Hamlet’s Third Soliloquy Commentary

By: Autumn Reay

February 2, 2011^th

• Is in Act 3 Scene 1
• Hamlet is a very confused man – unsure of himself and is constantly over thinking
• He wavers between two extremes:

o   The first is committing suicide

o   The second is seeking revenge for his father’s death

§  He can either suffer and “take arms against a sea of troubles”- seek revenge for his father’s death

§  Or, “to die: to sleep; no more…..and by a sleep to say we end.”

o    Hamlet is quite indecisive about these extremes

• “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” – Hamlet is thinking about how his death would be like
• Because Hamlet was so indecisive, he had an extreme stream of consciousness (showing his inner heart)

o   As it says “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;” Hamlet is insulting himself

o    Plus, “with this regard their currents turn awry” – this signifies that his troubles were mind over matter

• Indirect reference to the heavens: “fly to others that we know not of”