To Be Or Not To Be Meaning Sparknotes

The quote comes from william shakespeare s play hamlet.

To be or not to be meaning sparknotes. Even audiences unfamiliar with shakespeare. These are the opening words in a soliloquy from hamlet in act. Its iconic to be or not to be soliloquy spoken by the titular hamlet in scene 3 act 1 has been analyzed for centuries and continues to intrigue scholars students and general readers alike. Perhaps one of the most famous lines in all of english literature but arguably also one of the most mysterious and one of the most misread.

About to be or not to be this soliloquy from act 3 scene 1 is the single most famous speech in hamlet and probably in all of dramatic history. The soliloquy is essentially all about life and death. Hamlet s soliloquy contains what is probably the most quoted line in all of shakespeare. His thoughts about that develop in the rest of the soliloquy.

By dr oliver tearle. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. When he questions whether it is better to be or not to be the obvious implication is should i kill myself the entire soliloquy strongly suggests that he is toying with suicide and perhaps trying to work up his courage to do it. It s likely that you have heard read or said the famous opening words of the speech.

Page 2 original text modern text it was after sun up now but we went right on and didn t tie up. Few lines in english literature are quoted as often as to be or not to be. The adventures of huckleberry finn mark twain study guide no fear translation chapter 20. Hamlet s soliloquy from william shakespeare s play is rightly celebrated for being a meditation on the nature of life and death but some analyses and interpretations of the soliloquy serve to reduce the lines to a more simplistic meaning.

To be or not to be that is the question. But at no point does he say that he is in pain or discuss why he wants to kill himself. In the to be or not be to soliloquy shakespeare has his hamlet character speak theses famous lines. Why is to be or not to be so memorable.

To be or not to be time s compilation of the top 15 shakespeare quotes put it at the top of their list. In general while hamlet s famous to be or not to be soliloquy questions the righteousness of life over death in moral terms much of the speech s emphasis is on the subject of death even if in. Page 5 chapter 21. Hamlet discusses how painful and miserable human life is and how death specifically suicide would be preferable would it not be for the fearful uncertainty of what.