To Be or Not To Be

To be, or not to be--that is the question:Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortuneOr to take arms against a sea of troublesAnd by opposing end them. To die, to sleep--No more--and by a sleep to say we endThe heartache, and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummationDevoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep--To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,For in that sleep of death what dreams may comeWhen we have shuffled off this mortal coil,Must give us pause. There's the respectThat makes calamity of so long life.For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumelyThe pangs of despised love, the law's delay,The insolence of office, and the spurnsThat patient merit of th' unworthy takes,When he himself might his quietus makeWith a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after death,The undiscovered country, from whose bournNo traveller returns, puzzles the will,And makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of?Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,And enterprise of great pitch and momentWith this regard their currents turn awryAnd lose the name of action.

On your first read through, identify 10 words or phrases that you don't understand and take a guess at their meaning based on the context. Submit HERE. Once you have done that, read through again clicking on the hyperlinks to see the definitions. Take note of any additional terms you don't know and look them up.

William Shakespeare...was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Click on the image below to learn more about William Shakespeare.

What is Hamlet listing? How might you re-write the list with modern equivalents?

What conclusion does Hamlet reach by the end of the soliloquy?

What is a "soliloquy"? Click HERE to learn more

Now that you have read the speech through on your own, watch it being performed. How does your understanding change as a result of the actor's performance? Are there lines that become clearer? How might a specific actor's performance shape your understanding of the character or the author's intentions? To explore this more click HERE to watch a different actor's interpretation.

"To be, or not to be" is one of the most famous lines in English Literature. Before you read the full text of Hamlet's famous soliloquy, complete a 5 minute free-write in which you reflect on your own associations or preconceptions about this speech. Where have you heard it referenced before? What do you think it is going to be about? Click HERE to submit your response.

"To Be or Not to Be"Hamlet Act III, Scene I

What turn does Hamlet's thinking take here? What exactly is he afraid of?

What do you think Hamlet means by this question? What choice is he trying to make?

If you need more help close-reading the text, click HERE for a line-by-line analysis of the soliloquy.

NOW...Take a stab at writing your own soliloquy! Change the context of the speech to apply to a more modern setting, and use the format to explore your own frustrations or a choice that you are trying to make. Submit your soliloquy HERE.