QuoteQuest“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
— William Shakespeare, 1600
Verification
VerifiedWording confirmed against a primary source.
Wording varies slightly between the Second Quarto and First Folio; this is the standard modern edition.
Source
- Title
- Hamlet
- Type
- play · Primary source
- Date
- c. 1600
- Location
- Act 3, Scene 1
- Held by
- Folger Shakespeare Library
Context
Hamlet's soliloquy as he weighs life, death and action.
What it means
Hamlet questions whether it is nobler to endure suffering or to end it.
Cite this source
Shakespeare, William. (c. 1600). Hamlet. Folger Shakespeare Library. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/
Check citations against your institution's style guide; some details may be missing.
Provenance: Manually entered from the Folger edition.