How does Shakespeare Use Hamlet's Soliloquies

A detailed Summary of How does Shakespeare Use Hamlet's Soliloquies


A Soliloquy is a dramatic convention, in which the character stands alone on stage, speaking. Originally it was a plot device, to enable a character to tell the audience what he planned to do next, for example, in the course of revenge. But the device is heightened in Shakespeare as it enables a character to reveal the 'inner soul' to the audience without telling the other characters. It is usual that one discovers more of a character from a soliloquy than from the action of the play alone. Shakespeare uses the soliloquies in 'Hamlet' to great effect; with Hamlet's state of mind, his indecision and his use of imagery.

Hamlet's state of mind in his first soliloquy is deeply nihilistic; Shakespeare presents the world as an 'unneeded garden', 'rank in nature'. In the first soliloquy and the third, Hamlet is particularly nihilistic. In the first he says;

'Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt,

He clearly has suicidal tendencies, which crop up again in the third soliloquy;

Clearly, Hamlet is unhappy, but it may be because he has too little to do (He is briefly happy when things take his mind off his problems - e.g. when the playe


Shakespeare also uses the soliloquies to expose Hamlet's indecision. The first soliloquy finds him posing the tricky question of whether to commit suicide or not. He longs for death, but finds God has

Of thinking too precisely on th'event

rs arrive - but even this, on reflection, leads to more soul searching in a soliloquy). Other aspects of Hamlet's character for the most part get swallowed up by this consuming depression, but certainly he is oppressed by the hypocrisy of his uncle.

And three parts coward - I do not know



Some common words found in the essay are:
Shakespeare Hamlet's, , Hell Hamlet's, King Hamlet's, God Unrealistic, kill claudius, King Hamlet, shakespeare soliloquies, Gertrude Claudius, hamlet's mind, Hercules Greek, 'oh too solid, melt thaw resolve, 'inner soul', hamlet's indecision, images death, too solid, kill claudius upset, soliloquies 'hamlet', 'oh too, thaw resolve dew', suicidal tendencies,

Approximate Word count = 1148
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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