Examine Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56-89). Traditional views of the play would have you believe he thinks he's alone and is being introspective; others, that he knows he's being watched, and is thus directing his soliloquy at Claudius. There's evidence to be found for either side but, ultimately, it's up to the reader to decide. If Hamlet thinks he's alone on stage then soliloquy means one thing; if he knows he’s being watched, it means something else entirely, because now he's performing for an audience.

So, based on what you know so far in the play, and feel that you can solidly support from the text of the soliloquy itself and from lines taken from the greater context of the play:

a) Prove that Hamlet either thinks he's alone, or knows he's being watched.

b) Discuss how the meaning and mood of the soliloquy fits/supports your answer to a) above.

c) In addition, you must make a detailed comment on at least one classmate’s posting, agreeing, disagreeing, or taking the discussion in a different direction. Making references to life, movies, other things you’ve read, etc. are fair game, as long as they’re relevant. NB: Build your comment right into the bottom of your blog posting, rather than using the comment feature in Blogger. (It makes it easier for marking...)

Your blog posting needs to be at least 500 words in length (that’s the equivalent of two pages, typed/double spaced).

Take no prisoners.

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Hamlet Knows All!

Sam Visser


I feel that Hamlet is very aware of an audience while he is talking to Ophelia, but interpreting whether he knows of his audience during the soliloquy is a little harder. I agree with Rachel in that it seems weird that Hamlet would let his guard down so easily after having held it up for so long since his father died. Up to this point in the play, Hamlet has taken the roll of the trickster full on, and I think it would be hard to turn it on and off. With that, I believe that Hamlet was aware that Claudius and Polonius were watching him during this entire scene. If Hamlet were unaware of his audience, I would find it strange that he would not expect to see them there as the king himself summoned him, “Sweet Gertrude, leave us too,/ For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither” (III, I, 28-29). If Hamlet was summoned by the king and he knows the king has been watching him, why on earth would he walk in to the room which he was summoned, spilling his heart out?!
If Hamlet is aware of his audience the soliloquy could still have many meanings. He could be trying to trick Claudius into thinking that he is feeling slightly suicidal and confused, or he could be trying to get Claudius to think of these things and drive him-self to madness or suicide. Through the majority of the play, Hamlet’s mind has been twisted around avenging his father’s death. If Hamlet was trying to lead Claudius to thoughts of suicide, it makes sense because it makes Hamlet’s job a lot easier. Also, suicide being a sin, it would ensure that Claudius would be punished in the afterlife on top of the murder he had already committed. On the flip side, if Hamlet was trying to throw Claudius off his trail, this is the perfect solution. If Claudius was beginning to get at all suspicious that he was faking his madness, this might just be enough to shove him back on that train.
The soliloquy covers so much that parts of it may be genuine Hamlet talking in the midst of his act for Claudius. “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.” (III, I, 57-60). In the very first line of soliloquy, I would take it to be genuine Hamlet because Hamlet is not only a trickster but a thinker. Hamlet seems to be taking this opportunity to think whether all of this is worth it, whether he should just live with the hardships or face it and get revenge like the ghost suggested in Act 1. “Revenge his foul and unnatural murder.” (I, v, 25). In the parts of the soliloquy that are genuine, I think he makes up his mind in what he needs to do. Immediately after his soliloquy is through and he spots Ophelia, he begins to tell her to go to a nunnery and make sure she is safe. Then he follows through with the “Mouse trap” play to ensure that his uncle is the murderer. He confirms his sightings with Horatio, tell Guildenstern that he really isn’t his friend and he knows that Claudius had been spying through Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He also goes to talk to his mother and tells her the truth about everything and about what he is planning to do, but makes her swear not to tell anyone.
With all of my above observations, I conclude that Hamlet was perfectly aware of his audience behind the door.

 RE to Jessie, Suryna, and Rachel

I agree with both sides of the coin; however I am more for the side that Hamlet is aware of his audience. I feel that it was an act, as Rachel said, but not all an act. As Suryna said, it is refreshing to see the genuine Hamlet again, even for a second, and it allows us to see the thinker in him again. But Hamlet has generally retreated into a trickster mind set and has stayed that way through the majority of the play. It’s good to have balance in life and Shakespeare demonstrates that very well, particularly in this soliloquy as Hamlet balances his genuine thoughts being spoken aloud, but hides them in his act to throw off his listeners. Suicide could be a participating factor in this soliloquy, but not particularly about himself at this point. I think that was mostly to get Claudius back on track in believing that Hamlet was crazy.
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