Julia Mastrocinque

Livia Sacchetti

EN 245-1

May 8th, 2025

Between despair and duty: Analyzing Hamlet’s first soliloquy

In this passage from the play Hamlet, one of the main protagonists, Hamlet himself, is

having his first soliloquy, in which the main themes are the profound moral and existential

crises, that will define his tragic arc. From his words we can tell the feelings he is

experiencing, such as despair, disgust, and suspicion of corruption within the Royal family.

Far from a simple outburst of grief, this soliloquy is a meditation, words of thought,

questioning, doubting morality but also the nature of action itself, on whether to react or not.

The purpose of this essay is to analyze Hamlet’s first soliloquy to explore how Shakespeare

uses language, imagery, and classical allusions to reveal the protagonist’s inner turmoil,

moral conflict, and the foundational themes of decay, corruption, and existential despair that

shape the tragedy.

The first lines, “O, that this too too solid flesh ..., His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!”,

are used to emphasize Hamlet’s suicidal longing, focused on the use of metaphors with

resolution at their core. Secondly, the repetition of “too too”, intensifies the self-loathing he is

experiencing, and the imagery of something that “would melt” indicates the disintegration of

the physical and moral order. His wish to “resolve itself into a dew!”, evokes the theme of

mortality that will be one of the central themes in this play. Moreover, the use of the words

connected to the religious sphere such as: “Everlasting”, “O God! God!”, sharpen Hamlet’s

internal conflict. He does not commit suicide because the “Everlasting” has forbidden it.

The following lines, “How weary, stale, flat ..., Seem to me all the uses of this

world!” are a representation of the deep and profound control of his consciousness that
Hamlet has, even though he is represented as both compelling and tragic. These words

highlight the despair and moral obligation he is facing. “Fie on’t! ‘tis an unweeded garden, ...

merely” is one of the first metaphors that serves as a critique for both society and nature. The

corrupted society is referring to the world in which Hamlet lives, Denmark, now under

Claudius. It is also a directly connected image of the Biblical Eden implying a tragic fall

under the new king. For Hamlet, what Claudius has been doing until this moment is

illegitimate, unnatural and a violation of the moral and divine order. After his comments of

disgust, Hamlet remembers his father’s death and his mother’s betrayal. With his words

Hamlet is making a comparison using the “Hyperion to a satyr”, this is a mythological

reference that goes back to the Greeks; Hyperion was a sun God, that would represent

Hamlet, and Claudius (the “satyr”) portrayed as a beast. With the words, "As if increase of

appetite had grown”, Hamlet portrays Claudius, as a beast that has hunger for power and

success.

Following this part, we see Hamlet overwhelmed by incredulity from his mother

Gertrude, and how quickly she moved from one man to another in very little time as said

here: “and yet, within a month”. Moreover, the words “Frailty, thy name is a woman!” is a

gendered critique condensed by Hamlet’s disillusionment, addressing not only his mother,

but all women and it is important because it also anticipates his misogyny towards Ophelia

later on in the play. For Hamlet it is not just a matter of lack of trust, being almost sexist

during those times, his behavior and words are all connected to his emotional trauma and his

collapsed world. From “A little month ..., my poor father’s body”, Hamlet is shocked by how

quickly his mother has remarried so soon, that the shoes she wore to King Hamlet’s funeral

are not yet worn out. Again, there is another reference to the Greek mythology, “Like Niobe,

... even she-”, this time Niobe is Gertrude, we have Hamlet that is sarcastically comparing the

two for the way of showing grief, suggesting that it was all a performance rather than actual
mourning for the death of the loved one. The animal imagery is again portrayed; Hamlet is

comparing Gertrude to a beast that “Would have mourn’d longer”, condemning her mother’s

actions but also self-reflecting on the despair he has toward human nature. Hamlet sees his

uncle Claudius as much inferior to his father, and he still is revolted by the marriage between

him and his mother. The comparison with Hercules, known for his virtue and strength, is not

occasional, he is implying that Claudius is weak and corrupt. He is also pointing out again

how her mother’s tears as soon as they were gone, made her marry again, “Ere yet the salt ...,

she married”.

In the last part of this act, the sentences “O most wicked seed, ... incestuous sheets!”,

reflect the Elizabethan and Jacobean era, in which Shakespeare lived, make a connection to

the taboo against marrying a deceased husband’s brother. Hamlet language in this part is

charged with disgust and moral outrage. To finish with these last lines, “It is not nor it cannot

come to good;”, Hamlet, foreshadows how tragic the marriage between his mother and uncle

will be, suggesting that nothing good could come from such moral corruption. The soliloquy

ends with Hamlet’s sense of helplessness. “But break, my heart” are strong words that

emphasize his shattered emotions, feeling unable to speak out. This kind of repression is a

key aspect of his tendency to internalize rather than react.