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show the conflict within the man and serve to bring out the theme of choices and the reality of the
situation. For, as Hamlet knows, the correct answer is not always apparent and all choices may
prove ill.
Just as the later part of the speech is an allusion to the actors in a play, so is Hamlet an actor,
unsure of what direction to head, unsure of what direction is really the correct way. Like every
human being, Hamlet is caught up in a choice—a grave and far more serious choice than what to
eat for lunch—but a choice nonetheless. Through diction and form, Shakespeare manages to bring
the tortured spirit, the angry yet doubtful mind, the horribly bitter soul of a man trapped in a choice
that he shouldn’t have to make, to life. He shows how we wrestle with the best and worst in every
choice and the uncertainty inherent in all important decisions. It is this theme that makes Hamlet
real. It is this...humanity that drives in the point. Life is full of options, some bad, some good, most
a mix of both. All we can do, like Hamlet, is do the best we can in each situation and wrestle with
the doubt when it comes.
Note: While the primary text referred to in the essay serves as the source for all quotations, a
complete citation in a “Works Cited” page is considered standard in academic writing. Please
include complete citations whenever primary and/or secondary sources are used.
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