Question

The tone of hamlets soliloquy at the end of act III, scene ii is significantaly different than the tone of the previous three. What is the tone of the fourth soliloquy? Quote at least a few words from it to support your interpretation

Answer 1

Answer:

Hamlet's fourth soliloquy is the famous "to be or not to be" speech that he contemplates whether to go forward with his planned murder scheme.

Explanation:

In William Shakespeare's tragedy play "Hamlet", we see the character of the young prince Hamlet trying to avenge his father's death. His soliloquys are the passageway to understand his inner conflicts that he dare not share with others. While the previous speeches can be the same in their plans to kill Claudius, the fourth "to be or not to be" soliloquy is different in his approach of how to get rid of the murderer. Here, he includes himself in the casualties, contemplating sui cide which had not been included in the previous soliloquys. His desperation can be seen in this soliloquy.

To die, to sleep—

No more—and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.

To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub,

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come .

He seems to be stuck between fighting against his uncle of killing himself so that this pain will end, and he will "sleep" forever. This is the first time he thinks of hurting himself in his plans to avenge his father's murder at the hands of his uncle Claudius.

Answer 2

Hamlet's fourth soliloquy is probably his most famous one - "To be or not to be." It is rather different from his previous soliloquies because now he is contemplating something that didn't come up before - suicide. He is thinking whether it is worth it to fight to find his father's murderer when in the end all of them are going to die, so why not die sooner than later. He is contemplating if he should go on fighting or just kill himself and end it all, which is why this soliloquy in particular is rather depressing, hesitant, and gives a deeper insight into Hamlet's madness.