Soliloquies of Hamlet: a Literary Necessity
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Soliloquy: A literary Necessity
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, is perhaps one of the most well known and most often quoted work of “The Bard” himself, William Shakespeare. The language is so rich, and the emotions evoked by the words are so emotive that they could be confused for a verse from the Bible. Shakespeare used soliloquy throughout Hamlet: Prince of Denmark in such a way that leaves little doubt if the soliloquy is merely a device of literary convenience, or a stroke of genius. Without the soliloquies in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, the play would have been good but not powerful, and worthy of being called a “classic.” Examining the soliloquies in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark will certainly prove the necessity for this literary device.
The first soliloquy to examine occurs in Act I, scene ii, in which Hamlet has just been asked by Claudius and Gertrude to not return to Wittenburg. The first line of this soliloquy shows how angry and upset Hamlet is by the situation he finds in Denmark; Claudius his uncle is on the throne, that should be his birthright, and Gertrude his mother is now married to Claudius. “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God, O God….” (Shakespeare, Act I, scene ii, line 129-132) Anguish pours from every syllable as Hamlet utters this first line. Denmark is truly “rotten” with all that has gone on in his absence, and upon seeing it, Hamlet states how upset he is. This line is a contemplation of death, but Hamlet is conflicted because it is against God to commit self-slaughter. How much inner turmoil must Hamlet be going through to make such a comment? For someone to even say that they want to commit suicide over accepting the state the world is in, is an incredibly significant thought. Without this soliloquy, Shakespeare would not have been able to convey precisely what Hamlet was feeling. Soliloquy is a...
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, is perhaps one of the most well known and most often quoted work of “The Bard” himself, William Shakespeare. The language is so rich, and the emotions evoked by the words are so emotive that they could be confused for a verse from the Bible. Shakespeare used soliloquy throughout Hamlet: Prince of Denmark in such a way that leaves little doubt if the soliloquy is merely a device of literary convenience, or a stroke of genius. Without the soliloquies in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, the play would have been good but not powerful, and worthy of being called a “classic.” Examining the soliloquies in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark will certainly prove the necessity for this literary device.
The first soliloquy to examine occurs in Act I, scene ii, in which Hamlet has just been asked by Claudius and Gertrude to not return to Wittenburg. The first line of this soliloquy shows how angry and upset Hamlet is by the situation he finds in Denmark; Claudius his uncle is on the throne, that should be his birthright, and Gertrude his mother is now married to Claudius. “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God, O God….” (Shakespeare, Act I, scene ii, line 129-132) Anguish pours from every syllable as Hamlet utters this first line. Denmark is truly “rotten” with all that has gone on in his absence, and upon seeing it, Hamlet states how upset he is. This line is a contemplation of death, but Hamlet is conflicted because it is against God to commit self-slaughter. How much inner turmoil must Hamlet be going through to make such a comment? For someone to even say that they want to commit suicide over accepting the state the world is in, is an incredibly significant thought. Without this soliloquy, Shakespeare would not have been able to convey precisely what Hamlet was feeling. Soliloquy is a...