Shuffle off this mortal coil Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

We should tell you that you should care about Hamlet because it just might mark the beginning of a new kind of literature that focuses on the struggles and conflicts within a single individual, rather than on the external conflicts between individuals. Or we can make it even simpler, and say that Hamlet just might be Western literature's first modern man—or modern teenager.

But the fact of the matter is, we think you should care about Hamlet and his little speech because he's having a teenage crisis. Okay, so he doesn't dye his hair and plaster pictures of emo bands all over his walls, but he does start wearing all black and talking to himself a lot—the 16th century equivalent of keeping a video diary. This phrase comes directly from that very video diary.

Hamlet's got a crush on a girl who's lying to him; he doesn't like the guy his mom remarried; and he feels a lot of pressure to live up to his dad's expectations. In other words, Hamlet is just like us.

Sure, he's got bigger problems. (And ghosts.) And maybe we wouldn't go around town delivering a big speech like this when we're struggling to keep up with life, but we all understand what he's saying. Hamlet's mysterious inner life, his roller coaster of emotions, his struggle to figure out what to do with his life, his conflicted feelings about his parents—this is the stuff that every coming-of-age novel (and movie) is made of.

The fact of the matter is he wants to shake off his mortal coil—or body—and get over the whole crisis thing. And who can blame him?