Why Is Hamlet's First Soliloquy

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The play of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare around 1600 is one of the most recognized of his work. It was revolutionary at the time with its bold new way of presenting character depth to the audience through soliloquies. Perhaps the most famous, and most quoted, soliloquy of all time is that of Hamlet in the first scene of Act Three. He portrays to the audience the inner turmoil that he is battling after his father’s death. At first hearing Hamlets words, one would think that his thoughts were contemplating the act of suicide to escape his duty. On the contrary, this view overlooks the facts of the situation and does violence to Hamlet’s own words. He has formed a plan to make the king betray himself. He has written the lines that will