Through out the play, Shakespeare uses a number of soliloquies to outline the thoughts and feelings of Hamlet, the plays protagonist. The soliloquies reveal the innermost beliefs of the character and offers an unbiased perspective as it is merely Hamlet talking to the audience, albeit not directly, and not to any other character. .
Hamlets first soliloquy is delivered in Act 1, Scene 2 as Hamlet struggles to come to terms with the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother to his uncle Claudius. Hamlet is depressed and longs for death, he even considering suicide, .
"O that this too too solid flesh would melt" .
However the catholic teaching states that one cannot take ones own life, this would have been very important to a Shakespearian audience and Hamlet reflects this, .
"Or that the Everlasting had not fixed .
his canon "gainst self-slaughter" .
In his depressed state Hamlet has an extremely negative outlook on the world. He sees life as tedious and foul, the use of adjectives such as, "weary" and "unprofitable" emphasises this. He uses an oxymoron to describe the world, .
""tis an unweeded garden .
That grows to seed thinks rank and gross in nature" .
This is an unusual image as gardens are usually associated with growth and nature which are seen as positive images. Also the garden is traditionally associated with Eden and therefore the imagery here is of Eden falling apart. .
Hamlet repeatedly compares his father to Claudius. Hamlets sees his father as god like, "Hyperion", the sun-god compared to the inferior Claudius who he sees as "satyr" a lecherous creature, half man, half goat. Again Hamlet liken his father to a god like figure, .
"but no more like my father .
Than I to Hercules" .
This reinforces Hamlets feelings of dislike towards his uncle.
Hamlet remembers his father's powerful love for his mother and her passionate feelings towards him, .
"That he might not beteem the winds of heaven .