Hamlet Quote Analysis

Below are a few of my favourite lines from Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy with a reflection.

"To be, or not to be: that is the question."

This quote is one of the most notable in the English language. Hamlet contemplates all of the tragic news he has been given as of late. He wonders whether or not to kill himself. Either way he will have to take some sort of action in his life, which is is unsure of. The stress of his situation has had a great impact on Hamlet.

"Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them?"

Hamlet continues to contemplate what kind of action he will take in his life. He is tired of suffering the tragedies of life and wants to end it. In order to end his life, however, he would have to take the greatest action in killing himself. This dilemma haunts Hamlet as he debates his fate. This line can be used to help better understand any person or character's decisions. Many decide to let the sea of troubles overwhelm them into doing nothing. Others may choose to end there suffering all together, along with their life. Very few choose to fight their struggles and take action in their life. Hear more about this reflection in my Hero Blog.

"To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;"

This quote speaks about the uncertainty of death. It is impossible to know what happens after we die, as those who pass away are gone from our lives forever. The speculation behind human death is what keeps so many people living according to Hamlet. The dream he is referencing in this quote is the afterlife and the possibility of it existing.

"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry,

And lose the name of action.–Soft you now!"

Near the end of his soliloquy, Hamlet says my favourite part of the speech. Hamlet reflects on his thoughts and determines that thinking too much about life and death is not good. He decides that it can take away a persons motivation in life and cause them to avoid taking any action. These lines are very important to keep in mind while considering Hamlet as a character. He is able to understand that he is in a bad state of mind, where the thinking he does is only detrimental to his action. One of the biggest themes of the play is Action v Inaction. This can be applied to other literature as well as our own lives. Characters and people often spend too much time thinking about their life decisions that they delay taking any action. Those who act become the most memorable heroes and people.