Perchance to dream is episode nine of the american television anthology series the twilight zone it originally aired on november 27 1959 on cbs the title of the episode and the charles beaumont short story that inspired it is taken from hamlets to be or not to be speech opening . Perchance to dream is a great introduction to beaumonts frequently excellent work a fascinating study of a man with a heart condition who dreams in sequence and dare not go to sleep because his last dream left him in such a dangerous position perchance to dream has two distinct acts the first half mainly consists of a dialogue between a man and his psychiatrist however unlike the dull ramblings of escape clauses dialogue heavy first act perchance to dream offers an incredibly . Perchance to dream contains a selection of beaumonts finest stories including five stories that he later adapted for twilight zone episodes this volume contains an introduction by ray bradbury and an afterword by william shatner two fellow science fiction luminaries who counted themselves among beaumonts close friends. To sleep perchance to dream origin of to sleep perchance to dream this phrase occurs in the most celebrated soliloquy of prince hamlet in the meaning of to sleep perchance to dream the literal meaning of this quote is that death is a better choice to end the usage of to sleep perchance