Hamlet Speech Comparison
Two of Hamlet’s speeches reveal his perception of death. First in Act III after Hamlet happens upon Fortinbras’ army he perceives death as an abstract idea that has no bearing for his current situation. ... The contrast between these two speeches shows Hamlet’s maturation from a blind man who doesn’t see the consequences of his actions into a sobered figure that can see what he has done. First, after Hamlet speaks with a captain from Fortinbras’ army, he ponders the futility of life and reason that drives the army nevertheless. Hamlet criticizes the army for proceeding with their march, he questions “What is a man” and finds man is “a beast, no more”(IV,iv,33-35), no more than a creature absent of thought.