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Hamlet – Act III: The famous soliloquy
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A monologue (one person speaking) is simply a long speech by an actor in a play (can be to
another character or while other characters are present).
A soliloquy (speaking alone) consists of thoughts spoken out loud by an actor, which often poses
a problem and a solution.
Reread and annotate the soliloquy. Make notes on the right, and consider what Hamlet’s problem(s)
is/are that he reflects on in this speech. Then, answer the following questions. Use a separate piece of
paper if you need to.
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
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? 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, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: 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: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
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? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.
1. Hamlet has some pretty serious problems so far. List three of them:
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2. When Hamlet says, “To be, or not to be,” what is he REALLY asking?
3. Does Hamlet think it is better to be killed, or to take one’s own life?
4. Is this the first time Hamlet has shown himself to be uncertain of something? Where else in the
previous Acts have you seen this tendency to over-think?
5. What is the ultimate relief for Hamlet should he choose to end his own life? Is this the escape
from reality he is really seeking? Why?
6. How does this soliloquy move the story forward?
Hamlet—Act III: Hamlet’s Hesitation and Revenge
In Act III of Hamlet, our principal character has a perfect opportunity to get revenge for his father’s
death while Claudius is praying. Let’s explore this scene on a deeper level to weed out Hamlet’s reasons
for hesitation (and therefore, lack of action).
Francis Bacon, a 16th century English philosopher, wrote an essay on revenge. In it he states, “in taking
revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince’s part
to pardon.” It’s almost as if Bacon was writing about Hamlet!
1. Do you agree or disagree with Bacon’s statement, namely the even/superior comparison?
Please explain in 4-5 sentences.
- If you agree, do you think Hamlet gains superiority after this scene? What does he do next
that qualifies this? If you disagree, explain.
2. Since Hamlet does not act here, does he later “delight…not so much in the hurt,” but in “making
the party repent” (Bacon)? Does Hamlet get what he is looking for in this scene?
3. When Hamlet believed Claudius to be behind the curtain, he was quick to act (killing Polonius).
So, if he was able to act before, what might be another reason he hesitates in the prayer scene?
Compare the two scenes. Is Hamlet provoked in one?