Faculty of English

GERTRUDE    Be thou assured, if words be made of breath And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me. HAMLET         I must to England – you know that. GERTRUDE    Alack, I had forgot; ’tis so concluded on. HAMLET         There’s letters sealed and my two schoolfellows – Whom I will […]

HAMLET         ’Twere good you let him know, For who that’s but a queen – fair, sober, wise – Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib, Such dear concernings hide? Who would do so? No, in despite of sense and secrecy Unpeg the basket on the house’s top, Let the birds fly and like the famous ape To try […]

GERTRUDE                            What shall I do? HAMLET         Not this, by no means, that I bid you do – Let the bloat King tempt you again to bed, Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse And let him for a pair of reechy kisses, Or paddling in your neck with his damned fingers, Make you to ravel all this matter out That I essentially am […]

HAMLET                     For this same lord I do repent, but heaven hath pleased it so To punish me with this, and this with me, That I must be their scourge and minister. I will bestow him and will answer well The death I gave him. So again goodnight. I must be cruel only to be kind. This bad begins and worse remains behind. […]

HAMLET                     Refrain tonight And that shall lend a kind of easiness To the next abstinence, the next more easy. For use almost can change the stamp of nature And either shame the devil or throw him out With wondrous potency. Once more goodnight, And when you are desirous to be blessed I’ll blessing beg of you.          (3.4.163-170) Hamlet continues to tell his […]

GERTRUDE    O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain. HAMLET         O throw away the worser part of it And live the purer with the other half. Goodnight, but go not to my uncle’s bed; Assume a virtue if you have it not. That monster Custom, who all sense doth eat Of habits devil, is angel yet in this, That to the use of […]

HAMLET         Confess yourself to heaven, Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come, And do not spread the compost on the weeds To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue, For in the fatness of these pursy times Virtue itself of Vice must pardon beg. Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.          (3.4.147-153) Hamlet—perhaps above all else—is taking the moral (very) high ground here, […]

HAMLET         My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time And makes as healthful music. It is not madness That I have uttered. Bring me to the test And I the matter will reword, which madness Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace Lay not that flattering unction to your soul That not your trespass but my madness speaks. It will but skin and film the […]

HAMLET         Why, look you there! Look how it steals away – My father in his habit as he lived. Look where he goes even now out at the portal! (Exit Ghost.) GERTRUDE    This is the very coinage of your brain. This bodiless creation ecstasy Is very cunning in.     (3.4.132-137) Look, look! says Hamlet, why, look you there! right THERE! can’t you see it, see HIM? Look how it […]

HAMLET         On him, on him! Look you how pale he glares, His form and cause conjoined preaching to stones Would make them capable. [to Ghost] Do not look upon me Lest with this piteous action you convert My stern effects! Then what I have to do Will want true colour, tears perchance for blood. GERTRUDE    To whom do you speak this? HAMLET         Do […]