What is to be or not to be?

"To be, or not to be, that is the question" is arguably the most famous line in English literature, spoken by Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.

• Context: The line appears in Act 3, Scene 1. Hamlet is contemplating suicide and the nature of existence itself. He's alone on stage, delivering a soliloquy. It follows after the play within a play.

• Meaning: The "question" refers to the fundamental dilemma of whether to live or to die. "To be" implies existence, enduring the hardships and suffering of life. "Not to be" suggests non-existence, death, an end to worldly pain.

• Themes: The soliloquy explores themes of <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/life%20and%20death">life and death</a>, <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/suffering">suffering</a>, <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/revenge">revenge</a>, and the unknown after death. Hamlet weighs the known miseries of life against the potential, unknown horrors of what lies beyond. <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/morality">Morality</a> is also a subtle theme because suicide was seen as a sin at the time.

• Interpretations: The line and the entire soliloquy have been interpreted in numerous ways over the centuries. Some see it as a purely philosophical meditation on existence, while others focus on Hamlet's personal despair and indecision.

• Impact: The phrase "To be or not to be" has become a widely recognized and often parodied expression used to represent any significant choice or dilemma. It has permeated popular culture, appearing in countless films, books, and other works.