Hamlet Soliloquy Act 3:1

to be or not to be that is the question?

Out of the three movies I feel like the best performance of hamlet’s soliloquy in act 3 scene 1 to be or not to be was giving by Kenneth Branagh. The reason behind my choice is that I feel that hamlet talking into the mirror puts more action behind his words. The talking to the mirror seems to me a refection. He reflects on his thoughts to see what will be his next step in his great plan for vengeance.

“To be or not to be, that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler to suffer; the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; or to take arms against a sea of troubles; And by opposing, end them.” (81 lines 55-59) these are the words spoken by hamlet as he slow walks towards a mirror that is place in a room that is surrounded with mirrors which gives the feeling of emptiness. Hamlet asks himself in this passage if everything that he is doing is wroth anything at all is there more pride in dealing with the heartache, the pain, and the suffering then there is to end it all. The mirror is just a way to ask the only person that hamlet trust and that’s himself.

Branagh delivery of the speech is not a loud screaming but a soft whisper tone which gives the illusion that hamlet is talking to himself it is a suspense builder. There could not have been a better person to have played hamlet because Branagh resembles hamlet and he portrays Shakespeare work the way that it seem to have been meant to be done. I believe that the tone of the play is suppose to be a suicidal but it’s more of question of, if I kill myself then would everything be easier rather then I going to kill myself. Which just add to the suspense of the story what will happen if he kill himself?

Which hamlet describes in the next few lines “To die, to sleep --; No more, and by a sleep to say we end; the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks; that flesh is heir to; ‘tis a consummation; devoutly to be wished. To sleep, perchance to dream – ay there’s the rub; for in that sleep of death what dreams may come ;”( 82 lines 62-68) In these lines hamlet compare death to sleep saying that they are the same but death is end for it all sleep only prolongs it. He also asks himself what happens after death do you dream, and if you do what do you dream of. To die would be an achievement to hamlet it would end all that he haves to deal with. This version of the soliloquy best fits because it shows how hamlet is thinking; it shows him being in a really deep thought.

The next reason that this was the best version of the soliloquy was because later on in the play when hamlet starts to talk about why we would choose to work hard, and dread life over just dieing. We are scary of death and are fear of death makes us cowards is the answer giving by hamlet. (Lines 79 to 90) during these lines hamlet wipes out his sword and soft music starts to play and the music starts to grow as his tone does. The sword represents his thoughts about himself and how he does not have the will to care out of his vengeance because of his fear of what will happen after death. The music raises the tone of the soliloquy from soft and quite to an angry tone where he starts to hate on himself for not doing what he is suppose to do yet.
In conclusion I believe that the third version of hamlet soliloquy was the best because of Branagh acting level was amazing, also he looks like a hamlet to me. Finally the music and sword help to bring the whole soliloquy together as for the mirror I don’t believe it wouldn’t have been as good if he was talking to mid-air as is in the other versions.