Hamlet’s famous quote “to be or not to be” from act three scene one, simply means life or death. He is in a sticky situation as he is contemplating living or actually putting an end to all his suffering and turmoil. Questioning life and its unfairness versus actually committing suicide and not knowing what happens after death. Should he really endure all the hardship he is going through or should he end his suffering once and for all? Hamlet reckons that maybe death will help him get rid of all the pain he has suffered. Maybe he thinks that death has got to be easy because life is so hard, but, the fact that Hamlet chooses to fight his demons and try and avenge his father’s death shows signs of hope and fighting spirit.
“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” From Act three, scene one, Hamlet thinks that maybe there is nobility in actually enduring all the pain and firming through it, as opposed to giving in to the pain. He uses imagery when he says slings and arrows, to show that his life has come to such a low point. But, to be fair to him, he does consider battling it out. “Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,” and maybe by doing so, he could potentially overcome this period of hardship and get rid of the pain. He brings in the idea of death when he says : “And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks”. Hamlet hints that death could end his suffering for good. He relates death to rest as he suggests that eternal rest would allow him to not feel the “heart ache’ and “thousand natural shocks”
The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother Claudius, who poured poison into his ears while he was asleep. The ghost tries to persuade Hamlet to avenge his death, which brings about that inner conflict in Hamlet. To make matters worse, Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius is now the king and married to Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude. Hamlet has all these significant reasons to persevere and avenge his father’s death but his inner conscience keeps holding him back from doing it. Eventually, Hamlet decides to avenge his father’s death but it doesn’t end well for him. Hamlet’s grief over his father’s death and his mothers marriage to his uncle really puts him in a tough spot. Not only does he feel betrayed but he also struggles to find purpose in his life. At this point you could argue that Hamlet is showing clear symptoms of depression. He’s unable to make informed decisions and is struggling to understand his own emotions and this prevents him from successfully avenging his father’s murder. The National Health Service (NHS) describe depression as “lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.” Hamlet clearly shows signs of unhappiness and hopelessness when he contemplates life “to be or not to be”. The NHS say that loneliness is a major cause of depression and describe it as “Feeling lonely, caused by things such as becoming cut off from your family and friends, can increase your risk of depression.” Hamlet feels betrayed by his uncle and mother and therefore feels like he is all alone in this situation.
In the modern world, Hamlet’s behaviour could potentially be labelled as “Clinical Depression”. Most articles describing and classifying depression point out the differences between the passing mood of sadness, more enduring grief or mourning which follows a real, or realistically impending loss, and melancholia or depression, which is a pathologic emotional response. Grief is a process which is normal, adaptive, and generally lasts six weeks or less. When grief is a response to the patient’s awareness that he is seriously or fatally ill, it may interfere with treatment even though the grief responses may be realistic. Depression is abnormal. If it arises from an extension or over elaboration of sadness or grief, is generally called reactive or neurotic depression. William G. Crary Gerald C. Crary The American Journal of Nursing. So, would Hamlet be called an abnormal individual in modern society?
A creative example I found was from a song, “Look
Stop all the pain
How do you stop all the pain, huh?
I used to hear a voice when I was praying
But nowadays, I don’t even wanna be saved”. These are lyrics from a song named “Psycho” which was written by singer/songwriter Dave. I can relate this to the situation Hamlet is in, as he is in emotional distress and wants to find a way to numb the pain. But he feels like all hope is lost and wants to actually put an end to his suffering. This song talks about depression and is a perfect example of what Hamlet is going through emotionally. It is ironic how the song happens to be called “Psycho” bearing in mind that Hamlet’s behaviour could be considered borderline psychotic. https://youtu.be/FEcersXfWAc?si=ZZv6-LKOZnZOYr.
Scholars and critics often suggest that Hamlet’s well-known soliloquy, “To be or not to be,” reveals his thoughts about suicide and the existential crisis he faces. They also argue that his struggle to decide whether to seek revenge or not is a crucial factor in his inner conflict. Critics emphasise the complexity of Hamlet’s character, focusing on his emotional turmoil, grief, and psychological struggles throughout the course of the play.
In conclusion, Hamlet shows clear signs of depression and with all the betrayal, turmoil and grief that Hamlet has had to endure, there still seems to be no signs of hope in his life. Furthermore, suicide may not stop Hamlet’s pain and may end up only moving it to his loved ones. What happens after suicide is uncertain and therefore not the best option for Hamlet in my opinion. The fact that Hamlet chooses to avenge his father’s death despite all the confusion in his head shows Hamlet’s resilient mindset. The play shows us that there are alternate paths to redemption and that suicide isn’t the only option. Although, in Hamlet’s case, attempting to avenge his father’s death takes a wrong turn. I support Hamlet’s decision to carry on and fight his battles despite all the grief in his life. It shows true character and sheer mental strength.
Citations:
- Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet,” Act 3, Scene 1. This is the primary source for the quotes and references to Hamlet’s soliloquy.
- National Health Service (NHS). “Clinical depression – Symptoms.” Accessed on https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/depression-in-adults/symptoms/
- Crary, William G., and Gerald C. Crary. “The American Journal of Nursing.” This is a reference to the article I mentioned regarding the classification of depression and grief. Crary, William G., and Gerald C. Crary. “Depression.” The American Journal of Nursing, vol. 73, no. 3, 1973, pp. 472–75. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3422708. Accessed 7 Mar. 2024.
- Dave. “Psycho.” This is a citation for the song lyrics you referenced to support your analysis of Hamlet’s emotional state. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEcersXfWAc
Sprockets and Springes 