2006-12-13 08:08:19 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Some of these answers are close.
Here is the context:
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? 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.
Hamlet is contemplating suicide. He is asking -- is it better to continue to suffer the hurts that are caused by life ("slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"), or is it better to end them -- that is, kill himself.
The following phrases mean close to the same thing in this passage "slings and arrows of outragous fortune" and "a sea of troubles" and "the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to." They all mean something like: the pain that comes from life.
2006-12-13 10:14:35 · answer #1 · answered by C_Bar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In this soliloquy, Hamlet is asking himself if it is more noble to suffer, as in go along with, the outrageous things that happen to one in life, or to fight against the troubles one faces and end them by comitting suicide.
It helps a lot if you read with enjabment, where you read the words as you would sentences, only pausing and stopping where the punctuation demands it.
For example, here is the quote from Hamlet you asked about:
"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them..."
If you read it with enjabment, it would be like this:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them...
Good luck with your Hamlet!
2006-12-13 22:40:45 · answer #2 · answered by Elle Wood 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the speech he's trying to decide if its manlier and nobler to take all the BS that life throws at you or get militant about it and try to fight back.
The phrase refers to the feeling of being pelted by rocks from a sling and arrows from a bow. Always under fire, getting hit repeatedly by bad luck and trouble.
2006-12-13 16:22:15 · answer #3 · answered by vmmhg 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
what is meant is that with fame comes hardship...Hamlet laments over what happens to him and how he is treated because of who he is...as prince he neither expects, nor wants to deal with the plotting and politics that are going on in the castle but has no choice because of who he is...it is akin to movie stars and the like not wanting to deal with the invasive press and photographers...if you take the glory you must take the burden as well
2006-12-13 16:31:04 · answer #4 · answered by techteach03 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it is like having a mountain of gold that you took by the tip of a sword, but not being able to enjoy it because you have a concious. Except without choice of your own...yet you still know it as wrong.
2006-12-13 16:12:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's my impression that he's speaking of dealing with the unfairness and cruelty of life.
2006-12-13 16:11:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋