You dance and sway as you walk, and talk in a cutesy way. Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou. That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should, Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with, Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner, transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the. The following lines also contain aporia. He didnt ask many questions, but answered our questions extensively. In that place, the currents of action get misdirected and lose the name of action. Besides, it also clarifies what the dominant thought of his mind is. Oh, what a noble mind is here oerthrown! The courtiers, soldiers, scholars, eye, tongue, sword, Th expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Th observed of all observers, quite, quite down! Lets watch two of the notable actors portraying the character of Hamlet. . Hamlets utterings reflect a sense of longing for death. But somehow coming from a proud man, it feels a little less painful. Though in the plot, Ophelia is on stage pretending to read, Hamlet expresses his thoughts only to himself. Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. His mental struggle to end the pangs of his life gets featured in this soliloquy. In the previous plots, Hamlet has lost his father. Just a moment can end, all of his troubles. Gupta, SudipDas. Lets withdraw, my lord. Go to a convent. The last section of the soliloquy, To be, or not to be begins with an epigrammatic idea. In all cases, he is the victim. We heard it all. You dance and sway as you walk, and talk in a cutesy way. Ophelia, walk you here. I would thou couldst; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The law's delay, and the quietus which his pangs might take, In the dead waste and middle of the night, when churchyards yawn In customary suits of solemn . Director Laurence Olivier Writers William Shakespeare (by) Laurence Olivier (uncredited) Stars Laurence Olivier Jean Simmons John Laurie See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max with Prime Video Channels To die, to sleep. Get from him why he puts on this confusion. The lady doth protest too much, methinks is a famous quote used in Shakespeares Hamlet. He had a courtiers persuasiveness, a soldiers courage, a scholars wisdom. It is spoken by Queen Gertrude. is taken from the Second Quarto (Q2) of the play, Hamlet which was published in 1604. He may also have drawn on the play, Ur-Hamlet, an earlier Elizabethan play. B. rhetorical question. You shouldnt have believed me. https://poemanalysis.com/william-shakespeare/to-be-or-not-to-be/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. Oh, what guilt! The sufferings that time sends are out of ones control. Love? He is unaware of the fact that Ophelia is already there. It is important to mention here that the speaker just wants an answer. The greatest English writer of all time, William Shakespeare wrote: To be, or not be. This quote appears in his tragedy Hamlet written sometime between 1599 and 1601. Such thoughts confuse the speaker more. Because the kinds of dreams that might come in that sleep of deathafter you have left behind your mortal bodyare something to make you anxious. According to him, dying is like sleeping. After reading his soliloquies such as To be, or not to be, it became more confusing for the scholars to understand what category this Shakespearean hero falls in. If readers strictly adhere to the plot, they can decode this line differently. He does confess he feels himself distracted. The whores ugly cheekonly made beautiful with make-upis no more terrible than the things Ive done and hidden with fine words. To sleep, perhaps to dreamyes, but theres theres the catch. In Act 3, Scene 1 of the play, Hamlet seems to be puzzled by the question of whether to live or die. In the first line, fardels mean the burdens of life. On both the way, he is aware of the fact that he is destined to suffer. Who would fardels bear, 85 To grunt and sweat under a weary life, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes," (67-73) In regard to these lines, the mindset of Hamlet changes again because of his approach to appreciating life. If readers strictly adhere to the plot, they can decode this line differently. I loved you not. I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. These lines collectively contain a device called the climax. You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. But with a crafty madness keeps aloof When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state. Were all absolute criminals. Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? For this reason, the quote has become a specimen for understanding how Shakespeare thought. Get yourself to a convent, now. Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. Writeln ("For who would bear the whips and scorns of time," + "The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,"); builder. It seems that the, From these lines, it becomes clear what questions are troubling the tragic hero, Hamlet. For all the things happening in his life, he feels it is better to die rather than living and mutely bearing the pangs that life is sending him in a row. To sleep, perchance to dreamay, theres the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. I never gave you anything. If you marry, Ill give you this curse as your wedding presenteven if you are as clean as ice, as pure as snow, youll still get a bad reputation. Haply the seas and countries different With variable objects shall expel This something-settled matter in his heart, Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus From fashion of himself. 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. Of these we told him. First Coast High School. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? To a nunnery, go. "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely / The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, / The insolence of office, and the spurns / That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, / When he himself might his quietus make" (Lines 15-20) C. Soft you now, The fair Ophelia! LineBreak); builder. And lose the name of action.Soft you now. There's the respect That makes calamity of so long life. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of, sinners? To sleep, perchance to dreamay, theres the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. When we have shuffled off this mortal coil. Instant PDF downloads. Beautiful gifts lose their value when the givers turn out to be unkind. To prevent that danger, Ive made a quick decision: hell be sent to England to try to get back the tribute money they owe to us. He has gone through all such pangs while he can end his life with a bare bodkin. Bodkin is an, The first two lines of this section refer to the fact that none choose to grunt and sweat through the exhausting life. Why should people like me be allowed to crawl between heaven and earth? It is the longest play of Shakespeare containing 29,551 words. Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty? Her father and Ispying for justifiable reasonswill place ourselves so that we cant be seen, but can observe the encounter. The quote, To be, or not to be is the most widely known line and overall Hamlets soliloquy has been referenced in several works of theatre, literature, and music. In Hamlets case, losing his dear father tragically is a natural shock. And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish That your good beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlets wildness. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Thats the consideration that makes us suffer the calamities of life for so long. Hamlet's specific whips and scorns are DEATH, and death of a parent no less, his mother's hasty marriage and his girlfriend's returning of his letters and not getting to be king when really he should be. What are these shocks? Gentlemen, try to nurture this interest of his, and keep him focused on these amusements. But I still think that the cause of his madness was unrequited love. , , "contumely" . That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, Lets have a look at some of the works where the opening line of Hamlets soliloquy is mentioned. To be or not to beFor who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of despis'd love, the law&#, 530 0 3 2 3 0, , . However, death can end both of these pains. After this line, the speaker presents a series of causes that lead to his suffering. We heard it all. My good lord, how have you been doing these last few days? The glass of fashion and the mould of form. It is a soliloquy because Hamlet does not express his thoughts to other characters. I shall obey you . Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen, If t be the affliction of his love or no. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, Madness in great ones must not unwatched go. Thats the consideration that makes us suffer the calamities of life for so long. Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the. Through this sleep that will help him to end the mental sufferings, he can get a final relief. Accessed 4 March 2023. It is possible that even after his death, he will not be relieved. quote, Hamlets subconscious mind reminds him about his sufferings. The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? They have to understand what is going on in his mind. us. The text of To be, or not to be is taken from the Second Quarto (Q2) of the play, Hamlet which was published in 1604. My honorable lord, you know very well that you did. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 February 2009 John Crook and Roy Stone Article Metrics Get access Share Cite Rights & Permissions Abstract Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th'unworthy takes, speaker: Hamlet- speaking to: himself (soliloquy)- context: commenting on every corrupt person and their faults; oppressor- claudius; proud man- polonius . Farewell. We respond to all comments too, giving you the answers you need. To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer. Page 251 - The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When. Explore To be, or not to be1 Context2 Full Soliloquy3 Summary4 Structure5 Literary Devices6 Detailed Analysis7 Historical Context8 Notable Usage9 FAQs10 Similar Quotes. In William Shakespeares play Hamlet, the titular character, Hamlet says this soliloquy. In the play, Hamlet is going through a tough phase. Though in the, In the earliest version of the play, this monologue is 35 lines long. In such a critical situation, Hamlet feels extremely lonely as there are no other persons to console him. 165. Im arrogant, vengeful, ambitious, and have more criminal desires than I have thoughts or imagination to fit them inor time in which to commit them. Oh, what guilt! who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after . With all my heart, Im glad to hear of his interest. Struggling with distance learning? The harlots cheek, beautied with plastering art, Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns . This path seems more relieving for Hamlet. Scholars believe that Shakespeare wrote this play and later revised it. While not being refers to death and inaction. Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns. You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so, inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. That is the question. Or if you must get married, marry a fool, because wise men know that women will eventually cheat on them. That is the question. Hamlets soliloquy begins with the memorable line, To be, or not to be, that is the question.. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something . Hopefully the sea and all the new things to see in a different country will push out these thoughts that have somehow taken root in his mind, making him a stranger to his former self. TEXT: The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, IMAGES: In my phonetic number system, the sound "op" is the same as the image for 09 (Aesop), but encased in a block of ice (an image modifier that reverses the way 09 is read, from "suh" to "op"). For all the things happening in his life, he feels it is better to die rather than living and mutely bearing the pangs that life is sending him in a row. On the other hand, he negates his idea and says it is better to bear the reality rather than finding solace in perception. In the first line, fardels mean the burdens of life. In this section of the soliloquy, To be, or not to be Hamlets utterings reflect a sense of longing for death. But, if you think its a good idea, after the play let his mother the queen get him alone and beg him to share the source of his grief. is famous for its open-ended meaning that not only encompasses the thoughts raging inside Hamlets mind but also features the theme of existential crisis. 4888 Views 366 Favorites 77 Dear Gertrude, please go as well. The last few lines of the soliloquy present how Hamlet stops his musings when he discovers his beloved Ophelia is coming that way. But, what dreams are stored for him in the pacifying sleep of death. Having a conversation with the ghost of his father, he is torn between perception and reality. He does confess he feels himself distracted.But from what cause he will by no means speak. viii+ 176. The last two lines are often excluded from the soliloquy as those lines contain the mental, The last syllable of the line contains an, There is another metaphor in the phrase, sea of troubles. In the next two lines, Shakespeare uses, After this line, the speaker presents a series of causes that lead to his suffering. Again, Shakespeare uses the repetition of the phrase, To die, to sleep. It is the second instance where Hamlet uses these words. Whereas in the first few lines, he talks about fortune. So, in one way or another, he is becoming realistic. Love? In such a critical situation, Hamlet feels extremely lonely as there are no other persons to console him. Quick, lets hide, my lord. [to OPHELIA] Read on this book That show of such an exercise may color Your loneliness. T have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Oh, his great mind has been overcome by insanity! Pp. Shakespeare derived the story of Hamlet from the, Before the 18th century, there was not any concrete idea regarding how the character of Hamlet is. They are at the court now, and I think theyve been told to perform for him tonight.