Intro & Summary  

IN THIS SCENE, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEHIND HAMLET'S ODD BEHAVIOR, BUT TELL CLAUDIUS AND GERTRUDE THAT HE WAS EXCITED BY THE ARRIVAL OF THE PLAYERS. THE KING AND QUEEN, HOPEFUL THAT HAMLET IS IMPROVING, AGREE TO WATCH THE PLAY. Here, CLAUDIUS AND POLONIUS HAVE CHOSEN the MOMENT TO SET UP THE "ACCIDENTAL" MEETING BETWEEN HAMLET AND OPHELIA and when THEY HEAR HAMLET COMING, HIDE. IN A SOLILOQUY, HAMLET AGONIZES OVER WHETHER TO KILL HIMSELF: "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" (THE FAMOUS AND ICONIC SPEECH). OPHELIA then ENTERS AND TRIES TO RETURN THE GIFTS HAMLET GAVE HER. HE DENIES HAVING EVER GIVEN THEM. HAMLET ASKS OPHELIA IF SHE'S HONEST, THEN SAYS BEAUTY CORRUPTS HONESTY. BECOMING ANGRY, HE TELLS OPHELIA HE LOVED HER ONCE, THEN SAYS HE NEVER LOVED HER. HE COMMANDS HER TO GO TO A NUNNERY RATHER THAN BECOME A "BREEDER OF SINNERS" AND SAYS ALL MEN, INCLUDING HIMSELF, ARE "ARRANT KNAVES”. HE CONDEMNS WOMEN FOR HIDING THEIR FACES BEHIND MAKEUP AND THEN STATES THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE MARRIAGES AND THAT ONE PERSON WHO'S MARRIED ALREADY WILL DIE; HAMLET STORMS OFF. OPHELIA IS HEARTBROKEN. CLAUDIUS, FROM HIS HIDING PLACE, DECIDES THAT HAMLET NEITHER LOVES OPHELIA NOR IS HE MAD. INSTEAD, HE THINKS HAMLET IS "BROODING" ON SOMETHING, AND THAT THIS UNHAPPINESS OF THOUGHT WILL LEAD TO DANGER. HE DECIDES TO SEND HAMLET TO ENGLAND. POLONIUS, HOWEVER, STILL THINKS HAMLET LOVES OPHELIA. HE REQUESTS THAT AFTER THE PLAY, HAMLET BE SENT TO TALK WITH GERTRUDE WHERE POLONIUS WILL ONCE AGAIN SPY ON HIM.

HAMLET'S SOLILOQUY: "TO BE OR NOT TO BE"

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? TO DIE: TO SLEEP;
NO MORE; AND BY A SLEEP TO SAY WE END
THE HEART-ACHE AND THE THOUSAND NATURAL SHOCKS
THAT FLESH IS HEIR TO, ’TIS A CONSUMMATION
DEVOUTLY TO BE WISH’D. TO DIE, TO SLEEP;
TO SLEEP: PERCHANCE TO DREAM: AY, THERE’S THE RUB;
FOR IN THAT SLEEP OF DEATH WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
WHEN WE HAVE SHUFFLED OFF THIS MORTAL COIL,
MUST GIVE US PAUSE: THERE’S THE RESPECT
THAT MAKES CALAMITY OF SO LONG LIFE;
FOR WHO WOULD BEAR THE WHIPS AND SCORNS OF TIME,
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 HE HIMSELF MIGHT HIS QUIETUS MAKE
WITH A BARE BODKIN? 

(CONTINUED)

WHO WOULD FARDELS BEAR,
TO GRUNT AND SWEAT UNDER A WEARY LIFE,
BUT THAT THE DREAD OF SOMETHING AFTER DEATH,
THE UNDISCOVER’D COUNTRY FROM WHOSE BOURN
NO TRAVELLER RETURNS, PUZZLES THE WILL
AND MAKES US RATHER BEAR THOSE ILLS WE HAVE
THAN FLY TO OTHERS THAT WE KNOW NOT OF?
THUS CONSCIENCE DOES MAKE COWARDS OF US ALL;
AND THUS THE NATIVE HUE OF RESOLUTION
IS SICKLIED O’ER WITH THE PALE CAST OF THOUGHT,
AND ENTERPRISES OF GREAT PITH AND MOMENT
WITH THIS REGARD THEIR CURRENTS TURN AWRY,
AND LOSE THE NAME OF ACTION.–SOFT YOU NOW!
THE FAIR OPHELIA! NYMPH, IN THY ORISONS
BE ALL MY SINS REMEMBER’D.

Paraphrased Soliloquy

In what probably is the most iconic moment shakespeare ever created, in this scene, hamlet delivers his "To be or not to be" speech.  The question for him was whether to continue to exist or not – whether it was more noble to suffer "the slings and arrows" of an unbearable situation, or to declare war on "the sea of troubles" that afflict him, and by opposing them, end them; To die. He reflected on it deeply. He saw it possibly as a long sleep with that sleep we end the heartaches and the thousand natural miseries that human beings have to endure. It’s an end that we would all ardently hope for. HE OBSERVES THAT SUCH THINKING TURNS PEOPLE INTO COWARDS, AND ACTION INTO INACTION. He finally comes to the conclusion that the reason life is long is because we spend most of it asking ourselves this smae question over and over without realizing we are overcoming and dealing with the problems that continuously present themselves.