Hamlet in the beginning

O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, 
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst [self-slaughter!] O God, God,
How [weary,] stale, flat, and unprofitable 
Seem to me all the uses of this world! 
Fie on 't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden 
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come [to this:]
But two months dead---nay, not so much, not two. 
So excellent a king, that was to my mother 
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth, 
Must I remember? Why, she [would] hang on him 
As if increase of appetite had grown 
by what it fed on. And yet, within a month
(Let me not think on 't; frailty, thy name is women!),
A little month, or ere those shoes were old 
With which she followed my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears---why she, [even she]
[O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason 
Would have mourned longer!], married with my uncle, 
My father's brother, but no more like my father 
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing  in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good. 
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue. 

In this soliloquy Hamlet is discussing his distaste for his mother's actions. After his father's death Hamlet's mother remarries. This time marrying the late king's brother. Hamlet is far from pleased by this action, finding fault with his mother's lack of mourning.

Sullied in the first line means stained and defiled. Hamlet is referring to his distaste with his one body and his will to stop living. He wants to "thaw, and resolve itself into a dew". He is so upset that all he wants to do is disappear into the dew. In the next couple lines suicide is mentioned, or more specifically the law against suicide, Hamlet is contemplating suicide this early in the play. He is in such a state of despair that he wants to be rid of his earthly body. The word choice of 'unprofitable' is especially intriguing as it gives a glimpse of just how useless he feels. The next part includes a garden reference. Gardens have a special meaning in this case the destruction or decline of the garden represents the way hamlet feels about his life and what has happened to him. Next he discussed how he never imagined that this is what would happen after his father died. It has only been two months and his mother is already remarrying. Hamlet mentions how amazing his father was and how in love he thought they were. He uses food and hunger to describe his mother's love of his father. The use of food is typical in that the need for food is often compared to the want for love. He is then amazed by how quickly his mother moves on. He makes a comment about the frailty of women. This feeling towards women is echoed through the play. Hamlet's distrust of women seems to stem from his mother's actions. He also talks of his mother's "incestuous sheets". This crude talk regarding his mother's sexual life further emphasizes his dislike of her actions. As well as the very last like about holding his tongue. Despite his displeasure with her actions he will not say anything.

This soliloquy is important is that it sets up the mental and emotional standings of Hamlet in the beginning. Plays are particularly intriguing in the way they must choose language carefully in order to communicate the concepts. The use of food to describe love as well as the garden to describe the destruction of what is right helps to precisely what Hamlet is feeling. Also the language regarding his mother, especially the crude comments about her bed sheets express his opinions of her marriage and what he thinks caused her marriage. Finally the comment about women and frailty give a glimpse into his issues with women. This one portion of the play takes on a huge role in explaining to the audience Hamlet's story. The beginning of the story is important especially in tracking Hamlet's mental and emotional changes through the story especially in regards to his madness.