Hamlet Soliloquy Glossary: O, that this too too solid flesh would melt (1.2.131-61)

incestuous sheets (1.2.159)

Even though Claudius and Gertrude are related only through marriage, the union between a woman and her husband's brother, even if the brother was deceased, was considered incest (see Leviticus 16:20), and was explicitly forbidden by the Catholic and Anglican faiths.

Back to Soliloquy Annotations

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/incestuous.html >.

Related Articles

 Hamlet: Problem Play and Revenge Tragedy
 Hamlet's Silence
 Hamlet's Relationship with the Ghost
 The Significance of the Ghost in Armor
 Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet
 Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet

 Revenge in Hamlet
 Deception in Hamlet
 The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot
 The Norway (Fortinbras) Subplot
 Foul Deeds Will Rise: Hamlet and Divine Justice

 Soliloquy Analysis: O this too too... (1.2.131)
 Soliloquy Analysis: O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!... (2.2.555-612)
 Soliloquy Analysis: To be, or not to be... (3.1.64-98)
 Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night... (3.2.380-91)
 Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat... (3.3.77-100)
 Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me... (4.4.35-69)

 Sources for Hamlet
 Quotations from Hamlet (with commentary)
 Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers)
 Hamlet: Q & A