Hamlet's First Soliloquy

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A soliloquy is a literary technique used by authors to demonstrate a character’s internal musings. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet utilizes multiple soliloquies to express what he cannot say to other characters. Hamlet is enduring a time of great personal turmoil, so he is often teeming with different thoughts and emotions, and he needs a means of expelling those feelings. Early on in the work there is a scene that is very telling of Hamlet, the people in his environment, and the work as a whole. This scene features a monologue from Hamlet that describes his feeling towards his new “family’. The soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2 reveals vital information into the character development of Hamlet. This scene is one of the most important sequences in Hamlet for developing the plot of the early portion of the play. This is the introduction of the new King, and his court. This scene also establishes…show more content…
He cannot fathom how his mother would marry another man; especially his uncle and with it coming shortly after his father’s death. Hamlet then expresses his displeasure with women in general, possibly foreshadowing his relationship with Ophelia, stating “Frailty, thy name is woman!”. His mother wept at his father’s funeral, yet Hamlet believes an animal would have grieved for longer than she did. He concludes the monologue with a quotation that explains the utility of a soliloquy, and how it can reveal insights into a character. Hamlet says “But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”, this is apparently ironic because Hamlet is speaking it out loud to the audience, yet in reality he is just musing to himself. This soliloquy lays the groundwork for Hamlet as a character, and for Hamlet as a

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