Hamlet Soliloquy Glossary: Tis now the very witching time of night (3.2.380-391)
could I drink hot blood (382)
Hamlet compares himself to witches accused of consuming human blood. This is a reference to the Renaissance belief that witches killed and then drank the blood of recently buried children. Hamlet does not truly believe that he is capable of drinking blood, but he now feels capable of perpetrating evil of another kind - murder.
How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda. Hamlet Soliloquy Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/soliloquies/hotblood.html >.
