Shakespear To Be Or Not To Be

Essay, Research Paper

Shakespeare s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Act 3 Scene 1- To be, or not to be

Should I kill my fathers murderer, or not? What should I do? Would it be better for me to deal with my misfortunes, or should I fight against my many troubles. By fighting I might die; I will sleep, I will be no more. By dying, it will end my troubles and a thousand problems I would inherit. The wish to die consumes my thoughts. If I die maybe I will dream, but the one thing in my way is not knowing what will happen after I leave my mortal body, we must consider this the reason one would put up with a troublesome life. If we knew what was to come after death, who would put up with the pain and scares of such a long life; being wrongfully oppressed, the insults of others better than you, the troubles of untrue and lost love, the longevity of lawsuits, the disrespect of officials, and how when someone unworthy gets what they want because of their manipulative and conniving ways, but when it s time for them to pay their debts they would rather fight. Who would want to bear these burdens? To suffer in life only because we fear it could be worse after death, the unknown place, controlled by whom? No one has ever returned after death, it puzzles the mind, and makes us rather bear the ills we have than it possibly being worse after death if we killed ourselves. Our fear makes cowards of us all, and this natural thought of ending our lives is overcome by that little thought, which is much stronger considered, and we think about ending our lives no more, and loose any will we ever had of doing it. Be relaxed now, my dear madden Ophelia, in your prayer book. All my sins will be remembered.