Schmidt 1

Rachel Schmidt
Mrs. Bernhard
AP Literature-1
19 October 2015
Hamlets Seven Soliloquies
Soliloquies support the presentation in plays. It gives the readers, and the audience
insight into what the characters are thinking and feeling. It also reveals information that would
not commonly be known by a majority. Shakespeare's Hamlet uses soliloquies that are essential
to the presentation of the play. They reveal information about the characters and their intentions.
Hamlet, himself, has seven major soliloquies that reveal his character as a whole.
In Hamlets first soliloquy, his true feelings are made known regarding his mother's
remarriage and his father's death. It is not, nor it cannot come to good (Shakespeare I, ii, 163).
He completely despises his mothers remarriage. He looks down upon it not only because it was
a quick remarriage, but also it was to his uncle, Claudius. He claims the marriage is incestuous.
He also uses references to historical figures to let the audience aware that he is an intelligent
young man. A second allusion made during the course of this soliloquy is a reference to Niobe,
a figure in Greek mythology who was so grief stricken she could not stop crying and turned to
stone (Importance). When Hamlet refers to Niobe, the figure in Greek mythology, he is
comparing it to his mother, Gertrude. Gertrude is not as sad and grief-stricken as the figure.
Hamlet is hinting that he is upset and hurt that Gertrude's sadness and Heartbreak is not to
Niobes magnitude. The first soliloquy, as a whole, gives the readers and the audiences a good
first impression of Hamlet.

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Hamlet's second soliloquy follows his meeting with the ghost of his deceased father. This
soliloquy reveals Hamlets thirst for revenge, and his ability to carry out plans in a smart,
intelligent manner. A very special significance, however, attaches to the second soliloquy, for it
is here that Hamlet dedicated himself to the role of revenger (Madden). He will not immediately
set out to murder King Claudius even if he desires to do so. He thinks it through and
contemplates the best way he could carry out the murder, and let it be revealed that King
Claudius was the murderer of King Hamlet. He is cunning with his plans. He wants his father to
be remembered as a hero that wrong betrayed by his own, flesh and blood.
Hamlets third soliloquy is when the audiences and readers see Hamlet act mad. Even
though he claims that he is only acting, it is difficult to differentiate between the madness being
true or a front. The quality of perseverance and dedicated has been revealed about his character
in this soliloquy. He lets Guildenstern and Rosencrantz in on his plans to catch his uncle, King
Claudius, look guilty so he can then carry out his plan of murder. Madness is also a trait revealed
in Hamlets character. It has been argued that his madness was not purely a front, but instead, he
was truly corrupted by madness in the course of simulating being mad.
Hamlets fourth soliloquy is by far one of the more famously known. Hamlet comes back
from madness when speaking to the audience. The audience can see into Hamlet's heart, and how
his character is truly suffering significant inner turmoil. Hamlet, himself, knows that his is going
beyond the breaking point with Ophelia, and it sets up for no return with their relationship. In
him continuing to act mad, he knows Ophelia will have nothing to do with it, and the relationship
is over.
The relativeness of his character has also been shown in this soliloquy. He speaks of his fears and
his struggles. To be or not to be is the question refers to the proposed killing of Claudius or to

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the killing of himself (Newell). He lets the audience understand that he needs to kill King
Claudius for himself and to get vengeance, or he rather, himself, be dead.
Hamlets fifth soliloquy reveals darkness in his character. He is ready to catch Claudius
reacting guiltily to the play that has been set up for that purpose. Gertrude, his mother, is furious
with him throughout the course of the scene, as well. He does not want to lose his mother love,
even though he is furious with her choices and actions. In this soliloquy, Hamlet is on the verge
of snapping and carrying out irrational acts. During the course of this soliloquy Hamlet reveals
that he does not want his heart to lose her nature and he wishes for the soul of Nero to enter his
bosom. Nero was an infamous roman emperor who performed numerous executions including
that of his mother. By wishing to have a soul such as Neros enter his bosom it is clear that
Hamlet is revealing to the audience how his intentions may not be as pure as he portrays them
(Meaning). He wants his uncle dead for his unholy deeds, and his vengeance is pushing him to
the brink of insanity and no return.
Hamlets next soliloquy is not just him, but also his uncle. King Claudius is just oblivious
to Hamlets speaking. Hamlet is contemplating on whether he should to go ahead and murder
him while Claudius is kneeling and praying. Hamlet understood that Claudius would go to
heaven and Hamlet, himself, go to hell for murdering Claudius at that moment, and ultimately he
decided not to. This has revealed Hamlets fatal flaw of overthinking. To say, as young
students do annually, that Hamlet's 'tragic flaw' was indeci- sion (Hyde). He decided it would be
best to wait to catch Claudius in a sinful act, and he chose to wait for the right opportunity to
condemn Claudiuss soul to hell. With Hamlet choosing this path, it reveals a devious and
malicious side to his character in strategically waiting for the most appropriate moment for
Claudiuss death and his fathers vengeance.

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Hamlets final soliloquy reveals Hamlets true feelings of why man was mad. He thinks
God made man to achieve great things, and if he doesnt avenge his fathers death, then his life
means nothing. It is also revealed that there is normal weakness in his character. Characters
usually have finals flaws of hubris, and Hamlet has that understanding of how easy it is to die.
He is afraid of death and understands that he is vulnerable.
Hamlets seven soliloquies reveal much about his character. They gave incite and
information that would not normally be known. Hamlet's inner thoughts and feelings are made
known the soliloquies progress. He is revealed to be an intelligent man with strong opinions and
a thirst for vengeance that drove him to the brink of insanity. His actions and decisions,
ultimately, led him to his own downfall of death.

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Works Cited
Hyde, Isabelle. The Tragic Flaw: Is It a Tragic Error? 3rd ed. Vol. 58. N.p.: Modern Humanities
Research Association, n.d. The New Book of Knowledge [Scholastic Lib.]. Web. 19 Oct.
2015.
"Importance of Hamlet's Soliloquies in Shakespeare's Hamlet." Online Homework Help
SchoolWorkHelper. St. Rosemary Educational Institution, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing about Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and
the Essay. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.
Newell, Alex. The Dramatic Context and Meaning of Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy.
1st ed. Vol. 80. N.p.: Modern Language Association, n.d. Print. The Dramatic Context
and Meaning of Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Harold Jenkins. London: Methuen, 1982. Print.