In his most famous soliloquy, what course of action does Hamlet contemplate? How does he resolve his internal argument?
In the speech, Hamlet asks the question, “To be or not to be?” This is perhaps one of the most well-known quotes of all time, and not without good reason. The famous line, and the entire speech, contemplate the ideas of life and death, and whether it is possible to escape one’s troubles by dying. Is it better to fight through a life full of trials and troubles, or is it better to escape one’s trials through death? Though death presents a kind of escape from the challenges of life, it also takes away all possibilities of happiness. Death is a final choice, and if one chooses death, he chooses to lose the good as well as the bad. As Hamlet tells us, “For in that sleep what dreams may come?” In the end, Hamlet concludes that death is not the answer, for there are many possible good things that may be in the future.
