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By William Shakespeare. (from Hamlet, spoken by Hamlet) 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.
- Sonnet 19
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws, And burn...
- Sonnet 19
Learn the meaning and context of Hamlet's famous soliloquy, where he ponders the question of life and death. Read the original lines, a modern translation, and watch performances of this Shakespearean masterpiece.
Even so, Hamlet seems to consider himself alone and there is no definite indication that the others hear him before he addresses Ophelia, so the speech is almost universally regarded as a sincere soliloquy.
The monologue communicates Hamlet’s fixation on the play’s primary moral question: whether it is right for Hamlet to avenge his father’s death by killing his father’s suspected murderer, Claudius. The speech also conveys Hamlet’s obsession with the concepts of life (“to be”) and death (“not to be”).
William Shakespeare. 1564 –. 1616. To be, or not to be: that is the question:Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them?
Hamlet’s soliloquy begins with the memorable line, “To be, or not to be, that is the question.” It means that he cannot decide what is better, ending all the sufferings of life by death, or bearing the mental burdens silently.
Read and annotate the full text of Hamlet's soliloquy from Act 3, Scene 1, where he ponders the meaning of life and death. Explore the context, interpretation, and cultural impact of this iconic speech.
