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Learn about the famous soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Prince Hamlet contemplates death and suicide. Compare the different versions of the speech from the First Quarto, the Second Quarto and the First Folio.
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.
William Shakespeare. Release Date. January 1, 1600. Songs That Interpolate To Be or Not To Be. Godzilla by With Confidence. Tags. Non-Music Literature. To be, or not to be, that is the question ...
- Why Is ‘To Be Or Not to Be’ So Important?
- Why Does Hamlet Say ‘To Be Or Not to Be’?
- Is ‘To Be Or Not to Be’ A Metaphor?
- What Is Shakespeare Saying in ‘To Be Or Not to Be’?
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‘To be or not to be’ is not important in itself but it has gained tremendous significance in that it is perhaps the most famous phrase in all the words of the playwright considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. It is also significant in the play, Hamlet, itself in that it goes directly to the heart of the play’s meaning.
To be or not to be’ is a soliloquy of Hamlet’s – meaning that although he is speaking aloud to the audience none of the other characters can hear him. Soliloquies were a convention of Elizabethan playswhere characters spoke their thoughts to the audience. Hamlet says ‘To be or not to be’ because he is questioning the value of life and asking himsel...
The line ‘To be or not to be’ is very straightforward and direct, and has no metaphorical aspect at all. It’s a simple statement made up of five two-letter words and one of three – it’s so simple that a child in the early stages of learning to read can read it. Together with the sentence that follows it – ‘that is the question – it is a simple ques...
In the ‘To be or not be to’ soliloquy Shakespeare has his Hamlet character speak theses famous lines. Hamlet is wondering whether he should continue to be, meaning to exist or remain alive, or to not exist – in other words, commit suicide. His thoughts about that develop in the rest of the soliloquy.
Learn the meaning and context of Hamlet's famous speech on life and death, with a modern translation and full explanation. Explore the themes, language and performances of this Shakespearean masterpiece.
Explore the meaning and context of Hamlet's famous quote, "To be, or not to be, that is the question", from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's tragedy. Learn about the literary devices, structure, and historical context of this soliloquy that expresses existential crisis.
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Points to Ponder In his book Shakespearean Tragedy, A. C. Bradey notes that "The present position of the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, and of the interview with Ophelia, appears to have been due to an after-thought of Shakespeare's; for in the First Quarto they precede, instead of following, the arrival of the players, and consequently the arrangement for the play-scene.
To be, or not to be, opening line of a monologue spoken by the character Hamlet in Act III, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet (c. 1599–1601). Often referred to as a soliloquy, the speech technically does not meet that term’s strictest definition—that is, a monologue delivered by an actor alone onstage—because Ophelia, the object of Hamlet’s fickle affections ...
