Shakespeare's Monologues
Shakespeare's Monologues
Hamlet, about thirty years old, is the Prince of Denmark and the protagonist. He is the son of the dead King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, who is now married to King Claudius, who is Hamlet's uncle. He grows sad, bitter, and cynical as the play moves on. He hates his uncle and despises his mother for marrying him. He is indecisive, hesitant and impulsive and is extremely influenced by his environment. He also has deep issues with women and humanity, potentially caused by his mother's actions and family problems. Although he has a lot of negative traits, he is a thoughtful, smart and cunning individual who studied at the University of Wittenberg.
Go to a nunnery. Why would you want to give birth to more people like me? I've done so many horrible things that maybe it were better if I wasn't born. Don't believe anyone. Just leave. But if you do marry, I"ll curse your gift. I hope you are pure and untouched. You can't escape slander. Go to a nunnery. If you really want to marry someone, marry an idiot cause smart men know what you would do to their reputations. Get to a nunnery quickly.
Character description, monologue synopsis, and monologue scoring provided by David Fuenzalida as part of the Spring 2019 THT 352 class
Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a
breeder of sinner? I am myself indifferent honest,
but yet I could accuse me of such things that it
were better my mother had not borne me. I am very
proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at
,y beck than I have thoughts to put them in,
imagination to give them shape, or time to act them
in. What should such fellows as I do crawling
between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves
all, believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.
If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for
thy dowry. Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as
snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a
nunnery, go. Farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs
marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough
what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go,
and quickly too. Farewell.
| Number of syllables | Scored text | Meaning of text |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a | [Beginning of beat 1] to interrogate |
| 14 | breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, | [End of beat 1] [Beginning of beat 2] to admit |
| 12 | but yet I could accuse me of such things that it | |
| 14 | were better my mother had not borne me. I am very | |
| 12 | proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at | |
| 10 | my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, | |
| 14 | imagination to give them shape, or time to act them | [End of beat 2] |
| 10 | in. What should such fellows as I do crawling | [Beginning of beat 3] to accuse |
| 10 | between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves | |
| 13 | all, believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery. | [End of beat 3] [Beginning of beat 4] to dismiss |
|
11 |
If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for |
[End of beat 4] [Beginning of beat 5] to belittle |
| 12 | thy dowry; be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as | |
| 13 | snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a | |
| 10 | nunnery, farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs | |
| 12 | marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough | [End of beat 5] |
| 12 | what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, | [Beginning of beat 6] to dismiss |
| 6 | and quickly too. Farewell. | [End of beat 6 and monologue] |
Definitions from David & Ben Crystal / Shakespeare's Words are under copyright, and may not be used without their express permission. All other definitions are from sources in the public domain.
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