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2 pages/≈550 words
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Literature & Language
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Essay
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English (U.S.)
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Assignment M7a1: The Play Hamlet - To Be Or Not To Be?

Essay Instructions:

There are several key questions to address when performing a close analysis of Hamlet’s soliloquy. Thesequestions, listed below, should be used to structure your essay.This short essay should be between 500-700 words. You should draw examples from both the play and atleast two of the soliloquy performances listed below. You can use the performances to illustrate how the text,when spoken by an actor, still conveys a certain meaning. Your decisions about the meaning of the text shouldbe drawn from both your reading of it and viewing of the performances. What is Hamlet asking himself? What relationship does this question hold to his ongoing decision as to whether or not he should act onthe ghost’s information? Does Hamlet explicitly answer his question by the conclusion of the soliloquy? If so, what is thisanswer? Is there any answer given at all?Please see these links to the performances:- Hamlet’s Soliloquies: [Video File] [06 min 55 sec]https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=6ThbBGdatM&feature=share&list=PLCFC9E77663CBB735- Hamlet’s Journey [Video File] [06 min 47 sec] https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=wsab-KuUMuQ- Olivier’s Hamlet Film (1948): To Be or Not To Be Soliloquy [Video File] [04 min 35 sec]https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=5ks-NbCHUns- David Tennant’s version of Hamlet in the following BBC YouTube clip (2009) [Video File] [03 min 02sec] https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=xYZHb2xo0OI- Kenneth Branagh’s version of Hamlet in his movie https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=h7TgTb_0wsg- And on a humorous note, here’s Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version as seen in Last Action Hero [Video File][01 min 44 sec] https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=8Z9Ismh1elMWebsites:If you want to read Hamlet online, I would recommend the version at Shakespeare’s Words Web site becauseit gives both line numbers and definitions of words not commonly used in modern English.http://www(dot)shakespeareswords(dot)com/Hamlet

Essay Sample Content Preview:

M7A1: To be or not to be
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M7A1: To be or not to be
Shakespeare’s Soliloquy in the play Hamlet, “to be or not to be”, presents Hamlet’s thoughts about life and death. The soliloquy in Act III scene I is one of the famous quotes of William Shakespeare, who presents the dilemma facing Hamlet. Hamlet reviews whether to kill himself or continue living in depression. The speech highlights how Hamlet is unsure of himself and his thoughts. Hamlet hesitates between these two extreme points after the ghost of his father tells him that Claudius is responsible for his death (Hopkins, 2015).
Hamlet contemplates whether he should continue or not continue living as he is faced without difficult choices in life. Throughout the speech, it is obvious that Hamlet is not sure of what to do. Hamlet wants to revenge the death of his father. He intends to kill Claudius, Hamlet is not sure of the consequences of his actions (Hopkins, 2015). In his speech, Hamlet view life as full of hardships and wonders if he needs to continue living. For him, life has two options, to suffer the slings and arrow of outrageous fortune or take arms against a sea of trouble (Shakespeare, 2015).
Using connotation, Shakespeare portrays a Hamlet’s view of life, terming life as a constant battle. When Hamlet utters the question “to be or not to be, there is no doubt that he is thinking of dying. Hamlet describes death as, “an undiscovered country, from which no traveler returns” (Shakespeare, 2015). Hamlet view death as something heroic, through death, one is remembered in history (Hopkins, 2015). The description of death by Hamlet shows that he is trying to convince himself that death is associated with pleasure and mystery...
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