One of the running metaphors that Hamlet uses throughout the soliloquy is that of sleep as a symbol for death. This is made explicit when Hamlet mentions the "sleep of death," but it is used prior to this in more symbolic ways. This helps to bring out Hamlet's weariness and desire for simple peace. This desire is central to his character and to the soliloquy itself; it is his desire for peace and rest that drives him to contemplate suicide, but the fact that these things are far from guaranteed in the afterlife -- especially for one who commits suicide -- is enough to make the action unpalatable even in what he perceives as his extreme circumstances. There is also a sense of travel associated with death and the transition to the afterlife that appears in the soliloquy, from "shuffl[ing] off this mortal coil" to the "undiscover'd country" that is used as a stand-in for...
This makes suicide and even simply death more of an active pursuit than it might otherwise be thought, and adds an interesting layer of meaning to the soliloquy. One of Hamlet's major problems throughout the lay is his inability to act, and his indecisiveness. The struggle in this soliloquy is not between giving up or fighting, but between two different courses of action, and Hamlet finds himself yet again stuck in the decision making process.Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
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