Hamlet "To be, or not to be - that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing them." This sentence is possibly one of the most famous ever written by Shakespeare or by anyone at all. People everywhere recite it, but most don't know what it means. Hamlet, during his soliloquy is lamenting …showed first 75 words of 535 total…

…showed last 75 words of 535 total…murder, and now he double checks and weighs his options: Commit suicide and possibly face horror, or live in constant misery. Hamlet is portrayed as a complex character, with a constant display of wild emotion. His soliloquy alone shows his sorrow and self-pity, along with his madness. This is also and example of how Shakespeare constantly uses metaphors and symbolism in such a flawless way, it clarifies and accents the emotions felt by the characters.