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Shakespeare Quick QuotesWhat a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! piece ] i.e. excellent piece; a work of art. For similar usage see Lucrece 1443, and The Winter's Tale (5.3.44). faculty ] powers of thought. express ] perfectly suited; possibly expressive (full of expression). apprehension ] the ability to apprehend or understand. paragon ] without peer; i.e. the most perfect of animals. quintessence ] Besides the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water, the early alchemists believed that there was a fifth essence, which was the highest. This, then, means the concentrated virtue of the spirit (the "dust"). Compare As You Like It: The quintessence of every sprite Hamlet, speaking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, explains that he has lost all joy, and although he can still appreciate the grandeur of humanity conceptually, he no longer derives happiness from human interaction. The corrupt moral condition of Denmark is to blame. Hamlet's reflections on the nobility of man illustrate his profound intellect, curiosity and idealism. The significance of his moral philosophy is made that much greater by the company he keeps, for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern -- also students of philosophy at Wittenberg -- are unmoved by Hamlet's words. Thoughts on human nature do not trouble Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as they do Hamlet, and they are content in their ignorance. Hamlet, in his current pessimistic state, cannot find inspiration in human potential or anything else. His melancholy, already deep before the Ghost's visit, is now all-consuming. In this depressed mood his philosophic nature has become his undoing -- his "thinking too precisely" has made the "foul and pestilent" world his "prison" and he ends his lofty praise of humanity with the grievous admission, "man delights not me." How fitting that this unintended double entendre is the only thing Rosencrantz gleans from Hamlet's words. Aside from Hamlet's great wit and select moments with Horatio, only the passage above and his moments with the players (2.2.411-441 and 3.2.1-46) give us a sense of the real Hamlet; the "rose of the fair state", who was once a joyful participant in uncovering the infinite capability of humanity, and the very embodiment of the ideals he himself expounds. This much-beloved passage, written in prose, is considered to be one of Shakespeare's finest. "Shakespeare has raised prose to the sublimest pitch of verse.... It would be hard to cull from the whole body of our prose literature a passage which should demonstrate more strikingly the splendour and the majesty of our language, when freed from the shackles of verse" (John Churton Collins). Textual Notes Hamlet's conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern does not appear in Q1, and the punctuation differs markedly between Q2 and the First Folio versions, reprinted below: What a piece of worke is a man! how Noble in ____ For more on the different versions of the text of Hamlet, please click here. For more on why the passage does not appear in Q1 and a discussion of Shakespeare's changes and the influence of the philosopher Michael de Montaigne, please click here. For full explanatory notes for this scene and study questions, please see Hamlet (2.2). For more quotes from Hamlet explained, please see the Hamlet quotations page. How to cite this article:____ More Resources  Where is Hamlet During the Murder of his Father? A Note on Hamlet Killing Polonius Polonius Fortinbras The Ghost of Hamlet's Father Osric The Grave-Diggers Yorick Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
Why Shakespeare is so Important Hamlet's Relationship with the Ghost The Significance of the Ghost in Armor Why is the Ghost in the Cellar? Hamlet as National Hero What is Tragic Irony? Seneca's Tragedies and the Elizabethan Drama Shakespeare's Sources for Hamlet Stratford School Days: What Did Shakespeare Read? Games in Shakespeare's England [A-L] Games in Shakespeare's England [M-Z] Going to a Play in Elizabethan London Ben Jonson and the Decline of the Drama Publishing in Elizabethan England Shakespeare's Audience Religion in Shakespeare's England Alchemy and Astrology in Shakespeare's Day Entertainment in Elizabethan England London's First Public Playhouse Shakespeare Hits the Big Time
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More to Explore Hamlet: The Complete Play with Explanatory Notes Introduction to Hamlet The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot The Norway Subplot in Hamlet Hamlet Detailed Plot Summary Deception in Hamlet Hamlet: Problem Play and Revenge Tragedy Philological Examination Questions on Hamlet The Purpose of The Murder of Gonzago The Dumb-Show: Why Hamlet Reveals his Knowledge to Claudius The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father How Old is Hamlet? Quotations from Hamlet (with commentary) Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) Analysis of I am sick at heart (1.1) Hamlet: Q & A Soliloquy Analysis: O this too too... (1.2) Soliloquy Analysis: O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!... (2.2) Soliloquy
Analysis: To be, or not to be... (3.1) Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night... (3.2) Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat... (3.3) Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me... (4.4)
Ophelia's Burial and Christian Rituals The Baker's Daughter: Ophelia's Nursery Rhymes Does Hamlet Love Ophelia? The Significance of Ophelia's Flowers Sewing in my closet: Ophelia's Meeting with Hamlet Ophelia and Laertes Mistrusted Love: Ophelia and Polonius In Secret Conference: The Meeting Between Claudius and Laertes O Jephthah! Toying with Polonius The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet Hamlet's Silence An Excuse for Doing Nothing: Hamlet's Delay Foul Deeds Will Rise: Hamlet and Divine Justice Defending Claudius: The Charges Against the King Claudius and the Condition of Denmark Hamlet's Humor Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince Divine Providence in Hamlet Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? |
"They are received with cordiality by the Prince, and are entertained without reserve until he perceives they have been corrupted by the King. They are typical of men whose inclinations are good, but who lack character to follow those inclinations. They cannot even practice villainy with success. "You were sent for," says Hamlet, "and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour." They commit no actual crime in the play, and are apparently no worse than the society in which they move." F. A. Purcell. ©1999-2021 Shakespeare Online. All Rights Reserved.