Suicide, derived from the Latin expression sui cadere, "to commit suicide", is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Every year, more than a million people commit suicide, ending the feelings of hopelessness, pressure, or suffering they experienced while alive. Yet statistics show that the number of non-fatal suicide attempts exceeds the number of actual suicides. Failed suicide attempts reveal the deep and devastating uncertainties humans have about death. Such questions about whether life or death is better penetrate human perception. Fear of the unknown often paralyzes the action plans we undertake. Likewise, fear of death and the afterlife often causes people to postpone death, allowing their misery and pain to continue. Death hovers in the minds of humans, consciously and unconsciously, leading them in pursuit of the countless ambiguities and mysteries surrounding life, existence and the world. Thoughts and questions around life and death are so common that many writers infuse them extensively as themes in the plot of their literary works. One of the most striking examples of reflection between life and death is found in a soliloquy in Hamlet, where the Crown Prince of Denmark acknowledges the option of suicide to end his agony. Hamlet's contemplation of the pros and cons between life and death in Shakespeare's highly acclaimed tragedy reveals to the reader profound insight into Hamlet's character and personality, the connections between thought and action, and the ambiguities of the life. After the death of his father, Hamlet falls into a state of depression. Bitterly grieving, Hamlet reacts negatively to the rapid remarriage of his mother, the que...... middle of paper ...... many well-known historical figures, including Mark Antony, Cleopatra of Egypt, Virginia Woolf, Adolf Hitler, Ernest Hemingway and Vincent van Gogh committed suicide. Radical changes occurred, altering not only people's social and moral values, but also their political and religious values. While Christian suicide was once considered a sin, the increasing suicide rate today signifies a loss of strength of strict, persistent, traditional ideology. More and more people are wondering about the riddles of existence, life and death, but fewer and fewer are willing to endure the sufferings of life to delay the fear that accompanies death. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Literature “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”: an introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print