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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
COVER SHEET
SEMESTER II/IV

NAME OF THE STUDENT: Ashutosh Ranjan

SEMESTER: 2nd SECTION: A

CLASS ROLL NO: 041 EXAMINATION ROLL NO: ENGMA-24/041

COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT: Department of English (Faculty of Arts)

PAPER CODE: 120351201

PAPER NAME: 16th and 17th Century Drama

TITLE OF THE PAPER: Soliloquy as an effective strategy in Hamlet

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Full Name: Ashutosh Ranjan

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Ashutosh Ranjan

16th and 17th Century Drama

1 April 2025

“Soliloquy as an effective strategy in Hamlet”

William Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet, is a tragedy that probes the human

condition through its exploration of ambition, madness, and morality. At its core lies the

enigmatic Prince Hamlet, whose introspective soliloquies, Shakespeare skilfully employs a

powerful dramatic device, unveiling Hamlet’s inner struggles, philosophical dilemmas, and

emotional turmoil. Shakespeare’s soliloquies are often deliberately theatrical and consciously

aware of their dramatic setting, sometimes breaking the fourth wall between actor and

audience, but always playing with the idea of what “seems” and what “know[s] not ‘seems’”

Sometimes a soliloquy reveals subconscious mental conflict in the subtext of the language of

the soliloquist, conveying aspects of the character hidden from himself… it is the periodic

revelation of a character’s mind in soliloquy that gives a sense of encountering the character’s

truest self. The soliloquy is the only way in which he can, and needs to, “break out of this

unnatural situation and… speak his mind. We share both the relief that he experiences in

solitude and the need that he feels to watch his tongue in company”. Furthermore, “without

the soliloquies we would scarcely know anything of Hamlet’s self-accusations… [they] make

us aware of inner conflicts.

Soliloquies are a dramatic device used to reveal characters' inner thoughts, motives, and

feelings directly to the audience. They provide insight into characters' true selves, often

without deception. In Hamlet's case, his soliloquies are crucial for character development and

plot progression, as they showcase his self-discovery and inner turmoil. Through soliloquies,
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the audience gains a deeper understanding of Hamlet's thoughts and emotions. It also serves a

purpose as it shows a large development in Hamlet’s character; from a bloodthirsty revenger

and a self-critical performer, to a thoughtful academic. Hamlet’s soliloquies are so effective

that they view the mounting and changing thoughts of character capable of ending the play so

early when he first has reason to; maybe that is why Shakespeare close to make his character

an apparently weak-willed. Dover (1996) thinks, “The essential purport of the world-famous

soliloquy in Hamlet it tells us that this is not so, that this is not the end of things, that death is

not an absolute annihilation.” (P.234)

There are different opinions about Hamlet’s soliloquies – some critics argue that the speech

“to be or not to be” is not meant to be taken as soliloquy at all, rather as a further act of

feigned madness and melancholia directed towards Ophelia, particularly which Hamlet’s

resolute passion either side of this scene is considered. According to Voss, (2001). the

soliloquy highlights the central debate in revenge tragedy, using wordplay between "prey"

and "pray" to contrast human vengeance with divine justice. This emphasizes Hamlet's

dilemma and underscores key themes, including the distinction between mercy and

vengeance, reflection and action. Some critics also debate whether the king's first soliloquy

is truly a soliloquy or an aside, given Polonius's presence. Nonetheless, soliloquies are crucial

in Hamlet, providing insight into the prince's thoughts, feelings, and motivations. According

to Betty Bealey, (1996) Hamlet’s soliloquies are a highlight of the play, forming structural

pillars that support the narrative. They also reveal the complexities of Hamlet's personality,

showcasing his multifaceted nature. Without soliloquies, the play would lose its vital

meaning. Though the first soliloquy, themes such an anger, frustration and treachery are

developed. Shakespeare uses Hamlet to express their views, in the form of soliloquy. From

this it is clear that Hamlet is becoming depressed with the situation that he found himself in,

“How weary, stale flat and unprofitable” All of these words are negative and create an
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angered tone of voice, this would have been evident to the audience. The way that

Shakespeare allows the audience to see what is happening in Hamlet’s mind, leads them to

anticipate what will happen in the rest of the play, which would obviously endure their

interest. Hamlet's soliloquy reveals his desire to escape life's sufferings and his struggle with

integrity, questioning whether it's nobler to endure or defy life's challenges. His introspection

also explores the concept of truth. While some see Hamlet as profound, others view him as

intensely introverted and prone to sweeping generalizations. His soliloquies are crucial to

understanding his character and the play's logical coherence, illustrating key traits that

wouldn't be apparent without them. Hamlet's soliloquies are crucial to the play's plot and

character development. His decision to use "The Mousetrap" to uncover the truth about his

father's death is a pivotal moment, and his soliloquies provide insight into his thoughts and

emotions. The soliloquies also create atmosphere and reflect the Elizabethan concept of the

"great chain of being," which positions humans between angels and beasts, with reason and

intellect distinguishing them from animals. It is this dialectic which separates man from the

animal. It can thus be said that man traverses the realm between angel and beast, in terms of

his consciousness. According to E. M. W. Tillyard: “The conflicts of mature Shakespearean

tragedy are those between passions and reason. Shakespeare animates these conflicts by

stating with unique intensity the range of man’s affinities whether with angel and beast…in

other words by his living sense of man’s key position in the great chain of being.” (Tillyard,

1949, 76).

Contemporary plays inspired by Hamlet, such as Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern Are Dead" and Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," feature soliloquies

that differ from Shakespearean ones, these soliloquies use contemporary language, explore

themes, critique society, and experiment with form. They often have a more fragmented,

introspective, or ironic tone, reflecting the evolution of dramatic styles. Unlike

Shakespearean soliloquies, which reveal character's thoughts and emotions through poetic

language, contemporary ones offer diverse perspectives and approaches. Discounting those

words spoken upon the invasion of Fortinbras, all of Hamlet’s soliloquies occur within the

first two thirds of the play. There is a link here between inaction and action, demonstrated

through the pattern of soliloquies. Once Hamlet has decided to act, he shrugs off the need to

soliloquize. His obsession with the solitary acts as his tragic flaw, disabling him from the

ability to act and keeping him in a perpetual state of thought. Alternatively, Alex Newell

(1991) sees Shakespeare using the soliloquy as more than a dramatic function, but using the

collection of all seven to create “an intense dramatization of the human mind as the innermost

realm of consciousness” (18) and as such, “Shakespeare makes the mind itself and what

happens to it a major focus of the tragedy” (19). According to Newell, Hamlet’s mind is the

main focus, and this is more focused on his solitary state and his own metacognition than on

seeking revenge. Hamlet’s soliloquies are vital in establishing the mood and themes of the

play. “Without the soliloquies, Hamlet would remain an entertaining revenge drama.”

(Dreams, 2008) Hamlet’s soliloquies constitute a crucial and dramatic part of plat dynamics.

Often highly intimate, they do not merely reflect on the plays general happenings but are

interwoven into the action. Acting as portals into Hamlet’s psyche, they establish crucial

elements of character.

Work Cited

1. Bealey, Betty (1996). Hamlet-the Falcon Shakespeare

2. Dover (1966). The World as Will and Representation

3. Newell, Alexander (1991). The Soliloquies in Hamlet

4. Till yard, EWM (1949). Shakespeare's Problem Play

5. Voss, Paul J (2001). To Prey or Not to Prey