https://www. youtube. com/watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQIO5D3r3yw No Fear Shakespeare Sparknotes

http://www.rutgersprep.org/kendall/ap/hamlet_audio/11_ST.html In the first part of his "To be or not to be" speech, Hamlet debates whether or not to kill himself. He goes on to say that life is a burden and implies that people would kill themselves because of the load except that everyone is too afraid of the unknown after death. Death he explains is an uncharted land that no one ever returns from so therefore nothing is known of it. Consequently, people will bear their weary lives rather than give into something unknown such as death. Hamlet says that the people shy away from the unknown and thus the unknown makes cowards of all. Hamlet has thus explained why he will not kill himself; he like all others are afraid of death and that fear of death causes him "to lose the name of action." Hamlet cut off his speech when he hears Ophelia but reminds himself not to forget what he has been telling himself.