Hamlet

Act 3, Sc. 1, lines 134-153: What sincere emotion drives Hamlet in these speeches? Explain, citing text details.

Hamlet. Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a

breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I

could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother

had not borne me. I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious,

with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put

them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them

in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth

and heaven? We arrant knaves all; believe none of us. Go

thy ways to a nunnery. Where's your father?

Ophelia. At home, my lord.

Hamlet. Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play

the fool nowhere but in's own house. Farewell.

Ophelia. O, help him, you sweet heavens!

Hamlet. If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy

dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt

not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell. Or if

thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well

enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go;

and quickly too. Farewell.

Ophelia. Heavenly powers, restore him!

Hamlet. I have heard of your paintings well enough. God

hath give you one face and you make yourselves another.

You jig, you amble, and you lisp, you nickname God's

creatures, and make your wantonness your ignorance. Go to,

I'll no more on't, it hath made me mad. I say we will have

no more marriages. Those that are married already, all but

one, shall live; the rest shall keep as they are. To a nunnery,

go.

[Exit]

Asked by
Last updated by jill d #170087
Answers 1
Add Yours

Hamlet's words are driven by anger at his own mother. Ophelia in no way deserves the cruelty with which Hamlet speaks.

You jig, you amble, and you lisp, you nickname God's

creatures, and make your wantonness your ignorance. Go to,

I'll no more on't, it hath made me mad. I say we will have

no more marriages. Those that are married already, all but

one, shall live; the rest shall keep as they are.

Source(s)

Hamlet