To be or Not to be ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ ; Hamlet is eager to escape a life of calamity and disaster. He sees his life as a terrible burden, something he yearns to escape. The problem, however, is that death brings one into territory uncharted by tse still alive. It is not death that he fears for he perceives death as a release; the problem is death through suicide. Hamlet makes a philosophical approach to the question of whether or not it is nobler to endure life’s hardships or overcome pain an agony. Despite the fact that life can be treacherous, Hamlet foregoes suicide because the afterlife may be worse if a person takes his own life.
Hamlet also talks about life long suicide, doing nothing and allowing life to pass by. Hamlet feels as if he has resorted to this passive mode. He suffers guilt from standing by and allowing Claudius to live. Hamlet feels as if he is too gutless to te the king’s life until he has gathered all of the facts and the right opportunity arises.
Hamlet is being extremely hard on himself. It is only human nature to feel nerveless when one is unable to take action. He must realize that he is not being car dly, but smart to wait and take decisive action. Evidence shows that Hamlet feels life is a burden yet Hamlet still remains tranquil as he soliloquizes. The perfect iambic pentameter of Shakespeare gives this passage a sense of fluidity in contrast with the whirlpool of emotions in other soliloquies Words such as suffer, troubles, dies, sleep, heartache, calamity, and weary, depict depression as Hamlet is a very low-spirited and depressed man. There are also images that are tools of destruction: slings, arrows, arms, and whips.
Shakespeare’s use of words and structure displays Hamlet’s ideas successfully. If one chooses to take the path of suicide as a result of an unfortunate life, the afterlife has the potential to be worse. Hamlet rejects death but welcomes spiritual relief provided by sleep. Hamlet has a very pessimistic view on life.
He is quick nd eager to point out the negative aspects of his walk on this earth, conveniently leaving out the joyous moments. Perhaps, if he searched for the happy times of his past, he would not ask the question ‘To be or not to be;’ ; he’d have the answer.