Quote

(I,ii,133-164)
HAMLET
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 deadnay, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving 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 woman!),
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor fathers body
Like Niobe, all tearswhy she, even she
(O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer!), married with my
uncle,
My fathers 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 galld 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.

Translation
HAMLET
I wish my dirty flesh could melt
Thaw itself into dew,
or that God had not been
against suicide. Oh God, God
How weary, tired, stale, and pointless
Life is to me
Lifes an untended garden
That is growing into a gross weeded garden
I cannot believe that it has turned out this way
Dead two months not even two months
An excellent king, my father was
And loving to my mother
By protect her from the winds
From her hitting her face
Do I have to remember? She would hang on him
As if she couldnt get enough of him
But, yet, only after a month
(I dont wish to think of it; she is so weak)
After not even a month, the shoes she wore
To my fathers funeral not even broken in yet
Where she had tears flowing like a river
(O God, even an animal would have mourned
longer for his mate than she did), then she went and
married my uncle
My fathers brother, but hes nothing like my father
than I am like Hercules, Within a month,
Her tears not even dried yet
She has remarried. She jumped into this so quickly
into a bed of incest
No good can come from this
But my heart is broken for I cannot speak of it

Analysis
In this soliloquy, Hamlet discusses how
heartbroken he is over the corruption of his
mother for marrying the brother of her
deceased husband. Hamlet is disgusted with his
mothers weakness, comparing her to even
below a beast, for moving on so quickly from
his father, who Hamlet idolizes. His uncle, is
the complete opposite to his father, unworthy
of even being compared to how great a king his
father was. His mother has not only betrayed
him but also his father. Hamlet knows that this
marriage means doom, foreshadowing tragedy
in the future for his family.

(I,iv,15-41)
HAMLET
Ay, marry, is t,
But, to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And, indeed, it takes
From our achievements, though performed at
height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them,
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the oergrowth of some complexion
(Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason),
Or by some habit that too much oerleavens
The form of plausive mannersthat these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being natures livery or fortunes star,
His virtues else, be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo,
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault. The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
To his own scandal.

HAMLET
Yes, it is.
But although I was born here
And should consider that a part of my own heritage,
I would rather ignore the custom.
This obscene reveling and partying
is looked down upon by other countries
They call us drunks and with a brute phrase
Insult our royalty. And, of course, it does
Detract from our achievements,
As great as they are,
The essence of our reputation
It happens in particular people
That have some defect in their nature
From birth (which they cannot control,
Since they cant choose their birth traits),
The overgrowth of some qualities
(often breaking down reason),
Or some habit that changes them completely
The pleasing manners that these men
Carry, I say, the one defect,
Being as great as they are,
His qualities can be amazing,
As far as a man may go,
Can seem horrible to the public
Just from that one fault. One blemish of evil
Makes a persons good reputation disappear

Hamlet describes his people as swinish.

Other countries are repulsed by the Danishs
hedonist tendencies. They are greedy and are
only concerned with indulging their own needs
and pleasures. Their lack of morality shows the
corrupt path they are heading on. Their
drunkenness detracts from the greatness that
the Danish have achieved. A little evil, or a
little corruption, can ruin any reputation. Any
corruption at all stands out against any other
redeeming qualities, casting a shadow on
Denmark. One single blemish in a persons
reputation can destroy it.

(I,v,66-90)
:GHOST
Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursd hebona in a vial
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leprous distilment, whose effect
Holds such an enmity with blood of man
That swift as quicksilver it courses through
The natural gates and alleys of the body,
And with a sudden vigor it doth posset
And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
The thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine,
And a most instant tetter barked about,
Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust
All my smooth body.
Thus was I, sleeping, by a brothers hand
Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched,
Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled,
No reckning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head.
O horrible, O horrible, most horrible!
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not.
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damnd incest.
(II,ii,176-181)
POLONIUS
At such a time Ill loose my daughter to him.
To the King. Be you and I behind an arras then.

GHOST
I will brief you. I was sleeping in my orchard,
As I usually do in the afternoon,
As I was sleeping your uncle snuck up on me
With a poisoned hebona in a vial

The ghost reveals that the king was killed by

his brother, who poured poison into his ear
while he was sleeping. This act can be seen as a
metaphor for the poisoning of Denmark. With
the king being killed came the death of the
state of Denmark. The ghost begs Hamlet to
make sure that the government of Denmark is
not corrupted by the new kings greed and
betrayal of his brother.

And poured it into my ear

The poisonous substance, which
Moves quickly through the veins and
Curdles the blood, which happened to me,
And in an instant I yelled out,
Like a diseased person, with a vile crust
All over my smooth body
Thus, I was killed, sleeping, by my brother, robbed
Of life, of my crown, and of my queen as I died,
Cut me off in the middle of my sins,
I never received the Eucharist, was unprepared,
never received extreme junction, no chance to
repent all my sins
O horrible, O horrible, its horrible!
If you are human, do not stand for it
Do not let the bed of the king of Denmark be
Of luxury and incest.

Polonius
At this time Ill lend my daughter to him
[to the King] You and I will hide behind the arras

Polonius proves how corrupted he is by willing

to sacrifice his own daughter to prove that
Hamlet is insane. He furthers his corruption by
wishing to spy on his daughter and Hamlet.

Mark the encounter. If he love her not,

And be not from his reason falln thereon,
Let me be no assistant for a state,
But keep a farm and carters.

(III,ii,288-296)
HAMLET
He poisons him i th garden for his estate. His
names Gonzago. The story is extant and written in
very choice Italian. You shall see anon how the
murderer gets the love of Gonzagos wife.
Claudius rises.
OPHELIA The King rises.
HAMLET What, frighted with false fire?
QUEEN How fares my lord?
POLONIUS Give oer the play.
KING Give me some light. Away!
POLONIUS Lights, lights, lights!
(III,iv,19-35)
HAMLET
No, by the rood, not so.
You are the Queen, your husbands brothers wife,
And (would it were not so) you are my mother.
QUEEN
Nay, then Ill set those to you that can speak.
HAMLET
Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge.
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.
QUEEN
What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me?
Help, ho!
POLONIUS, behind the arras What ho! Help!
HAMLET How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead.

To watch the encounter. If he doesnt love her

And it isnt the reason hes insane,
I will no longer be of assistance for the state
But become a farmer

HAMLET
He poisons him in the garden for his estate. His
Name is Gonzago. The story is written in
Italian. You will see later that
The murder marries Gonzagos wife
[Claudius gets up]
OPHELIA The King has risen
[HAMLET Is he scared of fake fire?]
QUEEN Whats wrong my lord?
POLONIUS End the play
KING Turn on the lights. I must leave!
POLONIUS Someone turn on the lights!
HAMLET
No I have not,
You are the queen, the wife of your husbands
brother, and (I wish you werent) my mother
QUEEN
Then, Ill find others that can speak to you
HAMLET
No, come and sit down, you shall not move
You will not go until I get you a mirror
So you can see what is deep inside of you
QUEEN
What will you do? You wont murder me, will you?
Someone help!
POLONIUS [behind the arras] What! Help!
HAMLET What? Is that a rat? Hes a dead rat now.
[He kills Polonius by stabbing him with a rapier

Polonius lacks any morality in order to better

his political career. He would offer up his
family if it meant pleasing the king.

Hamlets play duplicates what he believes

happened in reality in order to persuade a
reaction out of the king. When the poisoning
scene occurs, Hamlet purposefully makes a
comment to see if Claudius killed his father or
not. When the King leaves, his moral
corruption is proven. He gave up any morality
he had to get the crown even if it meant killing
his own brother.

Hamlet confronts his mother about betraying

her former husband. Hamlet no longer wants
her as his own mother, therefore ridding him of
both parents and giving him a corrupt family.
Hamlet then catches someone spying on him
again, thus stabbing him, killing the spy, who
turns out to be Polonius. Poloniuss lack of
ethics in spying on Hamlet lead to his death.
He wishes he had killed the king, doing
something on impulse for once. Afterwards,
Hamlet compares Poloniuss murder to his
mothers unscrupulous marriage to her dead
husbands brother.

He kills Polonius by thrusting a rapier

through the arras.
POLONIUS, behind the arras O, I am slain!
QUEEN O me, what hast thou done?
HAMLET Nay, I know not. Is it the King?
QUEEN O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
HAMLET
A bloody deedalmost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king and marry with his brother.
(III,iv,103-116)
HAMLET Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamd bed,
Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty!
QUEEN O, speak to me no more!
These words like daggers enter in my ears.
No more, sweet Hamlet!
HAMLET A murderer and a villain,
A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe
Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings,
A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole
And put it in his pocket
QUEEN No more!
(IV,ii,11-21)
HAMLET
That I can keep your counsel and not mine
own. Besides, to be demanded of a sponge, what
replication should be made by the son of a king?
ROSENCRANTZ
Take you me for a sponge, my lord?
HAMLET
Ay, sir, that soaks up the Kings countenance,
his rewards, his authorities. But such officers do the
King best service in the end. He keeps them like an
ape an apple in the corner of his jaw, first mouthed,

through the arras]

Polonius [behind the arras] Oh no, Ive been killed!
QUEEN Oh no, what have you done?
HAMLET I dont know. Is it the King?
QUEEN What a hasty and bloody thing to do
HAMLET
A bloody deed, mother, is almost as bad
As to kill a king and then marry his brother

HAMLET You live

In the dirty sweat of a greasy bed,
Covered in corruption, and making love
Over the gross bed
QUEEN Do not speak to me anymore!
Your words are like daggers in my ears
Please, speak no more Hamlet!
HAMLET He is a murderer and a villain,
A slave that is not even a twentieth
Of the previous king; a shame to kings,
A thief who stole the throne,
The crown stolen from a shelf
And put it in his pocket
QUEEN No more!
HAMLET
That Id take your advice and not my own
Besides, you are a sponge. What
Am I, a prince, supposed to say to a sponge?
ROSENCRANTZ
You think I am a sponge, my lord?
HAMLET
Yes sir, you have soaked up the Kings words,
Rewards, and orders. But you are the type of person
that serves the King best. He keeps you all in his
mouth like an ape, to only be swallowed in the end
When he needs what you can give him

Hamlet tries to instill guild into the Queen by

graphically describing her dirty and corrupt
lovemaking with the King. This makes her
upset, begging Hamlet to stop, but he pushes
on. He furthers his point by comparing the new
kings rule to his fathers, saying that the new
king is not even one twentieth the king his
father was. The Queen and the Kings
dishonorable actions have corrupted the rule of
Denmark.

Rosencrantz was once trusted by Hamlet, but

now Hamlet sees he has been corrupted by the
King. Hamlet compares Rosencrantz to a
sponge, soaking in anything the King says and
making it his own thoughts. The King has now
corrupted even more of the people in the state.

to be last swallowed. When he needs what you have

gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you
shall be dry again.

He will get it by squeezing you like a sponge, until

you are dry again.

(IV,iii,63-77)
KING
Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard.
Delay it not. Ill have him hence tonight.
Away, for everything is sealed and done
That else leans on th affair. Pray you, make haste.

KING
Follow him by foot; and get him quickly on board
Do not delay. I want him out tonight
Go now for everything is ready
That needs to be for this affair. Please, hurry.

All but the King exit.

And England, if my love thou holdst at aught
(As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us), thou mayst not coldly set
Our sovereign process, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England,
For like the hectic in my blood he rages,
And thou must cure me. Till I know tis done,
Howeer my haps, my joys will neer begin.

[All but the King exit]

And England, If you love me
(as my great power
Gave you damage that is still raw
At the hand of the Danish, so you must fear
And respect us), so you cannot ignore
Our sovereign process,
By letters that tell you
To kill Hamlet. Do it England,
For he is what makes my blood rage
And you must cure me. I will not be happy
Until I know the deed is done

(IV, iv,108-118)
MESSENGER Save yourself, my lord.
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impiteous haste
Than young Laertes, in a riotous head,
Oerbears your officers. The rabble call him lord,

MESSENGER Save yourself, my lord

The ocean is flooding
Over onto the lands quickly
The young Laertes, leading a riot,
Against your government. They call him lord,

The King is so afraid of Hamlet ruining his

newfound rule that he will yet again forget
morality. He orders the murder of Hamlet when
he goes to England to preserve his amoral
crown. His personal greed leads him to kill
again, and this time its his wifes son.

The Kings corruption in killing his brother,

which leads to Poloniuss corruption in spying
on Hamlet, which leads to Hamlets corruption
of killing Polonius, leads to Laertes return.
Laertes is angered by his fathers death and
seeks revenge. He then accumulates a group

And, as the world were now but to begin,

Antiquity forgot, custom not known,
The ratifiers and props of every word,
They cry Choose we, Laertes shall be king!
Caps, hands, and tongues applaud it to the clouds,
Laertes shall be king! Laertes king!

(V, ii, 344-351)

LAERTES
It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.
No medcine in the world can do thee good.
In thee there is not half an hours life.
The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,
Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice
Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie,
Never to rise again. Thy mothers poisoned.
I can no more. The King, the Kings to blame.

And, they want to begin again,

Forgetting tradition and the past
The rioters protest
We choose Laertes to be king!
They all cheer to the sky,
Laertes be our king! Laertes king!

LAERTES
Its happened Hamlet, you are killed
Theres no medicine that can cure you
You only have a half an hour to live
The murder weapon is in your hand
Poisoned. The dirty plan
Backfired on me. So, here I lie,
Laid her to die. Your mothers been boisoned.
I cant live anymore. The King is to blame for all.

followers protesting to make him the new king.

The publics willingness to overthrow the
current government head proves the
governments corruption.

In the end, the Kings nefarious desire to kill

Hamlet ends up killing everyone. His cowardly
plan killed himself, Laertes, the Queen, and
Hamlet. Hamlet has righted the wrong that
came with Claudiuss murder of his father. The
entirety of both families is now eradicated.
However, now no one is there to rule Denmark.
Fortinbras now will rule Denmark, hoping to
fix the corrupted state it is in.