Hamlet Contemplating Suicide In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is said to be one of the most important bodies of work in the modern world. Hamlet is a riveting play that kept my intrigue with every turn. One specific piece of the play spoke volumes to me and has remained relevant in my mind to this day. It is the soliloquy spoken by Hamlet in Act 3, scene i lines 57-90. In this part of the play Hamlet is contemplating suicide. “To be, or not to be” is the question he asked himself. After all that has gone on between Hamlet and his family, from his father dying to his mother marrying his uncle, making her his mother-aunt and Claudius his uncle-dad, Hamlet is physically and emotionally exhausted. Hamlet is frustrated with not being able to act on his revengeful emotions and is seriously considering suicide as a way out. Just as many other people today, Hamlet thought that suicide would put him out of his
In this instance, Shakespeare is referring to the word “nobler” as the equivalent to dignified and suffering as being able to put up with something. The question his is really asking himself is “is it more dignified just to live and put up with whatever comes my way, regardless of what people think?” In the following lines, Hamlet is continuing to elaborate on his decision on “to be or not to be.” “Whether ‘tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles.” In these lines Hamlet is asking is it better for him to suffer through what is going on in is life or should he stand up and fight against it. “Sea of troubles” refers to all the crazy things that are going on in Hamlet’s life that he is trying to escape. Should he take arms against his endless sea of troubles (both external and internal)? In these lines Hamlet is trying to decide whether the fight is even worth the