Rereading Hamlet made me realize how much I’ve grown

I know Hamlet is a classic, and when I first read it in my early years of high school, I have to admit... I didn’t fully get it. I felt a little immature back then. I just couldn’t focus deeply on what the lines were really saying, and it just felt like a complicated old story to me.

Recently, I decided to pick it up again, and this time I really took my time with each line. I tried to focus on the true meaning behind the words. And honestly, I felt such a deep connection to it. I saw so much more emotion, pain, and truth in Hamlet’s struggles. It’s like the words finally clicked with me.

The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy especially struck me... not just as a philosophical question, but as a raw, deeply personal reflection on existence. It made me ponder how the choice to continue living, despite suffering, is itself an act of courage. What once seemed like a purely academic speech then, now feels like one of the most sincere expressions of human vulnerability in all of literature. It REALLY made me wonder about the strength it takes just to be.

This experience made me realize that some works reveal their power only when we are ready to receive them. Hamlet hasn't changed... I have!