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.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

You’ll Never Be Alone

Becky Terc
The “to be or not to be” soliloquy is a very emotional and sincere reflection of action and inaction. Hamlet tries to make sense of whether the unknown of life after death is any easier to deal with than his current life. The big question is, is Hamlet alone or is he being watched? The traditional view has usually been Hamlet is alone on stage expressing his feelings, but I believe that Hamlet is well aware that Claudius and Polonius are listening close by.
The first thing I realize as I read this soliloquy is that unlike the first and the second, its mood seems to lack emotion. Considering this soliloquy is about whether it is better to be alive or dead, you would think that it would be filled with deep emotions, instead it is very monotone. In both his first and second soliloquies Hamlet expresses his emotions which mainly show his frustrations with himself:
 Yet I,
                                                 A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak
                                                 Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
                                                 And can say nothing―no, not for a king,
                                                 Upon whose property and most dear life
 A damn’d defeat was made. Am I a coward? (II, ii, 552-557)

Hamlet is extremely critical of himself, this explains why in his other soliloquies he is so emotional. Due to the absence of emotion in the third soliloquy, it leads me to believe that Hamlet is not just talking to himself.
It only makes sense that Hamlet is directing his monologue towards Claudius. At the beginning of the play when Hamlet is talking to the Ghost, the Ghost mentions "'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,/ A serpent stung me" (I, v, 35-36) this correlates with the talk of sleep in Hamlets third soliloquy: "To die―to sleep,/ No more; and by a sleep to say we end/ The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to" (III, I, 60-63). For Hamlet to achieve revenge successfully he would have to kill Claudius in a state of sin, but also Claudius would have to suspect Hamlet is up to something. This could be a way Hamlet is hinting to Claudius that he knows, and he is seeking revenge. I also believe that since Hamlet knows Claudius is listening he mentions "Thus conscience makes cowards of us all" (III, I, 83) because Claudius murdered his brother in a very cowardly way, waiting for him to fall asleep.  Therefore Hamlet intentionally insults Claudius calling him a coward.
Another reason to believe Hamlet knows he’s being watched is the way Hamlet treats Ophelia right after his "to be or not to be" speech. I believe that Hamlet is in love with Ophelia and if you were to look closely and read in-between the lines, you can see that when Hamlet is being cruel to her, telling her he doesn't love her anymore and to go to a nunnery that there is a play on words. Hamlet is telling her not to believe him because he himself is not always honest: “Get thee to a nunnery. Why, wouldst thou be a breeder/ of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I/ could accuse me of such things it were better my/ mother had not borne me.”(III, I, 121-124) When Hamlet refers to the nunnery, some think he is insulting her, but I believe he is telling her to go there so she will be safe from the trouble that he anticipates in the future. Hamlet knew he was being spied on and he didn't want the King to know he is in love with Ophelia because he could end up using her against him, so he acts cruel toward Ophelia as part of his plan.
                Also this wouldn't be the first time Hamlet was being watched. Gertrude and Claudius asked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2 Scene 2 to talk to Hamlet and see what was on his mind. Hamlet was not just suspicious but he knew that when R&G said they just wanted to visit him that they were lying: "You were sent for, and/ there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your/ modesties have no craft enough to colour. I know the/ good king and queen have sent for you". (II, ii, 274-277) If Hamlet was smart enough to realize this then, it would be no different this time.

RE: Ben

I agree with Drew, I think it was very smart how you looked at the punctuation to prove that Hamlets lack of emotion within his soliloquy. I think that it is a very strong point because you can clearly see the difference with his emotions between the first two soliloquies compared to his third. I find myself relating this to presentations that you see present day. When someone is enthusiastic about something it feels like they have an emotional connection toward it but when someone presents and they are monotone I feel as though they do not have a big enough emotional attachment to what they are trying to convey.
RE: Suryna
You chose the opposite side that I did but I understand most of your points and agree with them.  Except for one point, you said "It would lose most of its meaning and power if it was just words being said to seem crazy and put on a show, even if he had meaning behind it".  I do not agree with this specific point because I think that if Hamlet knew he was being watched his words would not lose any of their power or their meaning. I think that if he were directing his words toward Claudius knowing he was listening (like I argued) they would be just as powerful because he has so much animosity toward Claudius.


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