In this scene, often called the "nunnery scene," Prince Hamlet thinks about life, death, and suicide. The "To be or not to be" soliloquy appears in Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. "To Be or Not to Be": Meaning and Analysis You can also view a contemporary English translation of the speech here. With this regard their currents turn awry,Īnd lose the name of action.-Soft you now! Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, Thus conscience does make cowards of us all The undiscover'd country from whose bournĪnd makes us rather bear those ills we have With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,īut that the dread of something after death, That patient merit of the unworthy takes, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,įor who would bear the whips and scorns of time, To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub įor in that sleep of death what dreams may come That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,Īnd by opposing end them? To die: to sleep The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer To be, or not to be, that is the question, The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy comes from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (written around 1601) and is spoken by the titular Prince Hamlet in Act 3, Scene 1.
Sleep no more plot explained full#
In this comprehensive guide, we give you the full text of the Hamlet "To be or not to be" soliloquy and discuss everything there is to know about it, from what kinds of themes and literary devices it has to its cultural impact on society today.įull Text: "To Be, or Not to Be, That Is the Question"
It’s a line we’ve all heard at some point (and very likely quoted as a joke), but do you know where it comes from and the meaning behind the words? "To be or not to be" is actually the first line of a famous soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s play Hamle t. "To be, or not to be, that is the question."
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