Essay on The Use of Soliloquy in Shakespeares Hamlet

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 amp;#8216;inner soulamp;#8217; 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 amp;#8216;Hamletamp;#8217; to great effect; with Hamletamp;#8217;s state of mind, his indecision and his use of imagery. Hamletamp;#8217;s state of mind in his first soliloquy is deeply†¦show more content†¦His disappointment in his mother, his suicidal tendencies and his oppression are all portrayed far more deeply that they would have been otherwise. Shakespeare also uses the soliloquies to expose Hamletamp;#8217;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 amp;#8216;fixed his Canon amp;#8216;gainst self-slaughteramp;#8217; It is evident that he is indecisive from this, but with good reason - if he kills himself he will go to Hell. But it is in Hamletamp;#8217;s most famous soliloquy that his indecision comes to the fore. By asking himself amp;#8216;To be or not to be - that is the questionamp;#8217; He wonders whether to kill Claudius - if he does, he could be put to death, the equivalent of suicide. Suicide is evidently one source of Hamletamp;#8217;s indecisiveness, but there is a far greater source which provides a much bigger clue to his indecisiveness. It stems from his conversation with the ghost of his father, which said; amp;#8216;Let not the royal bed of Denmark bee A couch of luxury and damned incest But however thou persuest this act Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aughtamp;#8217; His first and last request are incompatible - to kill Claudius and not upset Gertrude would be impossible. Thus Hamlet has an excuse for his indecision. However, Hamlet never uses the excuse in hisShow MoreRelatedShakespeares use of soliloquies to present Macbeth and Hamlet2032 Words   |  9 Pagesdoes Shakespeare use soliloquies to present the characters of Macbeth and Hamlet? A soliloquy is a comprehensive and unremitting dialogue spoken by a single person. The speaker is presenting his or her thoughts audibly, thus providing a forthright, outspoken, unremitting, and uninterrupted flow of thought, which channels his or her consciousness directly to the audience. 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