We were asked to comment on what developments and/or states of mind each of Hamlet’s soliloquies reveal?
In Hamlet's first soliloquy he is contemplating suicide, as his father has died and his mother has married his brother (King Hamlet's brother, Prince Hamlet's uncle). He is showing weakness and is thinking about giving up on life.
In the next soliloquy Hamlet has found out that Claudius was the one who murdered his father. He plans on uncovering his conscious in hope to have better evidence than the ghost. This shows develop already as Hamlet has put away the idea of suicide, and now is determined on figuring out the truth/getting revenge.
In the third soliloquy Hamlet goes back to talking about death. Is life or death better? He has almost reverted back to himself before he found out the truth. But, this time he is not talking about killing himself, but is just talking about it in general.
The fourth soliloquy is not performed by Hamlet.
The fifth soliloquy Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius, but re-thinks his actions as he does not want Claudius to go to heaven. This shows development, because it shows that he now thinks about his actions instead of being impulsive. It also shows that he is determined to follow his father's wish.
In the last soliloquy Hamlet is trying to pump himself up, he realizes that he has to be quicker with his actions, and must be more violent. This is a jump from his previous soliloquies as it shows a more impulsive, more violent side of Hamlet. Opposed to his first soliloquy, where he was ready to give up on his life.
Overall, in each soliloquy you can see that Hamlet has grown as a character. He went from being weak and wanting to commit suicide, to someone who would do anything for his father, even if it meant murder. It shows his compassion for his father and his ability to progress as a character.
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