This essay I wrote for my English class. It describes the importance of Hamlet's soliloquys on his character development.

Essay by fullconsciousnessHigh School, 12th gradeA+, January 2003

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Essay Topic: Review Hamlet's soliloquies and write an essay that summarizes the development of his tragic character through these speeches.

Among some of the most exemplary and insightful passages in English literature exists the Hamlet soliloquies. They produce age-old questions that man seeks to answer, yet fears to be answered. Perhaps, among these examples the point is to analyse the questions and not the answers drawn. Through Hamlet each individual may choose their own truth, while at the same time examine the questions raised by it and the answers they conclude in others. Be it resolved in this essay, that one look upon these soliloquies to discover the effect such has in the development of Hamlet's character.

Hamlet's Act I Scene 2 serves to introduce Hamlet for the first time in depth. Firstly, the death motif is introduced in the opening lines of this soliloquy. Hamlet despairs at his mother's marriage to Claudius and the incestuous nature it implies.

He wishes he could just melt, "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt..." Here he wishes he could commit suicide, yet we see that his nature will not allow it as he would risk damnation to do so. We see here the introduction of his philosophical traits as he would not act on impulse to take his life. From here, he goes on to describe himself as his father's son, idolizing the king as a Sun God. " So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr" He vents his frustration as he remembers how much his father loved his wife and yet she remarried within a single month. Furthermore, he wonders how strong women are, "Frailty, thy name is woman." Hamlet questions if his mother's tears were just for show or were really sincere. "A...