Lets see what Hamlet is saying to the audience. Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose, Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England. Though in the plot, Ophelia is on stage pretending to read, Hamlet expresses his thoughts only to himself. Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou. Get thee to a nunnery. In Act 3, Scene 1, also known as the nunnery scene, of the, Before reading this soliloquy, readers have to go through the. And the two of you havent been able to figure out why hes acting so oddly, with a dangerous lunacy thats such a huge shift from his earlier calm and quiet behavior? Or if you must get married, marry a fool, because wise men know that women will eventually cheat on them. Besides, Ophelia is not accepting his love due to the pressure from her family. Not knowing a solid answer, he makes a coward of himself. Hopefully the sea and all the new things to see in a different country will push out these thoughts that have somehow taken root in his mind, making him a stranger to his former self. The insults of proud men, pangs of unrequited love, delay in judgment, disrespectful behavior of those in power, and last but not least the mistreatment that a patient merit receives from the unworthy pain him deeply. There's the respect . PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. From his thought process, it becomes clear. In this existential crisis, Hamlet utters the soliloquy, To be, or not to be, that is the question.. Cloth, 42 s. net. C. purposeful repetition. His insanity is sly and smart, and he slips away from our questions when we try to get him to tell us about how hes feeling. Madness in important people must be closely watched. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, Lets see how our on-screen Sherlock performs Hamlets To be, or not to be onstage. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. [To CLAUDIUS] My lord, do whatever you like. In the last line, Shakespeare uses a. begins with an epigrammatic idea. viii+176. It makes them stretch out their sufferings for so long. At that time, Hamlet is seen walking alone in the hall asking whether to be or not to be.. Ay, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. Their perfume lost, Take these again, for to the noble mind Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. https://poemanalysis.com/william-shakespeare/to-be-or-not-to-be/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. The pronunciation is kn - tym - le with the accent on the first syllable. Contumely is a very old word that means disrespectful, offensive or abusive speech or behaviour. I loved you not. And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. . Goodbye. Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom. The last section of the soliloquy, To be, or not to be begins with an epigrammatic idea. Hamlet has to undergo a lot of troubles to be free from the shackles of outrageous fortune. While if he dies, there is no need to do anything. The lines are famous for their simplicity. [to CLAUDIUS] Gracious, so please you, We will bestow ourselves. Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, Was not like madness. The first line of Hamlets soliloquy, To be, or nor to be is one of the best-known quotes from all the Shakespearean works combined. It means that when Hamlet thinks about death, his natural boldness fades away and he becomes a coward. J. M. KELLY: Roman Litigation. Oh, what a noble mind is here oerthrown!. who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, Off: Plot No. Weve sent for Hamlet as a way for him to meet with Ophelia, seemingly by chance. has given you one face and you make yourselves another. Let his queen mother all alone entreat him, And Ill be placed, so please you, in the ear. Besides, it also clarifies what the dominant thought of his mind is. who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after . In Hamlets case, losing his dear father tragically is a natural shock. At the same time, the lines explore some of the deeper concepts such as action and inaction, life and death. Her father and Ispying for justifiable reasonswill place ourselves so that we cant be seen, but can observe the encounter. Before the 18th century, there was not any concrete idea regarding how the character of Hamlet is. I don't know. You dont have to tell us what Lord Hamlet said. But, he has not submitted himself to fate yet. The "whips and scorn of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient. The unmatched beauty he had in the full bloom of his youth has been destroyed by madness. Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns. The first two lines of this section refer to the fact that none choose to grunt and sweat through the exhausting life. Farewell. In the First Folio it is "the poor man's contumely." Back to Soliloquy Annotations How to cite this article: In William Shakespeares play Hamlet, the titular character, Hamlet says this soliloquy. At this point of the whole soliloquy, it becomes crystal clear that Hamlet is not ready to embrace death easily. It should work. Because the kinds of dreams that might come in that sleep of deathafter you have left behind your mortal bodyare something to make you anxious. Struggling with distance learning? and he slips away from our questions when we try to get him to tell us about how hes feeling. , , "contumely" . The pangs of despised love, the laws delay. This used to be a great puzzle, but now Ive solved it. At one point, he gives the hint that death seems easier than bearing lifes ills. It has made me angry. LineBreak); builder. Those situations not only make his mind bruised but also make him vulnerable to the upcoming arrows. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time. But with much forcing of his disposition. [To OPHELIA] Beauty, may you forgive all my sins in your prayers. He also refers to the arrogance and insults of proud men; Hamlet . I shall obey you . It is a soliloquy that Hamlet speaks directly to the audience to make his thoughts and intentions known to them. Who would fardels bear, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? But now the joy they brought me is gone, so please take them back. To end this mental tension, Hamlet devoutly wishes for the consummation that will not only relieve him but also end the cycle of events. When we would bring him on to some confession. Get yourself to to a convent. Lets have a look at some of the works where the opening line of Hamlets soliloquy is mentioned. Dear Gertrude, please go as well. Go to a convent. My lord, I have some mementos of yours that Ive been wanting to return to you for a while. In such a critical mental state, a single blow of fortune can end his life. Everyone else will have to stay single. According to him, none can bear the whips and scorns of time. What think you on t? I am the most miserable of all the women who once enjoyed hearing his sweet words. The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? And I think that whatever hatches is going to be dangerous. But with a crafty madness keeps aloof When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state. Soft you now, The fair Ophelia! [to OPHELIA] Read on this book That show of such an exercise may color Your loneliness. It is spoken by Queen Gertrude. It seems that the, From these lines, it becomes clear what questions are troubling the tragic hero, Hamlet. Therefore, this quote is a soliloquy that Shakespeare uses as a dramatic device to let Hamlet make his thoughts known to the audience, addressing them indirectly. Besides, nobody can return from deaths dominion. The first line of his soliloquy is open-ended. And hes not willing to be questioned. Using this device, Shakespeare presents the most shocking idea at the very end. Cloth, 42J. We are arrant knaves, all. They are about the court, And, as I think, they have already order This night to play before him. If thou dost marry, Ill give thee this plague for thy, dowry. PHL MISC. Why wouldst thou be a breeder ofsinners? With all my heart, Im glad to hear of his interest. I did love you once. God. Benedict Cumberbatch performed Hamlet at the Barbican Centre in London in 2015. Accessed 4 March 2023. Who would fardels bear, 85 To grunt and sweat under a weary life, That makes calamity of so long life; That makes our troubles last so long; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, For who would endure the affronts that time brings, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The injustice of the oppressor, the proud man's arrogant rudeness, The glass of fashion and the mould of form. Everything was happening so quickly that it was difficult to digest their effect. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time. With this regard their currents turn awry. The phrase, No more emphasizes how much he longs for this eternal sleep. Therefore, he values death over life. which we wonder about and which makes us prefer the troubles we know rather than fly off to face the ones we dont? Is it nobler to suffer through all the terrible things fate throws at you, or to fight off your troubles, and, in doing so, end them completely? Pp. However, for a speaker like Hamlet who has seen much, the cold arm of death is more soothing than the tough punches of fortune. They have to understand what is going on in his mind. Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, p. 129 80 The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Undoubtedly, it is the thoughts of death. His monologue. No matter how hard we try to be virtuous, our natural sinfulness will always come out in the end. Of these we told him. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Page 251 - The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When. Of those who are married alreadyall but one personwill live on as couples. Why should people like me be allowed to crawl between heaven and earth? She should be blunt with him. To sleep, perhaps to dreamyes, but theres theres the catch. I never gave you anything. Who would bear his burdens, and grunt and sweat through a tiring life, if they werent frightened of what might happen after deaththat undiscovered country from which no visitor returns. These lines collectively contain a device called the climax. Haply the seas and countries different With variable objects shall expel This something-settled matter in his heart, Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus From fashion of himself. Whatsoever, through this dramatic device, Shakespeare projects how Hamlets mind is torn between life and death. From the following lines, Hamlet makes clear why he cannot proceed further and die. These lines reveal how the mental tension is reaching its climax. Writeln ("For who would bear the whips and scorns of time," + "The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,"); builder. from Macbeth In this soliloquy, the speaker sees life as a meaningless one that leads people to their inevitable death. Beautiful gifts lose their value when the givers turn out to be unkind. The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, This question is constantly confusing his mind. Cloth, 42s. His insanity is sly and smart. force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. Love? Tis most true,And he beseeched me to entreat your MajestiesTo hear and see the matter. Were all absolute criminals. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, My honored lord, you know right well you did, And with them, words of so sweet breath composed As made the things more rich. He is broken to know the fact that his uncle Claudius killed his father treacherously and married his mother, Gertrude. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment. No more. Please take them back. To think about life in this way makes the speakers mind wearier than before. He badly wants to end the troubles but he thinks by choosing the safest path of embracing death, he can also finish his mental sufferings. Goodbye. Wheres your father? In the earliest version of the play, this monologue is 35 lines long. To live, or to die? Farewell. Must give us pausethere's the respect That makes calamity of so long life. With a bare bodkin? It is not clear whether Hamlets deliriously spoke this soliloquy or he was preparing himself to die. In this way, his subconscious mind makes him restless and he suffers in inaction. But somehow coming from a proud man, it feels a little less painful. Readers have to take note of the fact that Hamlet is referring to time here. Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth. Note that this line is found in the quarto version of Hamlet. But now the joy they brought me is gone, so please take them back. Readers should not take this question at its surface value. Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? It puzzles his will to do something that can end his mental pain. viii+ 176. To a nunnery, go. Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Go thy ways to a nunnery. Being engrossed in his self-same musing, he clarifies his thoughts to himself first as he is going to take a tough decision. Through this sleep that will help him to end the mental sufferings, he can get a final relief. No more. Go to a convent. The To be, or not to be quote is taken from the first line of Hamlets soliloquy that appears in Act 3, Scene 1 of the eponymous play by William Shakespeare, Hamlet. net. Teachers and parents! How now, Ophelia? To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. Her father and Ispying for justifiable reasonswill place ourselves so that we cant be seen, but can observe the encounter and judge from Hamlets behavior whether love is the cause of his madness. will have no more marriages. My good lord, how have you been doing these last few days? Those that are married, already, all but one, shall live. Why is it so? You dance and sway as you walk, and talk in a cutesy way. In that place, the currents of action get misdirected and lose the name of action. Before reading this soliloquy, readers have to go through the plots that happened in the play. The lady doth protest too much, methinks is a famous quote used in Shakespeares Hamlet. The unmatched beauty he had in the full bloom of his youth has been destroyed by madness. In this section of the soliloquy, To be, or not to be Hamlets utterings reflect a sense of longing for death. Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? That patient merit of th unworthy takes. Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? To be, or not to be? the proud man's contumely Contumely means scorn. My honored lord, you know right well you did, And with them, words of so sweet breath composed. If she cant find the source of his madness, send him to England or confine him wherever you think best. Go to, Ill no more on t. who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns . Yes, my lord, you made me believe you did. I mean, because you can go, "Well, that guy's proud, maybe too proud, so his putting me down is some weird ego trip." The full quote, To be, or not to be, that is the question is famous for its open-ended meaning that not only encompasses the thoughts raging inside Hamlets mind but also features the theme of existential crisis. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. His monologue, To be, or not to be, that is the question expounds the ideas of relativism, existentialism, and skepticism. Shakespeare derived the story of Hamlet from the, Before the 18th century, there was not any concrete idea regarding how the character of Hamlet is. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966. The whores ugly cheekonly made beautiful with make-upis no more terrible than the things Ive done and hidden with fine words. Did you try to get him to do something fun? According to him, such thoughts stop him from taking great action. And along with these gifts, you wrote letters with words so sweet that they made the gifts seem even more valuable. . He is not sure whether life after death is that smooth as he thinks. The sufferer cannot put an end to such suffering. The full quotation is regarded as a soliloquy. Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. [To OPHELIA] As for you, Ophelia, I hope that your beauty is the reason for Hamlets insane behavior. In Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet, the central figure asks this question to himself. According to him, when humans die, they are not aware of what dreams will come in their sleep. Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, The heartache and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir totis a consummation. But also as if he he had to force himself to act that way. the trait of being rude and impertinent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other. Digging deeper into the soliloquy reveals a variety of concepts and meanings that apply to all human beings. quote is taken from the first line of Hamlets, To be, or not to be, that is the question. Readers can find a use of synecdoche in the line, That flesh is heir to. They can find an anadiplosis in the lines, To die, to sleep;/ To sleep, perchance to dream. Besides, a circumlocution or hyperbaton can be found in this line, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil.. Director Laurence Olivier Writers William Shakespeare (by) Laurence Olivier (uncredited) Stars Laurence Olivier Jean Simmons John Laurie See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max with Prime Video Channels And he beseeched me to entreat your Majesties, With all my heart, and it doth much content me. But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn, And makes us rather bear those ills we have. But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn, And makes us rather bear those ills we have. from The Merchant of Venice In this monologue of Ophelia, Shakespeare describes how mercy, an attribute of God, can save a persons soul and elevate him to the degree of God. But, when he thinks about the dreams he is going to see in his eternal sleep, he becomes aware of the reality. In this part of the To be, or not to be quote, Hamlets subconscious mind reminds him about his sufferings. And lose the name of action.Soft you now. To sleep, perchance to dreamay, theres the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. Explore To be, or not to be1 Context2 Full Soliloquy3 Summary4 Structure5 Literary Devices6 Detailed Analysis7 Historical Context8 Notable Usage9 FAQs10 Similar Quotes. Here, Shakespeare uses the word consummation in its metaphorical sense. Goodbye. His words are like a whip against my conscience! My lord, do whatever you like. Dont believe any of us. Madness in great ones must not unwatched go. Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry, Home William Shakespeare To be, or not to be from Hamlet.

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