Hamlets solilaquies
... too too ] The duplication of "too" intensifies Hamlets feelings of regret. ... Hamlets reference to his dead father as Hyperion and to his uncle Claudius as a satyr illustrates Hamlets contempt for Claudius. ... a beast, that wants discourse of reason ] Hamlet believes that even a creature incapable of speech would have mourned longer than Gertrude mourned for Hamlets father (here wants=lacks). ... But break, my heart ] Hamlets heart is heavy because he must keep his anguish to himself. ... COMMENTARY Hamlets passionate first soliloquy provides a striking contrast to the controlled and artificial dialogue that he must exchange with Claudius and his court. The primary function of the soliloquy is to reveal to the audience Hamlets profound melancholia and the reasons for his despair. ... The nature of his grief is soon exposed, as we learn that his mother, Gertrude, has married her own brother-in-law only two months after the death of Hamlets father. ... Notice Shakespeares use of juxtaposition and contrast to enhance Hamlets feelings of contempt, disgust, and inadequacy. ... Another striking juxtaposition in the soliloquy is Hamlets use of Hyperion and a satyr to denote his father and his uncle, respectively. Hyperion, the Titan god of light, represents honor, virtue, and regality -- all traits belonging to Hamlets father, the true King of Denmark. Satyrs, the half-human and half-beast companions of the wine-god Dionysus, represent lasciviousness and overindulgence, much like Hamlets usurping uncle Claudius. ... A final important contrast in the soliloquy is seen in Hamlets self-depreciating comment "but no more like my father/Than I to Hercules" (154-55). Although Hamlets comparison of himself to the courageous Greek hero could be devoid of any deeper significance, it is more likely that the remark indicates Hamlets developing lack of self worth -- a theme that will become the focus of his next soliloquy. ... COMMENTARY In addition to revealing Hamlets plot to catch the king in his guilt, Hamlets second soliloquy uncovers the very essence of Hamlets true conflict. ... "Hamlets sense of himself as a coward is derived from a crude, simplistic judgment turning on whether or not he has yet taken any action against the man who murdered his father. ... There are four major current theories regarding this line: 1) Shakespeare made an egregious error and simply failed to reconcile the appearance of the ghost and Hamlets belief that human beings do not return; 2) Hamlet has earlier revealed that he doubts the authenticity of the ghost and, therefore, he does not believe his father has truly returned; 3) Hamlet is referring only to human beings returning in the flesh and not as mere shadows of their former selves; 4) the entire soliloquy is misplaced and rightfully belongs before Hamlet has met his fathers ghost. ... COMMENTARY Unlike Hamlets first two major soliloquies, the third and most famous speech seems to be governed by reason and not frenzied emotion. ... Some scholars limit Hamlets discussion to a deliberation of whether he should take his own life. "Yet nothing anywhere in the speech relates it to Hamlets individual case. ... Hamlets soliloquy is interrupted by Ophelia who is saying her prayers. ... Some critics argue that Hamlets greeting is strained and coolly polite, and his request that she remembers him in her prayers is sarcastic. ... It is undecided whether this confusion is Hamlets or Shakespeares. ... Hamlets common sense about the absurdity of Fortinbrass venture shows the pointlessness of his envy" (Edwards 193). ... COMMENTARY Hamlets final soliloquy appears in Q2 but not in the First Folio. ... Hamlets last soliloquy is crucial to our understanding of his character development. ... Hamlets reason, the part of him that has been dominant throughout the play; the part of him that questions the "honour" in murder and revenge, this time cannot provide a rebuttal.