Throughout Hamlet there are many different soliloquies. In this essay the first two major soliloquies are the two that are going to be compared. In these two major soliloquies the aspects that will be compared are; character revelation, advancement of the plot, and Hamlet’s use of literary techniques/devices.
The first criteria that will be used are character revelation. During Act 1 Scene 2 Hamlet is expressing his anger about the present circumstances in his life and he discusses the depression as a result of these events. He thinks that all women are incompetent and are too frail to commit to any responsibility: "Frailty, thy name is women!" He cannot believe that his mother has remarried so soon after the death of Old Hamlet. Hamlet remembered when Gertrude used to hold his (old Hamlet’s) hand, by this action it seemed that they were falling deeper and deeper in love, kind of renewing their relationship. Then so suddenly after the horrible death she remarries into an incestuous relationship: "With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" Especially since the man who she married was Claudius (Old Hamlet’s brother).
In Act 2, Scene 2 Hamlet is angry with himself for procrastinating and failing to take his revenge for his father’s death. He is upset because he cannot show the passion in real life that an actor is able to show onstage. Actors are able to show such emotion on stage for fictitious events, when he has all the reason in the world to show emotion yet he can’t. Trying to invoke his passion by stating the events that would make him angry, by doing this he realizes that all he is doing is talking about the things that he should do. He then realizes that he isn’t helping himself with these speeches so he conjures up a plan that will give him the proof that he needs to show Claudius’ guilt in Old Hamlet’s death.
Since there is still some doubt about whether or not the ghost was Hamlet’s father asking Hamlet to avenge his death, or whether it was just an evil spirit trying to get Hamlet into trouble, Hamlet decides to get proof of Claudius’ guilt before proceeding any further. Hamlet believes that he can obtain proof by watching Claudius’ reaction to a murder acted out by the players similar of that of the murder of Old Hamlet.
The second criteria that will be compared in this essay are the advancement of the plot. In Act 1, Scene 2 the plot advances slowly in this scene. He tells the audience about his deep regret about the loss of his father, and the disgust with his mother’s actions. He wishes that he could speak his mind freely and tell his mother that she should have had longer to grieve and morn. He feels this way because of his mothers being so quick to marry his uncle whom he knows to be the one that brought his father to his untimely end.
In Act 2, Scene 2 the plot advancement begins 2 months after Hamlet’s first encounter with the ghost. Throughout the scene it advances from Polonius telling the King about Hamlet’s madness, and Polonius sending messengers to Norway.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ( two of Hamlet’s school friends) show up unexpectedly and Hamlet is ecstatic until he finds out that they are there only to spy on him. Rosencrantz informs Hamlet that the players are coming to town to put on a play for the King. Hamlet kindly greets the players and asks the leader to recite a passage he had once heard. The specific passage was one concerning the death of Priam, during the Trojan War.
During Hamlet’s soliloquy the plot advancement has to do with him, Hamlet, procrastinating and failing to avenge his fathers death. He then after a discussion with himself decides what he must do. He needs to find proof to prove that Claudius murdered Old Hamlet (Hamlet’s father).
The third and final aspect of comparison will be Hamlet’s use of literary techniques/devices. Throughout the whole play Hamlet uses many different type of literary techniques and devices. But the most often used in these 2 soliloquies is the allusion. An allusion is an indirect reference, casual mentioning. One example of an allusion used in this play is: "Like Niobe, all tears; -why she, even she-."
Another literary device/technique that Shakespeare used was foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a hint or a prediction of what is going to happen. In Act 2, Scene 2 a good example of foreshadowing is: More relative than this. The play’s the thing. Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king."
The last type of literary technique/device that is used imagery. Imagery is a comparison of one thing to another. An example of imagery in Hamlet is: "Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant my cause, And can say nothing; no, not for a king."
Throughout the entire tragedy many changes occur and many people die. This is one of Shakespeare’s greatest works for the simple reason of the type of writing. Not many people nowadays can understand his work because he wrote in an entirely different language from what people are used to seeing. When students read this type of play the most memorable part is almost always the killing and brutality of the writing. However this is not Shakespeare’s goriest play. King Lear is absolutely gruesome at times it actually makes people sick.
Out of the two soliloquies that were compared. The best writing and most informative soliloquy are that of Act 2, Scene 2. It is the most informative and the best written in terms of literary devices, advancement of the plot and character revelation.
