what is the meaning of to be or not to be soliloquy

Soliloquy in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet

Comparison of the "To be, or non to be" soliloquy in the beginning iii editions of Hamlet, showing the varying quality of the text in the Bad Quarto, the Good Quarto and the First Folio

"To be, or not to exist" is the opening phrase of a soliloquy^[a] given by Prince Hamlet in the and then-called "nunnery scene" of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide, bemoaning the pain and unfairness of life simply acknowledging that the alternative might be worse. The opening line is i of the about widely known and quoted lines in modern English language, and the soliloquy has been referenced in innumerable works of theatre, literature, and music.

Text [edit]

This version preserves most of the First Folio text with updated spelling and five common emendations introduced from the 2d ("Adept") Quarto (italicised).^[1]

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the heed to endure
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Artillery against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing finish them: to dice, to slumber
No more; and by a sleep, to say we terminate
The heart-ache, and the thou natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,
To slumber, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub,
For in that slumber of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us suspension. There'due south the respect
That makes Calamity of and so long life:
For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,
The Oppressor'south wrong, the proud human being'south Contumely,
The pangs of dispised Love, the Constabulary'south filibuster,
The insolence of Office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would Fardels bear, [F: these Fardels]
To grunt and sweat nether a weary life,
But that the dread of something afterward death,
The undiscovered state, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather deport those ills we take,
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does brand cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of Resolution
Is sicklied o'er, with the pale bandage of Thought,
And enterprises of swell pitch and moment, [F: pith]
With this regard their Currents turn awry, [F: away]
And lose the name of Activity. Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons
Exist all my sins remember'd.

Kickoff Quarto (1603) [edit]

The "First Quarto" (Q1) is the earliest edition of Hamlet but is considered a bad quarto (substantially a theatrical knock-off) rather than a first or before draft, and although some parts of Q1 reflect the received text of Hamlet well, its version of "To exist" does not. "Promise" in place of "dread", for example, considerably changes the meaning. For ease of comparison the spelling hither is updated as higher up.^{[ii] [iii]}

To be, or not to be, Ay there'south the bespeak,
To Dice, to sleep, is that all? Yep all:
No, to sleep, to dream, yes marry there information technology goes,
For in that dream of death, when we awake,
And borne earlier an everlasting Approximate,
From whence no passenger ever returned,
The undiscovered country, at whose sight
The happy smile, and the accursed damn'd.
Only for this, the joyful hope of this,
Who'd bear the scorns and flattery of the earth,
Scorned by the right rich, the rich cursed of the poor?
The widow being oppressed, the orphan wrong'd,
The sense of taste of hunger, or a tyrants reign,
And thousand more calamities besides,
To grunt and sweat under this weary life,
When that he may his full Quietus make,
With a bare bodkin, who would this endure,
Simply for a promise of something after death?
Which puzzles the brain, and doth confound the sense,
Which makes u.s.a. rather bear those evils we accept,
Than fly to others that we know not of.
Aye that, O this conscience makes cowards of us all,
Lady in thy orizons, be all my sins remembered.

Second Quarto (1604) [edit]

The text of the Second Quarto (Q2) is considered the earliest version of the play. In Q2 the whole nunnery scene including "To be" takes place later in the play than in Q1 where information technology occurs straight after Claudius and Polonius accept planned information technology^[4] and the addition of "Soft you now", suggesting that Village has non (or is feigning having not) seen Ophelia thus far during his oral communication.^[v]

To be, or not to be, that is the question,
Whether 'tis nobler in the heed to endure
The slings and arrows of outragious fortune,
Or to have Artillery against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, finish them, to die to sleep
No more than, and past a slumber, to say we terminate
The heart-anguish, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir too; tis a consumation
Devoutly to be wish'd to die to sleep,
To sleep, perhance to dream, ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of decease what dreams may come up
When we haue shuffled off this mortal coil
Muſt giue vs pauſe, there'southward the reſpect
That makes calamitie of ſo long life:
For who would beare the whips and ſcorns of fourth dimension,
Th'oppreſſors wrong, the proude mans contumly,
The pangs of deſpiz'd loue, the lawes delay,
The inſolence of function, and the ſpurnes
That patient merrit of the'vnworthy takes,
When he himſelfe might his quietas brand
With a bare bodkin; who would fardels beare,
To grunt and ſweat vnder a wearie life,
But that the dread of ſomething subsequently expiry,
The vndiſcouer'd country, from whose borne
No trauiler returnes, puzzels the will,
And makes vs rather beare thoſe ills nosotros haue,
So flie to others we know not of.
Thus conſcience dooes brand cowards,
And thus the natiue hiew of reſolution
Is ſickled ore with the pale caſt of thought,
And enterpriſes of neat pitch and moment,
With this regard theyr currents turne awry,
And loose the name of activity. Soft you at present,
The faire Ophelia, Nimph in thy orizons
Exist all my ſinnes remembred.

First Folio (1623) [edit]

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, published by Isaac Jaggard and Ed Blount in 1623 and better known equally the "First Folio", includes an edition of Hamlet largely similar to the 2d Quarto. The differences in "To exist" are mostly typographic, with increased punctuation and capitalization.^[6]

To be, or not to be, that is the Question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outragious Fortune,
Or to take Armes confronting a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing cease them: to dye, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we terminate
The Center-ake, and the thouſand Naturall ſhockes
That Flesh is heyre besides? 'Tis a consummation
Deuoutly to be wiſh'd. To dye to sleepe,
To slumber, perchance to Dream; I, there'south the rub,
For in that slumber of decease, what dreams may come,
When nosotros haue ſhufflel'd off this mortall coile,
Muſt giue us pause. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of long life:
For who would beare the Whips and Scornes of fourth dimension,
The Oppreſſors incorrect, the poore mans Contumely,
The pangs of diſpriz'd Loue, the Lawes delay,
The inſolence of Role, and the Spurnes
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himſelfe might his Quietus brand
With a bare Bodkin? Who would theſe Fardles beare
To grunt and ſweat vnder a weary life,
But that the dread of ſomething afterward decease,
The vndiſcouered Countrey, from whoſe Borne
No Traueller returnes, Puzels the volition,
And makes vs rather beare those illes we haue,
Then flye to others that nosotros know non of.
Thus Conſcience does make Cowards of vs all,
And thus the Natiue hew of Resolution
Is ſicklied o're, with the pale caſt of Thought,
And enterprizes of not bad pith and moment,
With this regard their Currants turne away,
And looſe the name of Activity. Soft you now,
The faire Ophelia? Nimph, in thy Orizons
Be all my ſinnes remembred.

Cultural impact [edit]

"To be, or not to be" is 1 of the virtually widely known and quoted lines in modern English, and the soliloquy has been referenced in innumerable works of theatre, literature and music. Hamlet is normally depicted as reciting the commencement line while holding a skull, although both occur at separate times; the soliloquy is done in Deed III, Scene I, while the contemplation of the skull is done in Act V, Scene I.^[7]

Much of the plot of the 1942 sophisticated comedy To Be or Not to Exist is focused on the monologue of Village. In the 1957 comedy film A King in New York, Charlie Chaplin recites the famous monologue in the shoes of the cryptic King Shahdov.

Village'due south famous line inspired the title of Kurt Vonnegut'south 1962 brusque story "2 B R 0 2 B" (the zero is pronounced "naught"). The narrative takes place in a dystopian time to come in which the United states of america government, through scientific advancement, has achieved a "cure" for both crumbling and overpopulation. The alphabetical/numerical reformulation of Shakespeare'southward lines serves in the story every bit the telephone number for the Federal Bureau of Termination's assisted suicide request line.^[8]

In 1963 at a debate in Oxford, Black liberation leader Malcolm X quoted the starting time few lines of the soliloquy to make a point nearly "extremism in defense of liberty."^[nine]

P.D. James' dystopian novel The Children of Men (1992) refers to expected or forced mass suicides of the elderly as "Quietus". The film adaptation Children of Men (2006) portrays a cocky-administered home suicide kit, labelled "Quietus".

Last Action Hero (1993) has Jack Slater parody the phrase before blowing upwardly a building backside him just past smoking a cigar. His version has him say "To be, or not to be? Not to be."

Star Trek 's 6th pic (1991) was named later on the "Undiscovered State" line from this soliloquy, albeit the Klingon estimation in which the title refers to the future and not death. References are made to Shakespeare during the moving picture including Klingon translations of his works and the use of the phrase "taH pagh, taHbe' ", roughly meaning "whether to proceed, or not to continue [existence]."

The 1978 novel by Richard Matheson and its 1998 film accommodation What Dreams May Come derive their name from a line from this soliloquy.

A shorter Hindi version of "To be, or non to exist" was recited by Shahid Kapoor in the 2014 Bollywood moving-picture show Haider.

Stargate Atlantis, the Season iv Episode 10 named "This Mortal Ringlet" (2008) subsequently the soliloquy, likewise every bit Season 4 Episode xi named "Be All My Sins Retrieve'd" (2008). These episodes involved learning nigh and fighting the artificial intelligence species Replicator.

There are numerous snowclones based on the phrase, such as "To hack or non to hack", etc.

The virtuoso soliloquy in Carl Michael Bellman's Fredman's Epistle "Ack du min moder" was described past the poet and literary historian Oscar Levertin equally "the to-be-or-not-to-be of Swedish literature".^{[10] [11]}

Notes [edit]

1. ^ Though information technology is called a soliloquy, Hamlet is non alone when he makes this voice communication considering Ophelia is on phase pretending to read while waiting for Hamlet to observe her, and Claudius and Polonius, who have placed Ophelia in Hamlet's way in gild to overhear their conversation and find out if Village is really mad or simply pretending, have curtained themselves. Even and so, Village seems to consider himself alone and in that location is no indication that the others on stage hear him before he addresses Ophelia.

Farther reading [edit]

• Bruster, Douglas. (2007). To be or not to be. London: Continuum. ISBN 9781441125002. OCLC 729252852.
• Dillane, Richard. "Making Sense of 'To be or not to exist'", in Shakespeare and Montaigne edited by Lars Engle, Patrick Gray, William M. Hamlin. Edinburgh University Printing 2021. ISBN 9781474458238

References [edit]

1. ^ Perseus Project. "Perseus:image:1998.04.0773 Image:1998.04.0773". Tufts University. Accessed 24 August 2013.
2. ^ Shakespeare, William. The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke. As it hath beene diuerse times acted by his Highnesse seruants in the Cittie of London : as also in the two Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxford, and else-where [The "Get-go Quarto"], pp. 35 ff. Nicholas Ling & J. Trundell (London), 1603. Reprinted as The Outset Edition of the Tragedy of Hamlet: London, 1603. The Shakespeare Press, 1825.
3. ^ Shakespeare, William. [The "First Quarto"]. Hosted at The Shakespeare Quartos Archive as Hamlet, 1603. Copy 1. Huntington Library, paradigm 17. Accessed 13 December 2013.
4. ^ Tronch Pérez, Jesús. "Dramaturgy of the Interim Version of the First Quarto of Hamlet". SEDERI VII (1996), p. 219.
5. ^ Shakespeare, William. The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost every bit much againe as it was, according to the true and perfect Coppie [The "Second Quarto"]. Nicholas Ling, 1604. Hosted at The Shakespeare Quartos Annal as Hamlet, 1604. Copy 1. Folger Library, images 27 & 28. Accessed 13 December 2013.
6. ^ Shakespeare, William. The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies Published according to the Truthful Originall Copies [The "First Folio"], p. 265. Isaac Jaggard & Ed Blount (London), 1623. Hosted at the Internet Shakespeare Editions as Kickoff Folio, Folio 773. Brandeis Academy. Accessed 13 Dec 2013.
7. ^ Ghose, Indira (2010). "Jesting with Death: Hamlet in the Graveyard" (PDF). Textual Exercise. Routledge Publishing. 24 (6): 1003–xviii. doi:ten.1080/0950236X.2010.521668. ISSN 0950-236X. S2CID 145808185 – via Taylor & Francis.
8. ^ Vonnegut, Kurt. "two B R 0 2 B". gutenberg.org. The Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 29 Apr 2017.
9. ^ Colman, Dan (30 August 2009). "Sentry Malcolm X Debate at Oxford, Quoting Lines from Shakespeare'southward Village (1964)". Open Culture . Retrieved 3 December 2017.
10. ^ Britten Austin, Paul. The Life and Songs of Carl Michael Bellman: Genius of the Swedish Rococo. Allhem, Malmö American-Scandinavian Foundation, New York, 1967. ISBN 978-three-932759-00-0 folio 61
11. ^ The original source is mentioned in Levertin, Oscar I. (1899). Introductory Essay to Fredmans Epistles (in Swedish).

External links [edit]

• Hamlet'south To Be Or Not To Be soliloquy translated into modern English
• The Fishko Files: The Many Faces of Village from WNYC's Sara Fishko, a radio piece and accompanying blog post almost the many interpretations of the soliloquy.

greenfurday.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_be,_or_not_to_be