The World of English Literature

Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

Shakespeare's "Hamlet": "To die--to sleep,"
By: Purwarno Hadinata

To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep:
To sleep, perchance to dream—
(III, I, 60 – 65)

The above lines are part of the most famous soliloquy by Hamlet in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The above lines talk about Hamlet’s view towards death. According to Hamlet Death means a kind of sleep. Indeed, to die is no more than to sleep. Suppose that by falling into the slumber of death we can put an end to our mental suffering and to the numerous blows which descend upon every human being in this world. If, with our death, all our misfortunes really come to an end, it would mean that we have achieved a result which is sincerely and seriously to be desired. To die means to fall asleep; and to fall asleep may mean perhaps seeing dreams.

Source: Purwarno Hadinata

posted by Yunita Ramadhana @ 8:10 AM