Hamlet Soliloquy: To be, or not to be: that is the question (3.1.64-98)
the proud man's contumely
Contumely means scorn. It comes from the Middle English word, contumelie. The pronunciation is kän - tyüm - le with the accent on the first syllable. Note that this line is found in the quarto version of Hamlet. In the First Folio it is "the poor man's contumely."
Mabillard, Amanda. Hamlet Soliloquy Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/soliloquies/contumley.html >.
