Question

Shakespeare begins the speech with the line "To be, or not to be: that is the question” and then proceeds to ask multiple questions throughout the speech.

When viewed through a formalist lens, the point of Shakespeare’s structure is to

contrast Hamlet’s speaking style with that of King Claudius.
emphasize Hamlet’s indecision that recurs throughout the play.
introduce a new motif that focuses on the inevitability of death.
illustrate Hamlet’s confusion about his relationship with King Claudius.

Answer 1

emphasize Hamlet’s indecision that recurs throughout the play.

The string of rhetorical questions and antitheses in the speech structurally mirrors his vacillation and inward debate, a formal feature that dramatizes his paralysis and repeated hesitation.