To be or not to be - An Essay by Petar Zmak

The mystery of death has troubled man since the first moment we gained consciousness. Religions offer a solution to this mystery by means of an afterlife in which one’s soul enters after death. Others may argue that no such afterlife exists because there has never been any proof. A third often overlooked solution involves an afterlife that is created through the legacy. In William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the importance of the legacy is made apparent through the thoughts and actions of many characters. Through Hamlet, Shakespeare invites one to think about the importance of building a strong and proud legacy. The uncertainty of death leads Hamlet to realize that there is no man who can prove the existence of an afterlife. Many characters do immoral deeds in an attempt to build themselves a proud legacy, but due to their sins of the past, they lose much more than what they sought to gain. The inner thoughts of Hamlet question the basis of one's mortal existence and show that a legacy is essential in one's life. It is through Hamlet and other characters that Shakespeare tries to teach one the importance of not only creating a legacy but creating a legacy with which to be proud.

In the face of religious afterlife, creating a legacy may seem trivial. Many religions teach that one's soul lives on after death with God in heaven. At one point, Hamlet questions his own religious beliefs about the existence of an afterlife. While pondering this, Hamlet asks:

Who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of? (Shakespeare 3.1.84-90).

Hamlet asks that if one was not afraid of death and its uncertainty, then why would one bother to live on earth and toil through life? Hamlet additionally realizes that never has someone assured the world that there is an afterlife waiting to receive one's soul. One who believes that such a place exists can never be completely sure because no one has come back after death and proven it. Once one realizes this truth in life, one begins to fear for one's existence. Shakespeare uses this idea to make one think critically and realize that the only way one can ensure that one's soul will continue existing after death, is by building a legacy.

If one is to build a legacy and be remembered for the life one lived, then one should build a legacy that one can be proud of. A legacy needs proper nurturing and care, much like any other living thing. Shakespeare shows that if a legacy is not properly grown, then it will either wilt like a feeble plant or grow into something one is not proud of. Hamlet’s father realized that he was not building the legacy when his life was cut short. “Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand / … Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin, / … No reck’ning made, but sent to my account / With all my imperfections on my head.” (Shakespeare 1.5.81-86). His carelessness about his legacy before his death gives him the legacy of a sinner. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern attempt to build a legacy starting by being in favour of the king. They attempt to begin the foundation of their legacy by betraying a friend. This weak foundation ultimately leads to the friends’ deaths and their poor attempt at building legacies crumbles. Claudius wants to have the legacy and life of a king. In an attempt to achieve this, he takes the ultimate shortcut by murdering his brother and marrying his sister-in-law. His legacy quickly falls apart when his treacherous deeds are exposed. Shakespeare uses these characters to show that there are no shortcuts to building a legacy. One must use every day of one’s life to add something meaningful to it. Only through one’s sweat and blood will one be able to create a legacy with which one can be proud.

“To be or not to be - that is the question” (Shakespeare 3.1.64). Whether one will build a legacy has a likeness to one choosing whether one will live or die. To build a legacy, one must live one’s life to its fullest. When one chooses not to build a legacy, one condemns ones existence to eternal death. If one has no desire to leave a legacy behind, why would one bother to go through the motions of everyday life when one can “take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them.” (Shakespeare 3.1.67-68). Shakespeare calls one to “suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (Shakespeare 3.1.65-66) and live because it is truly nobler to suffer and pull through than to give up. When one pulls through all the suffering and the pain, one adds an achievement to one's legacy. By choosing to live, one makes life all the more enjoyable to live in because one has achievements to be proud of. Shakespeare calls everyone to be active and present in life. Doing so strengthens one's immaterial existence and improves one's quality of life. When one chooses “To be” (Shakespeare 3.1.64), one not only chooses to live, but one begins the foundation of one’s legacy.

When one builds a proud legacy, one has achieved eternal life. Shakespeare makes one realize that a legacy is a necessary piece in one's life because one cannot live unless one builds a meaningful legacy. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare shows us that one must build a legacy if one wants to live a proud and fulfilling life before and after death. On his deathbed, Hamlet asks Horatio to tell his story to the world so that all may know and learn from the story. For generations, people have learned from the story of Hamlet. If one is successful in building a legacy, one's legacy will continue to live on in the stories of others and likewise teach the generations of the future. As long as one has ears to listen and mouths to speak, one’s existence will live on. Thus, like Shakespeare and Hamlet, one will have overcome the mystery of death.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Edited by Paul Werstine and Barbara A. Mowat, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 1992.