To be, or not to be

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"To be, or not to be" is a monologue given by Prince Hamlet in the so-called "nunnery scene" of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1). The monologue is named for its incipit, itself among the most widely known and quoted lines in modern English literature, and has been referenced in many works of theatre, literature and music. In the monologue, traditional critical interpretation posits that Hamlet contemplates death and suicide, weighing the pain and unfairness of life against the alternative, which might be worse. Another major interpretation is that the monologue is Hamlet expressing his fear that, by killing his uncle Claudius, he will be committing a grievous sin, the consequence of which will be eternal damnation of his soul. It is not clear that Hamlet is thinking of his own situation since the speech is entirely in an abstract, somewhat academic register that accords with Hamlet's status as a (recent) student at Wittenberg University. Furthermore, Hamlet is not alone...

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