Suicide In Hamlet Research Paper

Words: 450
Pages: 2

Shakespeare’s play Hamlet drips with the theme of suicide. From the start suicide is a major topic of discussion; for example, Hamlet contemplates taking his own life, but decides against it because it is a sin. Another time suicide is brought up in the play is when Ophelia dies, while Shakespeare never says that she killed herself it is assumed. In the modern day suicide is often thought of as the “coward’s way out” or “an act of giving up”. But, with how often it is mentioned in the play, it doesn't seem to be a disrespectful thing to do in this period of time, or at least not as much as it is today. Every thought of suicide is followed by more thoughts of God. The characters believe that suicide is a sin and if you commit suicide you will not go to heaven. He states that “a great many people would kill themselves, but that the dread of something after death" Hamlet contemplates killing himself from the very beginning of act one. He wishes that “his living flesh would melt into nothingness.” This thought is obviously a statement made out of desperation. Some people believe that Hamlet did not in fact want to end his own life but instead simply wanted a way out of all the pain and suffering. …show more content…
Three man digging her grave says that she technically isn’t supposed top receive a proper Christian burial due to her taking her own life before it was her time, but because she is noble the means of her death were overlooked. Ophelia was mad, the deaths of her Father and Brother were too much for her fragile soul and she had no other choice than to end her pain. Not many people agree with her death, but it is hard to find fault in a women who has nothing left desperately grasping for comfort in the thought of happiness in the