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What does the first soliloquy reveal about Hamlet?

A

Hamlet’s monologue reveals the immense grief that the hero feels after losing his father. The main character is confronted with the fact that his mother married another man after only a month of his father’s passing and is distressed about it. He maintains a facade around his relatives and friends, unable to show them the full extent of his pain.

Detailed answer:

Hamlet, the central character of the play, is confronted with the loss of his father. He has no chance to process his emotions. His mother and uncle urge him to stop mourning and live with them in Denmark. The grief-struck hero channels his pain and anger in a soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2. The reader can see the protagonist’s true feelings for the first time via his monologue. In his anguish, he describes the whole country of Denmark as an unattended garden. Moreover, he contemplates suicide. Hamlet shows his emotions of despair and hopelessness, lamenting how soon his mother moved on from his father’s death. Having a low opinion of his uncle, he feels betrayed by his mother’s actions. Hamlet’s uncle and father are contrasted in this monologue. The latter is compared to God while the former to a beast. Such a comparison shows the audience that Hamlet has a lot of hidden contempt for his uncle, believing that he cannot take his father’s place. This monologue makes the reader witness the overwhelming intensity of Hamlet’s emotions. Thus, the audience starts to sympathize with him.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "What does the first soliloquy reveal about Hamlet?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-does-the-first-soliloquy-reveal-about-hamlet/.

1. IvyPanda. "What does the first soliloquy reveal about Hamlet?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-does-the-first-soliloquy-reveal-about-hamlet/.


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IvyPanda. "What does the first soliloquy reveal about Hamlet?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-does-the-first-soliloquy-reveal-about-hamlet/.

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