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Juhch deicls dun fo olevidle cs Kerngolom ano dus Aho olsuy hls. misbebemate ai a pe PY hav soncenin Or iat light do the soliloquies of Hamlet on his ch 1S character? ‘Ans. Introduction. Soliloquies are used to reveal i q acharacter: There are oceasions when a SoH ne inner mind sores the feelings in the presence of others. The i ee openly mes his useful device by means of which the dre oliloquy then fore the readers the secret thoughts and feelings ato says bare “hile at the same time preserving it as a secret to ite si ae lay? Through the soliloquy the dramatist reveals the d ee _ gfthe character and also the mental progress or een eee . Further it th i aber character. Burt pe Tows more light on other characters through te speaker’s opinion of others. It also contributes to the development of the plot and tells of events which have happened off the stage Some critics point out that this dramatic device is artif and unnatural, but then so is drama which is only an imitation of life and not adtual Tife. So such dramatic devices should be appreciated on ‘their merits if they contribute to the interest and suspense of the play: Whether we accept the dramatic value of this device or not, we have toaccept Shakespeare’s skill in using it in his plays, especially in his ies. Shakespeare makes such an effective use of this device that we were to remove the soliloquies from his tragic plays, the plays ld be left the poorer. : ; The Soliloquies of Hamlet. Hamlet's soliloquies stand out as ntial pillars of the dramatic structure. Such ‘Tragical speeches,’ in the characters give vent to their feelings, were accepted by ‘audiences very much as, in later times, were the arias of Opera in which the chief characters gave expresso to their . A character given to speculative thought would be more indulge in soliloquies than a man of action. Hence we find quies in Hamlet than in any of the other tragedies, In these TEP with relentless sincerity, settles accounts with thoughts that spring from the very depths of his being. a number of soliloquies in Hamlet, most of these by the hero BY pier characters. Hines 12 iitst Soliloquy (Act I, Scene Ul, Lines ) 0 BP Tscy % a most important of all for gues 2 se ling of Hamlet's character. The first soliloquy Sa 'e King and Queen have commented on his 9-159). Schucking ar434 ia, amvlancholy over the death of his father. They ask him to cast of hig deep melancholy and Hamlet in this soliloquy gives vent to his grieg that has been gnawing at his heart for quite a long time. More than that ras hs have passed. Still Hamlet is mourning the death of jj te raete deplores his mother’s character. Not even two months have passed and even before “those shoes were old with which sha Pallowed his poor father’s body”, she has married a man who tow erior to her old husband. Her over-hasty marriage, which he considers ‘an incestuous affair’ makes him believe that women a aa eeend inconsistent creatures; he generalises “Frailty thy name i weak a This “most wicked speed” of his mother plunges him into 4 ‘rood of deep-depression and loathsome disgust with the world ang the affairs of the world How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of the world! He compares the world to an “unweeded garden” in which rank and gross things grow in abundance. He no longer wishes to live in | such a world and wishes to have his “too too solid flesh” melt into dew. He wishes that if only God had not set his canon against self- slaughter, he could have killed himself to get rid of the persistin grief and the wicked world. This soliloquy reveals Hamlet's ened to universalise an idea from a particular instance. This generalisation speaks of a-philosophic mind which delights in speculating without the urge to action, This speculating nature accounts for his delay in executing the order of the Ghost for revenge. Hi isat reveals that Hamlet has lost faith i See ee eat in the goodness of human nature. It vs light on the character of Hamlet’s dead father who was an | affectionate husband and an excellent King, Hamlet's filial attachment ‘is dead father is also revealed. It furth kes us look down upon Claudius and Gert pea aereidtionat SE iciee Hitter tee portray him as a well-versed man in classical Uneratine, Thus the frst Be iorayiiscleipaints a-Vivid ohtea et Graaict oka eat Pa Meera oHie concn ci cart = apathy, disgust with life—all'gesces cae weet acain in His saltigguites, pear again and again in his The i Bie ee enon fh SSENA es ge 12). The a the rede SRO Ree let's meeting with the Ghost. It expresses cpesuide shock he has sustained. The Ghost has not only made ions but has also imposed upon him the duty ® Beene his fe'her’s death. Hamlet determines to wipe out all othe! Wer ebuvrwerA UN Clso gr cae University Questions with Answers 435 oughts from his mind and to S86; thoandient, He then deplores the vit A ‘ging damned villain’ and the inconsistency of C pemictous woman.’ Hamlet's determination to re: pals words create an impression of active and ambit ce moe Gite are only deceived by his words, for the more hone jess capable he becomes of direct action. Here te aa tome thinker, the pure young man to whom villainy in a ra rata strange phenomenon. This soliloquy intioduces hes ~ ‘ revenge for the first time. meals © ‘The Third Soliloquy. (Act II, Scene Il, Lines 543-601). In th soliloquy Hamlet accuses himself for his delay in e rine the Ghost’s order. No one can be more harsh on Hamer on eae 4 neglecting his duty than Hamlet himself. For, havi Se Ree actin players can put forth about the death of Pra a reer eG reek teeerd of many centuries pect, he cannot Stak himself what emotion the players would have ocprenentad aoe yee lost a father at the hands of a cruel and cunning puscere He regards himself as “a dull and muddy mettled rascal” oe ae and peasant slave”, for he has done nothing to avenge ee ers death He calls himself a coward and declares that he a pe an not, like a whore, unpack my heart with words and = ‘sing like a very drab”. He feeds his anger with wicked ughts of his uncle as “a bloody, bawdy villain, remorseless, 'racherous, lecherous, kindless villain!” so that he could execute the eance immediately. Thus at the end of the soliloquy we see him ung to enact the “Mousetrap” play to “catch the conscience of the tve only the G e Ghost’ lainous nature of Cl nid “la s zertrude as ‘most mere makes further progress here. Hamlet is going to get the °n Cla cted to confirm Claudius’s guilt and test truth of the Ghost’s uudius’s treachery. This doubt regarding the honesty of the is totally inconsistent with his previous thoughts. A.C. Bradley ang pes that “Hamlets self-reproaches, his curses on his enemy, the identi lexity about his own action, one and all imply his faith in doyyhemtity and truthfulness of the Ghost Evidently this sudden of Which there has not been the slightest trace before, is No @bUbH tis an unconscious fiction, an excuse for his delay” quy thus empha: Hamlet's 1s his self-contempt, but this and for j SPecula its continuance,” This solilo dispugr 8 and inactive nature. It reveal only lea only leads to his inaction.)436 Ha The Fourth Soliloquy. (Act III, Scene 1, Lines 56-89). This ic most celebrated of soliloquies and occurs at the beginning of 4 nunnery-scene. Hamlet again reverts to the thought of 5, Hamlet is torn within his mind. He does not know which he sh, choose—whether silently to suffer the cruelties of fate or against the misfortunes of life. He reflects on the mysteries of death. He wishes to commit suicide for he thinks that in sleep forget all the evils of life. But what scares man and preven committing suicide is the thought of the unexplored and life after death. The known, however bad it is, is not so te the unknown. The fear of this thought makes men cowards Thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought. This soliloquy constitutes one of the finest poetic pas masterpiece that reveals the universal fear of death. S moment of dejection and despair, this soliloquy gives us into the character of Hamlet. It reveals Hamlet's cyni melancholy, his jrresolution and partly his conscience to controversy and his scrupulous nature. It further show speculative mind and his incapability-for any premeditated planned action. Above all it emphasises his delay and to shows the mental torture he is undergoing due to his inc The Fifth Soliloquy. (Act III, Scene II, Lines 37°— Hamlet is about to meet his mother he speaks this solilogw . is angry with his mother and his disgust with her makes thus. He thinks it is the best time for him to ‘drink hot bloo even the day ‘would quake to look on’. He wants to be crue! mother and to kill her. At the same time he wants to re Ghost’s words and does not want to follow the action of Nero determines to ‘speak daggers” to her and wishes ‘his to: in this be hypocrites’ in that he will not use any da soliloquy throws light on Hamlet's refinement of nature, ®°S his father’s Ghost’s words and his love for his mother. _ The Sixth Soliloquy. (Act Ill, Scene III, Lines soliloquy occurs on his way to meet his mother in the closet. He SS the King at prayer and gets an opportunity to kill hit “4 opportunity for which he has been longing so far. And yet og not act: Now might I do it pat, how he is praying. And now I will do it. And so he “s to heaven;niversity Questions with Answers gett 437 tat the moment when he should act, he begins ua killed his father without even giving him deine t and hence he must be paying the divine pa fedeeds and sins. So Hamlet should also kill Claudius not while going a good act like praying which would send him to ene he indulges in some evil deeds like pat when When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, grin the incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game, a swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in’t. Such is his reasoning. Bradley says that this reasoning is now gnerally recognised as an unconscious excuse for delay, for his Sconing sounds unconvincing. Anyhow, as usual, this soliloquy too further emphasises his delay and procrastinating nature. This sdiloquy forms the crisis of the play. The Seventh and the Last Soliloquy. (Act IV, Scene IV, Lines 32~ 66). Hamlet’s failure to seize the occasion and put an end to Claudius, leads us on to this final soliloquy by a gradual process From his talk with the captain, Hamlet comes to know that young fortinbras is prepared to risk his life and the lives of his twenty- thousand Soldiers for the sake of his honour. This nature of Fortinbras again stirs up his revenge motive and his conscience pricks him as it does often. When young Fortinbras does all these things for the sake ‘ofhonour, why has he not done anything when he has “cause and Will and strength and means to do it.” He tries to find out the cause for his delay: Whether it be Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple Of thinking too precisely on the event— “nied then thinks over the purpose of mat ‘i of men is to sleep.and feed, he consi ers the! 3 beast He realizes fay that God has not endowed us with ae faba ity and god-like reason To fust in us unused. pice te tmines, “from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, aed tng 8 Worth!” In spite of this determination we see him inactive Mtil the enemy takes the initiative. Thus this soliloquy too eee tresoluti ination. What Hamlet 'Phasises his irresolution and procrast! arengthens hilosophises in this soliloquy are universal truths and it steed Beneralisi sh his conscience pricks hi ung metalising nature. Even thoug Prency in him S him to execute the revenge, the natural deficiency ents him from prompt action. creation by God. If the m not more than a438 Hamil The Soliloquies of Claudius. There are three soliloguies Claudius which throw more light on his villainous and wich of behaviour and we get a glimpse of his conscience which is stil ald His first soliloquy is exactly an ‘aside’ in which he reflects upon ig heavy weight that lies upon-his heart. This aside shows that the memory of the murder he has committed still haunts him and he ¢ not at peace. So for the first time we come to know that hig conscience is not completely dead. In the next soliloquy, we get a more vivid picture of his pricking conscience. The King, for the first time, repents for his sins and wants to pray to God to purge his sins, He kneels down to pray. But his guilty conscience would not allow him to do so. Through Claudius’s soliloquies Shakespeare shows that Claudius is not a hardened criminal, but an ordinary man with no peace of mind on account of his evil deeds. In the third soliloquy he schemes to kill Hamlet in England through his sealed orders to the King of England. He plans a second murder even before he succeeds to come out of the guilt of his first murder. The Soliloquy of Ophelia. At the end of the nunnery-scene occurs Ophelia’s soliloquy where she expresses her grief over the ‘overthrown’ coridition of Hamlet and her own pitiful condition “of ladies most deject and wretched” for she is deprived of her love and her lover has lost his senses. This soliloquy throws more light on the character of Hamlet, as he used to be before his father’s death and his mother’s over-hasty marriage: The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword, Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form, Th’ observed of all observers. It further throws light on his insanity—that such an “observed °! all observers is quite, quite down!” and “the noble mind is over thrown.” ‘ Conclusion, Thus the soliloquies in Hamlet serve the dramave purpose of revealing the hero’s character. There can be little dou that Shakespeare uses the soliloquy effectively and artistically " Hamlet. Nowhere does it seem out of place or palpably artifici ‘i Indeed, practically in every instance, it appears inevit far necessary. If Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark is the will without the grain, the Prince of Denmark without the soliloquie® be'an elusive shadow, a character without a personality: It Wo noticeable that the soliloquies are also indicative of advance n° in the sense that they let the audience know what the next step be.