Robert Watson in LARB:To be, or not to be, that is the question,Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them. Hamlet asks whether a Stoic detachment from the injustices of this corrupt world—a detachment that was considered a noble state of mind by many ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, and therefore by Renaissance thinkers too—is better than trying to defeat evil when you’re likely to fail and will probably die trying. Understanding this soliloquy requires understanding that in the Elizabethan period, to “suffer” something usually meant to permit it even if you didn’t like it. Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.