To be, or not to be

"To be, or not to be" is a soliloquy given by Prince Hamlet in the so-called "nunnery scene" of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1). The speech is named for the opening phrase, itself among the most widely known and quoted lines in modern English literature, and the speech has been referenced in many works of theatre, literature and music.

For other uses, see To Be or Not to Be (disambiguation).
"Perchance to Dream" redirects here. For other uses, see Perchance to Dream (disambiguation).

In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide, weighing the pain and unfairness of life against the alternative, which might be worse. Hamlet is not alone as he speaks because Ophelia is on stage waiting for him to see her, and Claudius and Polonius have concealed themselves to hear him. Even so, Hamlet seems to consider himself alone and there is no definite indication that the others hear him before he addresses Ophelia, so the speech is almost universally regarded as a soliloquy.

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