To be, or not to be

Cultural  

1. Words from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. They begin a famous speech by Prince Hamlet in which he considers suicide as an escape from his troubles: “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

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Example Sentences

It must be said that this change is not helped by a scene where Mescal gazes out a window at night, staring into grief’s abyss while improvising the renowned “to be or not to be” soliloquy from Shakespeare’s play.

From Salon

Just when I was silently begging the filmmaker to tone it down, she toned it up, even having Mr. Mescal tearfully do the “to be or not to be” soliloquy while contemplating throwing himself off a cliff in a scene that plays like a Mel Brooks comedy about histrionic artists.

From The Wall Street Journal

“There’s that very famous line, ‘To be or not to be,’ and I tried to imagine what that same question would look like in today’s words and visual expression,” says the writer-director.

From Los Angeles Times

We’re like Will standing at the edge of the river when, at least in our film, the “to be or not to be” monologue was born.

From Los Angeles Times

Then came his “To be, or not to be” act—maybe he’ll attack, maybe he won’t, “nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

From Slate