Hamlet Essay

When I took a step back and put into perspective how much “self talk” I do everyday, it really amazed me. When I talk to myself I’m usually correcting my past actions and/or predicting my future actions. This conversation that we have with ourselves all day long, whether we are aware of it or not, is our “self talk.” This is a conversation that no one but you can hear. This is what makes us so comfortable with explicit self talk, things that you would never say out loud so you say it in your head. My self talk goes on overload before, during, and after I play basketball. This is an example of me using self talk in a positive manner. This has improved my game tremendously, and it makes me an all around smarter athlete. Now to Hamlet... In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the reader gets to take a first look at Hamlet’s self talk. Shakespeare created a unique experience for his readers in allowing them to embark on Hamlet’s mental and physical journey with him. The most unique experience while reading Hamlet was Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy. This soliloquy provided a chance for the reader to really see the various thoughts that were going through Hamlet’s mind at that specific moment. And through those thoughts, get to take the same emotional trip that Hamlet is experiencing.

Hamlet’s self overhearing constitutes as action in itself. Starting with the suspense of him wanting to kill himself, to the suspense of him wanting to kill Claudius during the whole play. Hamlet’s constant plotting in his mind also was a source of action because it made the reader want to know exactly how his plan of revenge was going to play out. All of this action is taking place inside of Hamlet’s mind, not to mention him feeling forced to deny his love for Ophelia. Due to the death of his father, him feeling betrayed by his mother for marrying his father’s murderer, and being the only one who truly knows who killed his father, forces Hamlet to feel like he can trust no one. This is why he pushes Ophelia away. All of these conflicts run through his mind constantly, mostly occurring at the same time.

Hamlet’s self overhearing and mine are very different in my opinion. Hamlet is very emotional and overdramatic in his thoughts, whereas in my thinking, I am a lot stronger mentally. This may be because Hamlet and I have experienced different events throughout our lives. I am also more positive in my thinking, while Hamlet just constantly brings out the worst in most situations. Because of these negative thoughts, this alters his physical and emotional state of mind for the worse. Since my self hearing is more positive thoughts, my physical and emotional state alter for the better. The self talk that goes on in my head keeps me sane while Hamlet’s self talk makes him insane.

The way you reflect on your experience creates a sense of memory and expectation concerning future actions. Learning from the past or from others is a big part of self hearing because when you tell yourself or keep reminding yourself about your past and the results to certain situations, and because of those events, your future actions are altered. This is both a positive and negative thing because yes you are learning from your mistakes, but you also face the risk of being afraid to take chances. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who usually take the biggest chances, and if your afraid take chances then you may be missing out on a big opportunity. Also known as fate.