Hamlet:Student Commentary on Soliloquy 1

Hamlet’s First Soliloquy Commentary

By: Autumn 

Hamlet’s first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2, exemplifies Hamlet’s melancholic behavior with reasoning behind his unhappiness.  The literary devices, techniques and references help illustrate Hamlet’s life to be miserable and futile (useless) through his passionate soliloquy.  He struggles to accept the death of his beloved father and is disgusted by his mother’s remarriage to his uncle Claudius.

Hamlet mourns “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,” over the decease of his father, “a poor body.” Hamlet too, wished to die, as did his father, by committing suicide. This hints towards the central idea of the play.  Juxtaposing committing suicide to godlike conspiracies and his figure, in the eyes of god, committing suicide would be a sin, which therefore, prevented Hamlet to do so.  God is “Everlasting,” which juxtaposes to Hamlet’s death.  God’s body is eternal which contrasts to “thaw, resolving itself into a dew”, which Hamlet desired to become.  Death was “weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!”  The idea of death was logically ineffective to Hamlet.       

His anger and despair gradually enhanced as Hamlet wept the words; “O God, a beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mourned longer.” His uncle’s satisfaction was not balanced compared to Hamlet’s.  His precise image of his parent’s great relationship was an ache to tolerate.  The love that kept his parent’s bond was magnificent. “Must I remember?” shows Hamlet’s hardship in coping with the fact that his mother was re-married “within a month.” The time span between his father’s death, to his mother’s second marriage was at “wicked speed,” which made Hamlet question the true reason behind his mother’s marriage with uncle Claudius.  His mother did not mourn of her husband’s death. It also contributed to Hamlet’s melancholic behavior. To him, her previous marriage seemed perfect as “she would hang on him.”  The metaphor “Tis, an unweeded garden that grows to seed,” symbolizes that Hamlet’s mother was once a virgin, she was “unweeded,” but soon perished a “seed,” evidently making Claudius the garden who enticed the action.  Hamlet despised the idea of his mother’s re-marriage.  This is shown through an alteration in the text.  Hamlet begins to refer to his mother as his “lovely mother” then slowly modifies to “she.”  This demonstrates that Hamlet began to accuse his mother for marrying Uncle Claudius.    

Shakespeare then states Hamlet’s comparison, using a simile, between himself and his uncle, in relation to his father.  “My father’s brother, but no more like my father, than I to Hercules,” again, refers to a godlike figure. He is admiring his father while criticizing himself and his uncle.  Referring to past mythology has given allusions to support Hamlet’s thoughts and ideas.  “Hyperion to a satyr” also connects to mythology, followed by “so loving to my mother.”  This is an additional comparison between his father and uncle distinguishing that Hamlet’s father was an excellent king, unlike his uncle who was “Hyperion to a satyr.”  The play refers to biblical texts as well.  As stated earlier, the phrase “Tis an unweeded garden” refers to Hamlet’s mother being a virgin, as was Mary, in the bible.  She is Mary while Uncle Claudius represents Satan; creating a “seed.”  Furthermore, Hamlet’s mother signified Eve, within the Garden of Eden.  It was she, who picked the first apple off the tree: making a permanent mistake, just like she did, by marrying Hamlet’s uncle.          

Juxtapositions, comparisons, metaphors and similes were strong devices which allowed Hamlet’s sorrowful emotions to be revealed.  Not only, but the tone as well.  The tone of his first soliloquy is cold hearted and blunt.  As he talks to himself and thinks aloud, he justifies his personal feelings which are straight forward and regard serious topics.  The soliloquy in the play ‘Hamlet,’ allows the audience to grasp an insight on Hamlet’s thoughts.

     

Hamlet was very solemn, stressed and angry.  The imagery through his soliloquy was sinister.  Vocabulary words such as “stale, dead, rank, gross” and “unrighteous” were all used to emphasize his confused, furious and shady mood.  One powerful line quotes “with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” clearly paints a vivid picture that because of the skill or “dexterity” of the uncle, Claudius was able to exploit the “incestuous sheets;” which refers to the bed which belonged to his mother and birth father.        

Through Hamlet’s first soliloquy, the audience tends to believe that Hamlet is truly mad, yet turns a blind eye towards the fact that he is actually posing antic disposition; which means to fake the severity of his madness.  In reality, Hamlet is not as mad as he acts; he tricked his friends and family.           

Hamlet’s first soliloquy did indeed allow the audience to be acquainted with Hamlet’s feelings and concerns.  It was also about the context and background of the setting.  His soliloquy proves that Hamlet was melancholic, which creates a sense of sympathy from the beginning. Hamlet had trouble coping with his father’s death and mother’s re-marriage. He quotes “But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue”…”it is not, nor it cannot come to good.” From this, Hamlet has hinted a main problem which will re-occur throughout the play. Literary devices and techniques help portray Hamlet’s personality; he is a solemn trickster with mad behavior.