we have shuffled off this mortal coil,Must give us pause: there's the respectThat makes calamity of so long life;For who would bear 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 spurnsThat patient merit of the unworthy takes,When he himself might his quietus makeWith a bare bodkin? As you can see, over the more than four centuries since Hamlet first premiered, the "To be or not to be" soliloquy has truly made a name for itself and continues to play a big role in society.. And it’s not just quoted, either; some people use it ironically or sarcastically. Many who’ve never even read Hamlet (even though it’s said to be one of the greatest Shakespeare plays) know about "To be or not to be." This soliloquy represents the turning point. In "To be or not to be," Hamlet uses this device when he proclaims, "To die, to sleep; / To sleep: perchance to dream." there's ( or here's) the rub. Learn all about this type of poetic rhythm here. and find homework help for other Hamlet questions at eNotes the king. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.They are childhood friends of Hamlet, summoned by King Claudius to distract the prince from his apparent madness and if possible to ascertain the cause of it. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The mousetrap play depicts the murder scene exactly … It is 35 lines long. In order to determine if Claudius, his uncle, has killed his father, Hamlet has actors perform a play in front of him and Claudius. Name: Hamlet. Hamlet is most worried about what characters speaking his lines exactly? Whether or not he is truly "mad" here or later in the play is up to you to decide! In an episode of Sesame Street, famed British actor Patrick Stewart does a parodic version of the soliloquy ("B, or not a B") to teach kids the letter "B": There’s also the 1942 movie (and its 1983 remake) To Be or Not to Be, a war comedy that makes several allusions to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet’s self-deprecation is another symptom of melancholia that Freud explains, indicating Hamlet is not in a state of mourning. The first person to perform Hamlet’s soliloquy was the actor Richard Burbage. Its iconic "To be or not to be" soliloquy, spoken by the titular Hamlet in Scene 3, Act 1, has been analyzed for centuries and continues to intrigue scholars, students, and general readers alike. Already a member? Finally, some have suggested that Shakespeare was inspired to write Hamlet by the tensions that cropped up during the English Reformation, which raised questions as to whether the Catholics or Protestants held more "legitimate" beliefs (interestingly, Shakespeare intertwines both religions in the play). William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most popular, well-known plays in the world. But where did the inspiration for this tragic, vengeful, melancholy play come from? By this point in the play, we know that Hamlet has struggled to decide whether he should kill Claudius and avenge his father’s death. If he is unaware, as most might assume he is, then we could view his "To be or not to be" soliloquy as the simple musings of a highly stressed-out, possibly "mad" man, who has no idea what to think anymore when it comes to life, death, and religion as a whole. Hamlet asks Ophelia if she’s being “honest,” or pure. Need help understanding other famous works of literature? That’s the idea. To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come … (Act 3, Scene 1)Â, When Hamlet says “there’s the rub,” he means that the problem with dying is that the afterlife may not be peaceful.  While living itself involves pain, death is a great unknown.  You do not know what will happen to you after you die, and it may not be the release you expect.  If you dream, will it be a constant parade of bad dreams?Â, As Hamlet wrestles with the reality of his father’s death and his uncle’s part in it, he is depressed and worried.  His father’s death would certainly lead him to question his actions.  As difficult as life can be, death is the great unknown. Â, … who would fardels bear,To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after death,The undiscover'd country from whose bournNo traveller returns, puzzles the willAnd makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of? Hamlet's soliloquy is interrupted by Ophelia who is saying her prayers. This theory seems possible, considering that many of the plays Shakespeare wrote after Hamlet, such as Macbeth and Othello, adopted similarly dark themes. For Cantor, the character of Hamlet exists exactly where these two worlds collide. Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Hamlet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? In this scene, often called the "nunnery scene," Prince Hamlet thinks about life, death, and suicide. what is the undiscovered country. Shakespeare often used it in his plays—including Hamlet. To be, or not to be, that is the question,Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them? From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. Although Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare over 400 years ago, it continues to reign as one of the most imitated and relevant plays of our time. Hamlet’s "troubles" are so numerous and seemingly unending that they remind him of a vast body of water. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. This is mainly due to the fact that the iconic line is so often quoted in other works of art and literature⁠—even pop culture. To hold a mirror up to nature. 1789 depiction of Horatio, Hamlet, and the ghost. Here, the phrase "to sleep" comes at the end of one clause and at the start of the next clause. Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Hamlet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes. It truly has a life of its own! And Hamlet himself is tortured by his indecision and his inability to kill his father's murderer, Claudius, throughout the play. The "To be or not to be" soliloquy appears in Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. And do such bitter business as the day/ Would quake to look on"). Metrically, you can hear Hamlet working through the logic based on the stresses. "To be, or not to be" is the opening phrase of a soliloquy given by Prince Hamlet in the so-called "nunnery scene" of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet (/ ˈ h æ m l ɪ t /), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. Hamlet says that this bad habit of occasionally getting drunk is a lot like a birth defect in another man. Here, we look at some of the key devices used, how they’re being used, and what kinds of effects they have on the text. Explain the significance of Hamlet's soliloquy in act 2, scene 2 of William Shakespeare's. All rights reserved. His most logical and powerful examination of the theme of the moral legitimacy of suicide in an unbearably painful world, it touches on several of the other important themes of the play. And by opposing end them? The "To be or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most famous passages in English literature, and its opening line, "To be, or not to be, that is the question," is one of the most quoted lines in modern English. The point of this line is that Hamlet seeks oblivion, which he has likened to a deep slumber. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Hamlet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes. These are the three central theories surrounding Shakespeare’s creation of Hamlet. Students of Hamlet theorize that the irregularity of the feminine ending lines represents stress or turbulence, which Hamlet is obviously experiencing as he soliloquizes. A ‘rub’ is a bowls term meaning an obstacle on the bowls lawn that diverts the bowl, so the fear of the life hereafter is the obstacle that makes us pause and perhaps change the direction of our thinking.