Description: A short essay that translates Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy into my own words (in modern day English). It does not go line by line, but rather just contains the essential components of Hamlet’s speech.

Should I? Or should I not kill myself. That is the question. A fairly simple question. Which would be nobler of a man? To stay as he is and let his mind slowly die. To make his mind drift to insanity from his own mental torture. Or to rather take matters into his own hands and end his own torture. Let it go and let it come to a complete finish. It would surely be easier to give up instead of opposing them. To put an end to all this and to sleep. To die. To sleep eternally. And with this sleep would come the peace of mind I so seek. In this sleep nothing can be felt. No heartache or pain. Sleep will consume so wholeheartedly that feeling could possibly be felt. To sleep is to deeply wish to be eaten away by such consummation. Perhaps in this sleep a man will be able to dream. But that cannot be. For if this man has taken his own life what kind of dream can he have. There is no dream for the dead. For the dead have given up. Beyond death there is nothing that awaits us. Instead of being dead one must take a pause. A pause in time – in life so that one may think over actions and rash decisions. Now it is understood what makes me think the way I do. Conscience. The conscience that lets man become a coward afraid of living just one more day. It makes us resign on living and makes us sick from our own thoughts. And so men lose their good name to their conscience and throw their life away.