Without soliloquies we have little understanding of Hamlet's state of mind. Do you agree?

Authors Avatar

Charlie Matthews 12CAS 09/05/2007

Without soliloquies we have little understanding of Hamlet’s state of mind.

Do you agree?

The term ‘soliloquy,’ when defined in literary terms, is described as ‘a dramatic convention which allows a character in a play to speak directly to the audience about his motives, feelings and decisions as if he were thinking aloud. Part of the convention is that a soliloquy provides accurate access to the character’s innermost thoughts: we learn more about the character than could ever be gathered from the actions of the play.’ Therefore, by definition, we have a considerably weaker understanding of a text without soliloquies.

Soliloquies played a major part in many Elizabethan plays as they served as a useful narration device for the audience and gave them a clear insight into the character’s feelings, motivation and reasons behind their actions at a specific point in a play. They also give the audience an idea of what the character may be doing later in the play as their future actions are also outlined in their soliloquies. It can also be noted that soliloquies take the format of the character’s line of thought, which furthers our understanding of the character’s mindset.

Shakespeare was acutely aware of the theatre’s dependence on the audience and his success, specifically with regard to Hamlet, was and is due to the fact that he never forgets the audience and seeks to involve them at every opportunity. The joy of an exciting plot is only achieved through the sophisticated means through which Shakespeare reveals the story line. Shakespeare’s master technique, particularly in Hamlet, is his use of soliloquies to achieve this effect. Following this argument, soliloquies are essential to our understanding as they reveal vital aspects of the plot and the essence of the play itself.

Join now!

After reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is clear that the soliloquies are particularly important because in the atmosphere of spying and intrigue where Hamlet constantly has to watch what he says, and in his assumed madness, it is only when he is alone that we can hope to learn his true feelings, and therefore gain true understanding. In addition, we must note that the soliloquies are Hamlet’s true perception of what is taking place: his interpretation of events. In this way, the audience is somehow forced to empathise with Hamlet and see at least some of the things that are ...

This is a preview of the whole essay