Friday, March 7, 2014
Life?
Suicide is an important theme in Hamlet. Discuss how the play treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56–88). Why does Hamlet believe that, although capable of suicide, most human beings choose to live, despite the cruelty, pain, and injustice of the world?
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Suicide is a popular and important theme in Hamlet. There are many instances where Hamlet is contemplating suicide. The main reason that he is thinking about suicide so often is because he is young and immature. Like most young adults they become angry with things, and look for escapes. This is the case with Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteThe first time that Hamlet discusses his thoughts about suicide was right after he was denied the opportunity to leave the country for an opportunity to study elsewhere. He instantly became angry and thought that suicide might be the answer. He beings talking about what he thinks of suicide and says that he would kill himself if it was not against God's laws. He also talks about why people fear death, leading to not wanting to commit suicide. Hamlet says that people are afraid of what will come after they die. He says that people are unsure of whether or not there is a real afterlife. This is something that people have to think about before they die, and Hamlet beeves that they are not willing to take that chance and believe that there truly is. This fear that people have to carry with them is the real reason for people not committing suicide.
Although Catholics believe in an afterlife they do not believe that they can control when people die. Suicide is a way of controlling the way that people die, therefore, it is unacceptable. This is the view that Hamlet takes of suicide. From a moral perspective suicide is wrong because people should not want to die. They should rejoice that they are permitted to live. People who are atheists do not believe in God, nor an Afterlife. This makes them the group of people who would be most accepting of suicidal actions.
Luke Kraus,
DeleteYour blog focuses on many solid points about Hamlet and the idea of suicide. I really like how you incorporated how he is "young and immature" and he frequently looks to suicide as an escape. Good thought! I totally agree with you that he does not commit suicide because it is "against God's law". I respect how you took it a step further and related it to Catholicism. Very nicely done, Kraus!
Kraus,
DeleteI think it was good of you to focus on the fact that Hamlet is "young and immature." A lot of the times that he contemplates committing suicide it seems that he is kind of being a bit pouty, but maybe that is just my opinion. It was also good that you related Hamlet and the notion of suicide to Catholicism. Nice job!
Luke Kraus,
DeleteNice solid blog this week. You did focus on the point of young and immature, and I found that relatable as I put a little bit of that in my blog too. You had a lot of good facts in there. Nice job.
To be or not to be, that is not the question of today. The question is, “Who would bear the torments of the world we live in when he could settle everything himself with a mere dagger?” Why do humans not just end everything when times are tough and trying, and they are living in despair? Hamlet’s theory is that “the dread of something after death makes us ambivalent and makes us choose to bear the troubles that we have, rather than fly to others that we know nothing about.” In other words, humans do not commit suicide because of the fear of the unknown that awaits them after death. They rather bear the burdens and hardships they experience in the real world than travel to an unknown realm that they will never return from. Those are Hamlet’s thoughts on suicide, and it is also how the play views suicide aesthetically.
ReplyDeleteHamlet feels this way because he views suicide as a mortal sin against God, and as a let down to his father. He fears that if he commits suicide, that he is risking the opportunity of eternal rest with God. He questions in his mind why should a human end his troubles and hardships on earth to risk an eternity of peace above after life? This is how the play views the idea of suicide morally and religiously.
To be or not to be? To sleep or not to sleep? Hamlet chooses not to sleep because he fears that if he takes his own life that he may also take his chance to have eternal peace and happiness after death.
Rachel Glatt,
DeleteYou're blog this week was really good. You are absolutely right when you say Hamlet is afraid of the afterlife. He is totally scared of it. Just a thought, it also seems that Hamlet says that conscience and knowledge gets in the way of being able to kill himself. Nice job, Rachel.
Rachel,
DeleteI also think that you had a great blog this week. Ha,let is definitely afraid of what's to come after his life on Earth. This is probably the main reason why he doesn't kill himslef. He knows that he will not have a happy life after Earth if he does kill himself. I also agree that consience gets in the way as well. Great job,
Suicide is a very prevalent theme in Hamlet. He is constantly asking himself if he really has any reason to live. He always seems to think not, but for some reason he just keeps on living. What is it that keeps Hamlet from making the ultimate choice of death?
ReplyDeleteHamlet seems to view suicide as religiously wrong. He always worries that he will be sent to hell for committing a sin upon himself. He believes in God's presence and in an afterlife, and therefore he is not able to kill himself. Hamlet fully believes that it is against his religious beliefs to kill himself. He also frowns upon it from a moral standard. Hamlet finds that suicide is morally wrong. He isn't really sure if he would ever be able to actually kill himself, but the moral standard of his conscience holds him back once again. He is unable to morally accept suicide. Aesthetically, however, the notion of killing himself is pleasing to Hamlet. He wishes that he would be able to make the ultimate sacrifice in his own death. He thinks that his world would be alright if it would only end. He wishes that he could die, but at the same time he knows that he must live.
Hamlet wonders why people stay alive in such a cruel and miserable world. There are many different reasons for this. One of them is that one's own conscience prevents them from being able to go through with it. Knowledge eventually gets the better of them, and they can not kill themselves. Another reason that these people stay alive is because they love someone. When you love someone you do not wish to leave them alone in a cruel world. They are the smaller glimmer of hope that makes the pain hurt a little less. Without life there can not be love, and that is a reason for people to stay alive in an unjust world. Hamlet also fears what will become of him in the afterlife. He is worries that once he dies he will not find his place in heaven, and he will never find the glory of God if he ends his own life.
Megan,
DeleteI totally agree with you that Hamlet would not commit suicide because it is against his religion. I agree that he is afraid of the afterlife this is because he knows that he will not go to Heavan if he kills himself. Even though he wants to take the easy way out he doesn't.
Megan,
DeleteOoh. I liked your blog this week. It seems the general class consensus if that Hamlet primarily is staying alive because it is against his faith, which is true. However, I liked that you included some additional or alternative reasons. I liked the bit about love. I do agree, I think that Hamlet loved Ophelia and certainly her, him. Her own suicide is a reflection of this need for love in life. Nice job.
Megan,
DeleteNice job! I thought that your ideas were exactly what I was thinking. I think that the religion played a large role in his decision not to commit suicide. I also think that the idea of an afterlife had an impact. Nice blog!
Suicide is a major theme in Hamlet. Hamlet seems to contemplate suicide because his world is tainted with grief, sin and revenge. Hamlet cannot understand why anyone would want to live in this world if it is so bad. However, Hamlet continues to live maybe because he wants to complete revenge for his father, but maybe it's is because he holds put hope that his world will change and justice will be served.
ReplyDeleteThe major reason that Hamlet doesn't t commit suicide is that it is against his faith. He knows that it is wrong to end his life which I think holds him back. His conscience tells him that it is wrong. He knows that there will not be a spot in Heaven for him if he commits such as a sin. As suicide. He also feels that his father would be greatly disappointed in him if he killed himself. Maybe because his father seeks revenge for his unrighteous death but probably because he wants his son to live as long as he can and find happiness in such a distressed kingdom.
Hamlet agrees with our beliefs in which that suicide is morally wrong. Hamlet decides to live instead of just taking the easy way out and killing himself. Hamlet decides to live due to his religion and possibility the shame that he would experience from his father in the afterlife if he did commit suicide. In the famous to be or not to be Hamlet decides to be instead of wimping out.
Michaela,
DeleteIt definitely does appear that Hamlet is observing his faith in continuing on with life. He knows it is morally wrong and, therefore, he cannot bring himself to do it. I personally feel that religion becomes a much more subdue component of his choice as the play goes on. Later it seems to be driven by fear. Though fear of God is necessary so to is love and faith. Hamlet is so interesting...anyways, I definitely see what you were saying in your blog. It was good. Nice job!
Michaela,
DeleteYou had a really good interpretation in your blog. In the last paragraph you connected with the fact that Hamlet knows it is morally wrong to commit suicide. This kind of primed his decision not to commit suicide, and then as the other comment says, fear made him not do it at the end. Nice blog!
Suicide is obviously a prevalent theme in the work of Hamlet. Shakespeare establishes that as early as act 1. And that theme is coming into consummation with the recent death of Ophelia...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the way that Hamlet views suicide throughout the work seems to shift. In Act 1 his soliloquy illustrates that his life is hanging in the balance, he is seriously contemplating taking his own life. However, he feels a religious obligation not to as he says "Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter." Most of this oration is dedicated not so much to the actual idea of suicide as it is to resolving not to because of God, and then justifying why it is he feels such a dark sensation. This is where the audience learns of all the offenses his family has committed in the last two months. The prince resolves early to "hold his tongue" and continue on living.
Now, several acts later in Act 3 Hamlet continues this fight against death by his own hand. This speech concentrates much more on an alternative reason that people remain alive and choose life instead of death. It is simply this, fear. The "dreams" after our internal sleep are what keep us on earth, because we fear the unknown. Perhaps one of my personal favorite lines in the play thus far makes reference to this fear of not knowing in that "conscience does make cowards of us all."
This shift from religion to fear shows a shift in Hamlet to. I personally do not think the spirit to be of a friendly origin. Even if he is actually the prince's father, no truly good spirit forces an earthly being to play God and make judgements so detrimental to their moral character. I believe that Hamlet's later disregard for the religious component of this choices illustrates his being pulled further away from God. We know that he is seeking a means to an end. He is not taking into consideration the moral implications of his actions (Polonius.) Though at this point in the play the murder has not yet been committed this is a foreshadowing for future wrong doings.
Hamlet's discussions of suicide through different points in the work really reveal a lot about his character and the internal journey his mind and soul take throughout his revenge.
From a moral standpoint, suicide is always wrong. God is the person, well if wouldn't really even call him a person, that chooses the events of life in the universe. He decides where and when people die and his law is supposed to be final. Humans just think that they can end their lives and they'll be alright with that. But it is God who determines when life is brought in and out of the world.
ReplyDeleteHamlet in this play is obviously not mature enough to handle the situation at hand. He needs to get him self out of his situation, and this is why he is contemplating suicide. He knows he is young and immature, too immature to not know how to handle everyone dying and turning their backs on each other. At this point the play is too chaotic for Hamlet to handle. But heck, that's what the whole rest of the play is for, to see if Hamlet pulls through or not.
From his soliloquies, I'm guessing (bear with me on my interpretation) that he is wondering why in the world people stay alive on this miserable earth! I guess he is just the miserable one. He needs something to propel him forward in life. Maybe a new understanding of faith could do that. Unfortunately, I don't think that's happening the way this book is going so far, with only an act or two left. Apparently a lot of people die at the end, so I wouldn't be surprised if he committed suicide.
But on another note, I think that Hamlet would need to find some help. We all know that, in all three views, suicide is wrong no matter how you look at it. But the way you treat it can be crucial to survival, and in this case, someone's reputation. Obviously hamlet has a terrible reputation. Hamlet is a coward in the views of others, but that because he's going through some hard times. He needs to calm down and find someone to talk to, and get himself out of this mess before something had happens in Act V.
Matt Bobby,
DeleteNice job. I think that you had some good points. I agree with your point that he was not mature enough to handle the situation. I thought that this had a large impact on the entire situation. Also, I agree that Hamlet needs help. He cannot do it himself and needs help from someone else. Nice job
Matt Bobby,
DeleteYour discussion of suicide is very insightful. It definitely is wrong in the eyes of Catholics. You are somewhat correct in saying that Hamlet is immature of how he handles some situations, but at least he has not committed suicide, yet. Also, his soliloquies focus a lot on why people do not commit suicide, such as it is not morally correct or against God's law. Other than that, great blog, Matt!