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... father, who explains that he was murdered by Hamlet's uncle, who is Hamlet's mother's new husband. His father cannot rest until Hamlet has gotten revenge. Hamlet's father has just been murdered, his friends are sent to spy on him, his lover is forbidden to see him, and Hamlet feels that his life is pointless and miserable. "The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes..." These are the miseries that Hamlet must endure. This is why he makes this speech to himself, almost as if he is convincing himself that there are reasons to stay living. Most everyone in Hamlet is leading a horrible life. Hamlet's mother has just lost a husband, his uncle is worried and guilt-stricken over the terrible crime he committed of murdering his brother, and Ophelia, Hamlet's lover, is miserable because her half-witted father has forbidden her to see Hamlet. This soliloquy pertains not only to Hamlet, but to virtually all the characters in the play. All the characters are "bearing the whips and scorns" of their lives. The monologue is not only relevant to the characters in Hamlet, but to all people. Many people feel at some point that their lives are not worth living. They may question if life has a purpose, and whether or not they are serving that purpose. It is quite easy to relate to Hamlet's feelings of woe and uncertainty. This is what makes Hamlet timeless. No matter what century, country, or person, everyone has experienced to some degree what Hamlet suffered. Perhaps someone has just lost a father, or undergone a divorce. They could relat...