Hamlet - To Be or Not To Be

In Act III scene I of ‘Hamlet’ there are numerous yet different types of conflict, within characters and the scene itself. These can be viewed via two different sources: external and internal conflict. Examples of conflict can also be shown through other mediums in the language that Shakespeare uses. For example there is imagery relating to the themes of war, life versus death and relationships.

The idea of external and internal conflict is also dominant, Shakespeare using techniques of soliloquys; asides and punctuation therefore allow the audience to see the difference of external and internal emotions. A prime example is the quote ‘seeing, unseen’ this indication of the ‘seen’ and the ‘unseen’ is juxtaposed –showing conflict- the use of the caesura in the middle again splits the sentence structure and splits the line against itself. This may be linked to Hamlet’s ‘madness’ and the fact he is conflicted within himself. Looking into this quote the use of ‘seen’ can also be seen as the external emotion and the ‘unseen’ the internal emotions and how they conflict against each other. The idea of external and internal conflicts from all characters and themes from the scene have been amalgamated by Shakespeare into the language, structure and themes of the renowned ‘ To Be or Not To Be’ soliloquy in Act III Scene I.

There is a constant use if war imagery throughout the text and scene, outside of this scene there is an underlying story of the war between Denmark and Norway, Shakespeare uses this conflict to show to two mediums to be at war with each other – a constant theme- Shakespeare may have been influenced at the time by the war between Spain and Britain but also this war against power of women and men with Britain becoming newly ruled by a woman Queen Elizabeth, this would therefore have an effect on the contemporary reader as they would have easily related to some characters in aspects of emotions of fear, anxiety and the unknown. War imagery is presented