是莎士比亚最负盛名的剧本 , 创作于 1601 年，是英国文艺复兴时期文学创作的巅峰 , 代表了莎士比亚戏剧的最高成就。莎翁将复仇故事深化成复杂的性格悲剧，显示出更深刻的人性思考的容量，莎士比亚说，他的作品就是 “ 给自然照一面镜子，给德行看一看自己的面目，给荒唐看一看自己的姿态，给时代和社会看一看自己的形象和印记 ” 。 《哈姆雷特》并行交叉的复杂情节 , 广阔的社会场景 , 尤其是对主人公内心冲突的深刻描写生动丰富地展示了宏伟壮丽的人生画面，而 “ 生存还是毁灭 ” 、 “ 人是万物的灵长 ” 等独白更成为文学史上的经典。
这是哈姆雷特的一段有名的独白，是哈姆雷特关于生存与死亡辩证关系的思考 —— 生存是艰难的，当选择死亡更容易时，我们为什么非要继续下去？我们看看哈姆雷特是怎么想的 :
王子的经典独白 " 生存还是毁灭？", 中英文对照的版本:
哈姆雷特独白:
生存还是毁灭？这是个问题。
究竟哪样更高贵，去忍受那狂暴的命运无情的摧残 还是挺身去反抗那无边的烦恼，把它扫一个干净。
去死，去睡就结束了，
唉，这就麻烦了，即使摆脱了这尘世 可在这死的睡眠里又会做些什么梦呢？真得想一想，
谁甘心忍受那鞭打和嘲弄，受人压迫，受尽侮蔑和轻视，
谁也不甘心，呻吟、流汗拖着这残生，可是对死后又感觉到恐惧，
顾虑就使我们都变成了懦夫，
Hamlet:
To be, or not to be- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep-
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die- to sleep.
To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub!
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death-
The undiscover'd 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?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.
