Ah, the timeless "To be, or not to be..." soliloquy. For years, thespians and literature fanatics have praised this speech for its excellent writing and the powerful meanings behind it. Students, on the other hand, have pondered many hours trying to find out what it even means. Now, after looking into it, it becomes apparent that the meaning of this can be interpreted in many ways. It also becomes apparent that Shakespeare is probably laughing at us from the beyond the grave for the controversy he has created. Anyway, after carefully reading through his remarks, I believe that Hamlet is contemplating suicide in this soliloquy. Let me explain.
Let's begin by interpreting some notable lines given in this soliloquy. The opening question is what sets the foundation of all of Hamlet's remarks and serves as a major clue as to what he's trying to say. The question, "To be, or not to be?" is referring to existence--Hamlet is asking himself if it is better to be alive or dead. Knowing this, the next lines start to make more sense as well. When Hamlet says, "Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles," he builds off of the previous question by wondering whether it is more honorable to fight through the hardships he is facing or to put an end to them by taking his own life. In addition to this, Hamlet also says, "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all." I believe that Hamlet is saying that the uncertainty of life after death (conscience) is what is holding him back from killing himself. To me, I cannot see how these phrases could be redirected to Claudius, making the possibility that he is contemplating suicide seem much more likely.
Next, I would like to recall some of Hamlet's actions prior to this specific soliloquy. In act I, scene 2, after speaking with Uncle Daddy, Hamlet said, "Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" Here Hamlet is saying that he would like to be able to die by his own hand if suicide was not a sin. Not only does this quote show that Hamlet has had suicidal thoughts in the past, but it also gives an example as to when he most likely thinks about them. Hamlet was speaking to Claudius before he said this; the fact that Hamlet thought of suicide rather than murder in this particular instance regarding the same situation makes me believe that the "To be, or not to be?" soliloquy is another instance of this.
After looking at both Hamlet's actions and words, I believe that suicide is the only thing on Hamlet's mind during this soliloquy. It is because of this that if I was directing Hamlet, I would choose for my actor to interpret this text in this way.
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