Significance of Soliloquies in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay

In William Shakespeare's entire play collection, soliloquies are one of the most important elements of literature that are used. In most of his plays, Shakespeare uses soliloquies to convey what course of action the character is going to take or to review what has already happened. In Hamlet, soliloquies take on a different purpose they are mostly used by Hamlet. The most important soliloquies are by Hamlet. The soliloquies are our main insight into Hamlets thoughts notice that in most of them he questions the value of his thoughts vs. his deeds. This shows an internal struggle between the two separate sides of Hamlet's inner self. Hamlet's soliloquies show both the side of Hamlet that thinks without acting and his side that acts without thinking. Through this struggle we see Hamlet trying to unravel the value of truth, moral and absolute. Hamlet is basically a confused, frustrated individual who is looking for the right thing to do but is confronted with two options, to murder or to not murder or the moral truth vs. the need to "set it right". Each part of Hamlet is trying to find a different truth but in the end we find that he can only be true to himself The soliloquy that displays Hamlet's confusion is "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" in act two scene two. This soliloquy takes place immediately after the first discussion between Hamlet and the travelling players. Here Hamlet is enraged, furious and rude. In this soliloquy Hamlet devises a plan which will lead the king to betray himself. His plan is for the players to put on "The Murder of Gonzago" for the court, which is similar to the murder of his father, King Hamlet. If King Claudius displays a negative reaction to the play, then Hamlet will know that the ghost is telling him the truth. Hamlet calls himself a "rogue" and a "peasant slave". A rogue...

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