Hamlet's Soliluilys

Hamlet's character is distressed throughout the play because he is faced with the task of avenging his father's death. All of the securities that Hamlet once had are now gone because his mother is married to the man whom he believes killed his father. Hamlet believes that in order to honor his father he should kill his uncle, but is unable to disregard his doubts about the innocence of his uncle. In the three soliloquies Hamlet is unable to cope with his mother's new marriage and is unable to avenge his father's death, which consequently causes Hamlet to wonder if his life is valuable enough to continue living.

In Hamlet's soliloquy during Act I, he expresses anger for the first time. Hamlet questions whether he wants to live, but he knows that it is a sin to commit suicide. Hamlet is furious because of the marriage between his mother and uncle. His uncle is an abysmal man compared to Hamlet's glorious father. He feels as though his mother did not wait long enough to remarry after the death of his father and should never have married her husband's brother. Hamlet believes that the marriage is incestuous and wrong to do; even if they had waited longer to marry it still would have upset Hamlet. When Hamlet says, "But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (I. ii. 164), it shows Hamlet does not think he can speak his mind in Elsinore because he does not want to upset his mother or cause any trouble. Also he does not think people will support him and he may be shunned from Denmark. This soliloquy is before Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father or has any knowledge of it. At this point in the play Hamlet feels trapped in Elsinore because he is upset about his mother's new marriage, but is unable speak out about his feelings.

As the play deepens, Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father and is faced with his request to kill his murderer, Claudius. During Hamlet's soliloquy in Act II Sc. II, he questions whether the ghost is real or a devil trying to have him kill an innocent man. As in Hamlet's soliloquy in Act I, he is still angered by the marriage, but now he has reason to do something about it. However, Hamlet is hesitant and wants proof that Claudius is the murderer of his father. He devises a plan to have Claudius watch a play. The play is a reenactment of Claudius killing his brother. Hamlet decides that if Claudius seems uneasy during the play then he is guilty. Even before the play Hamlet believes he should have killed Claudius because his father asked him to. He thinks badly of himself and asks himself many questions such as, "Am I a coward? Who calls me a villain, breaks my pate across, plucks of my beard and blows it in my face, tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i'th'throat as deep as to the lungs? Who does me this? (II. ii. 598-602). Subsequently he answers himself by saying he ought to be a coward because he has yet to avenge his father's death. Hamlet refers to himself in this way because he is stuck. He wants to avenge his father's death, but he does not have the courage to kill another man. Hamlet states that he will fulfill his father's