"To Be Or Not To Be" Soliloquy by William Shakespeare | CommonLit

by William Shakespeare c. 1599

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Teaching Shakespeare in a Maximum Security Prison

Michel Martin

In "Teaching Shakespeare in a Maximum Security Prison," Professor Laura Bates discusses teaching Shakespeare in a maximum security prison.

Pair "Teaching Shakespeare in a Maximum Security Prison" with Hamlet's "'To Be or Not To Be' Soliloquy" and ask students to draw conclusions about what we can learn from studying Shakespeare. Why might it be valuable for a prisoner to read this passage from Hamlet?

11th Grade Interview 1190L

On Tragedy

Aristotle

In this excerpt from Poetics, Aristotle offers a definition of tragedy, as well as several examples and non-examples of the genre.

Pair Hamlet's "'To Be or Not to Be' Soliloquy" with "On Tragedy" from Aristotle's Poetics to spark an in-depth discussion about literary tragedy. Based on this passage, does Shakespeare's Hamlet appear to fit Aristotle's definition of tragedy?

9th Grade Philosophy 1070L

The Tempest 4.1.156-8

Gary Soto

Gary Soto begins this poem with a line from Shakespeare's The Tempest to delve into the harsh reality of death and how it is dealt with.

Pair Hamlet's “'To Be or Not To Be' Soliloquy"with Gary Soto’s “The Tempest 4.1.156-8” and have students compare a classic Shakespeare text with a more modern spin on his writing. Then, lead students in a discussion on the theme of death. How does Hamlet face death? How does this compare to Soto’s theme?

9th Grade Poem

Shakespeare had fewer words, but doper rhymes, than rappers

Hugh Craig

In the informational text, "Shakespeare had fewer words, but doper rhymes, than rappers," Hugh Craig discusses the myth surrounding William Shakespeare's vocabulary, and what he was able to do with words.

Pair “‘To Be Or Not To Be’ Soliloquy” with “Shakespeare had fewer words, but doper rhymes, than rappers” to provide students with an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Ask students to discuss the variety of words present in the excerpt. How would students describe Shakespeare’s vocabulary in this excerpt? What clever metaphors does Shakespeare use to explore the themes of life and death?

12th Grade Informational Text 1260L

A Prayer for the Living

Ben Okri

In Ben Okri's "A Prayer for the Living," adapted from a longer work, a narrator describes the search for loved ones among the dead.

Pair “‘To Be or Not to Be’ Soliloquy” with “A Prayer for the Living” to provide students with an excerpt from Hamlet, in which Hamlet contemplates his own death. How do Hamlet and the narrator in “A Prayer for the Living” view their own life? What about their death? How do Hamlet and the narrator describe death?

10th Grade Fiction - General 880L

"Frailty, Thy Name is Woman!" Soliloquy

William Shakespeare

In a soliloquy, Hamlet expresses his rage towards his mother due to recent choices she has made.

Pair “‘To Be or Not To Be’ Soliloquy” with “'Frailty, Thy Name is Woman!' Soliloquy” and ask students to analyze Hamlet’s perspective based on both excerpts. How does each text develop Hamlet’s perspective and help students better understand his character? Ask students to consider his tone in each soliloquy, and analyze how the language he uses develops his tone in each speech.

11th Grade Drama Non-Prose

Paired Texts > "To Be Or Not To Be" Soliloquy