Discuss the use of soliloquies in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Monologues are commonly used theatrical devices in which a speech is given by one person, a soliloquy is a specific kind of monologue in which a character speaks directly to the audience, giving them an in depth insight into the character's thoughts and feelings. The term soliloquy, derived from Latin, literally translates as "a talking to oneself". This technique - often thought of as being old fashioned these days - is used throughout many of Shakespeare's plays. Nine soliloquies appear in Hamlet, seven of which are spoken by the titular character. These speeches offer the audience a relationship with Hamlet that is different to the relationships he has to any other character in the play; only the audience knows the insistency of Hamlet's suicidal thoughts and how crippling his suspicions of Claudius are.The theatrical power of breaking the fourth wall between performer and spectator provides the audience with the opportunity to delve inside a character's subjective experience. Hamlet's first soliloquy (Act 1, Scene 2), provides an excellent example of this. In the scene leading up to this Soliloquy we are introduced to a family who has endured immense grief, but which appears to be working towards moving on and overcoming their pain. Hamlet sits and watches, barely speaking throughout the whole scene - what is he thinking? His soliloquy provides the audience with answers to this question. It quickly becomes clear that Hamlet does not share the optimism of his family or the court. As his mother and uncle plan marry, he is in fact wishing himself into nonexistence - "O that this too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!" In this speech, Hamlet reshapes our perspective on the world of the play, giving the audience privileged access to his internal life and providing them with context that helps them to better understand Hamlet as a character.