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Throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he gives Hamlet seven soliloquy’s to help the audience gain knowledge of his inner thoughts and ideas. During Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy, towards the end of Act two, the reader begins to notice his philosophical vies and the constant contemplation of his goal to exact revenge for the murder of his father.
Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy begins with the exit of Polonius, the players, Guildenstern, and Rosencrantz. The feeling of this speech allows the reader to see, what seems to be, his mental state showing signs of declination. He begins his soliloquy with: “Now I am alone.” (Shakespeare II.ii.549). This simple yet straight-to-the-point line describes how Hamlet feels and explains the reason for his psychological state. Hamlet knows what he must do and that if his plan for revenge is to be accomplished, he must not let it be known to anyone, except his closest friend, Horatio, that he knows anything about his father’s murder.
Hamlet moves on to speak about the players. He expands on the fact that they can show false emotions so skillfully. Hamlet considers the fact that they go through so many painful and overwhelming feeling for absolutely nothing. He then expands even more on this matter by making an allusion to Greek mythology; more specifically, the Aeneid.
The reason the character Hecuba is referenced in this soliloquy is because of the opposing characteristics that Gertrude portrays. Gertrude, even though it appeared she truly loved Old Hamlet, quickly remarried. Gertrude successfully managed to change the mood of the play from mourning to celebration very fast, leaving the characters that did not so quickly forget the king (Hamlet), stuck in the mournful state. Hecuba’s grief on the other hand, was profoundly different. “When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport / In mincing with his sword her husband’s limbs, / The instant burst of clamor that she made / (Unless things mortal move them not at...