The Effects Of Soliloquy On Elizabethan Audience - 954 Words

Brittany Ediagbonya Mrs. Splinter ENG4UI-01 December 18, 2015 Impact of Soliloquy on Elizabethan Audience In William Shakespeare s revenge tragedy play Hamlet, the prevailing themes of revenge, madness, and morality were recognized by the Elizabethan audience and appealed to them. The play s central focus is on a young prince, Hamlet, who has gone through many challenges to avenge his father s death. Prince Hamlet got his revenge on his deceitful uncle, Claudius, the same man who murdered his father and married Hamlet s mother. From the original text of the play, a major scene in Act 4 shows where Hamlet decides that it s time for vengeance, expressing it in a soliloquy. This scene would have appealed to the Elizabethan audience because they would observe Hamlet s thoughts. In addition, the soliloquy would have expanded on the theme of revenge, and how it would affect the final scene. Finally, by emphasizing the theme of morality in his speech, it would have the audience to make connections towards their own consciousness. Shakespeare s Hamlet successfully targets the Elizabethan audience in Hamlet s speech from Act IV. Through Hamlet s soliloquy, the Elizabethan audience is able to evidently perceive Hamlet s thoughts. At the beginning of Hamlet s soliloquy, the audience is aware that he regrets his uncertainty to kill Claudius, avenging his father s death. 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