seventh soliloquy of hamlet
SEVENTH SOLILOQUY OF HAMLET
Prepared by: Abdul Qaddir
‘Hamlet’ the character, as well as, the play has, very often and rightly, been referred to as a ‘riddle’ by learned critics, and there have always been attempts to solve this riddle. But to endeavor to reach any answer, whether that answer is satisfactory or not is another issue, to the riddle of Hamlet’s character without probing into his soliloquies is a hard pill to swallow. These soliloquies give us an insight into the intentions, thoughts and feelings of Hamlet at different stages of the play, and these are very crucial to the development of his character. His seventh soliloquy is no exception.
The seventh soliloquy occurs when Hamlet, on his way to England, encounters a captain from the army of Young Fortinbras, and learns from him that they are going to attack Poland for a plot
“That has in it no profit but name’.
Whatever the information Hamlet gathers from the captain, it sets him pondering over his inaction in taking revenge of his father’s ‘most foul and unnatural’ murder: “Why yet I live to say this thing’s to do Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means To do’t.”
He starts abusing and scolding himself for that, and by doing so exhorts himself to action of taking revenge, which should be, for him, a be all and end all, as a revenge hero. The earlier mentioned line spoken by the captain also forces him to think about the sense of honour, and he concludes that one should “……………………………..find quarrel in a straw When honour’s at the stake.”
And he does not have mere ‘a straw’ to find quarrel but ‘a father killed, a mother stained’. In this perspective, he compares and contrasts himself with the young Fortinbras. He sets him as an example for finding quarrels for the sake of name and honour. And then comes the resolution “…………………………….O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth.” If we have a close study of this soliloquy, we can divide
Prepared by: Abdul Qaddir
‘Hamlet’ the character, as well as, the play has, very often and rightly, been referred to as a ‘riddle’ by learned critics, and there have always been attempts to solve this riddle. But to endeavor to reach any answer, whether that answer is satisfactory or not is another issue, to the riddle of Hamlet’s character without probing into his soliloquies is a hard pill to swallow. These soliloquies give us an insight into the intentions, thoughts and feelings of Hamlet at different stages of the play, and these are very crucial to the development of his character. His seventh soliloquy is no exception.
The seventh soliloquy occurs when Hamlet, on his way to England, encounters a captain from the army of Young Fortinbras, and learns from him that they are going to attack Poland for a plot
“That has in it no profit but name’.
Whatever the information Hamlet gathers from the captain, it sets him pondering over his inaction in taking revenge of his father’s ‘most foul and unnatural’ murder: “Why yet I live to say this thing’s to do Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means To do’t.”
He starts abusing and scolding himself for that, and by doing so exhorts himself to action of taking revenge, which should be, for him, a be all and end all, as a revenge hero. The earlier mentioned line spoken by the captain also forces him to think about the sense of honour, and he concludes that one should “……………………………..find quarrel in a straw When honour’s at the stake.”
And he does not have mere ‘a straw’ to find quarrel but ‘a father killed, a mother stained’. In this perspective, he compares and contrasts himself with the young Fortinbras. He sets him as an example for finding quarrels for the sake of name and honour. And then comes the resolution “…………………………….O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth.” If we have a close study of this soliloquy, we can divide