The famous monologue of Hamlet is about the choice between life and death. For Hamlet, the empty existence of Danish people at that time equals to spiritual death. Therefore, he gives preference to a physical death, which can be viewed as a form of protest against the false laws of the world. “To be” means to fight and not to tolerate the oppression of various authorities. “Not to be” means to give up a fight, leave everything to fate and endure the pain that comes one’s way. Hamlet chooses “to be”, which means that he takes responsibility for the world’s evil, for all the imperfections and suffering of the people around the world. He is acutely aware of his loneliness and incompetence, but despite this he rushes into a battle and perishes as a fighter, giving the mankind a model of impeccable human behavior.

If Hamlet’s monologue “To be or not to be” was placed at the end of the tragedy, then Hamlet could have been called a skeptic who has no clue of what to do. In any case, at the time of proclamation of the monologue, Hamlet acknowledges that any action may cause unpredictable consequences. This monologue questions the unity of thought and conscience, which is a must for a hero. The monologue is placed at the beginning of the third act, followed by a mournfully sarcastic dialogue with Ophelia, by a scene “mousetrap”, and finally by the murder of Polonius.

What is the sense of life for Hamlet? He is living to do good, to be faithful, to fight for love, to cherish the friendship and human dignity. He also tries to appreciate the life itself and to find his place in it. He might seem lost and indecisive, but his true goal is to fight evil, betrayal and greediness that always lead to destruction and death.

Hamlet teaches us to look for truth; to grow spiritually and become wiser; to reach your goal, overcoming different obstacles and thorns on the way to it. The tragedy “Hamlet” serves as a mirror of humanity for four centuries now, and every epoch sees its own unique features in that mirror. The image changes and reflects the spirit of its generation. That is why the tragedy remains relevant and extremely popular nowadays, and rarely leaves the stages of the world theaters.