Courtney Cox
Mrs. P. Breault
ENG 4U
December 11, 2013
A Case Study of Hamlet Soliloquies
Act III, Scene iii, Lines 74-97 – spoken by Hamlet
Now might I do it pat. Now he is a praying.
And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven.
And so am I revenged – That would be scanned.
A villain kills my father, and, for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven
Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
He took my father grossly, full of bread,
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May.
And how his audit stand who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought
‘Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged
To take him in this purging of his soul
When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?
No.
Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed,
At game a-swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation it ‘t-
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damned and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays
This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

Summarize the context of the soliloquy, explaining what has happened just before to motivate this soliloquy * When Hamlet comes across Clauduis he is a praying. Just before Hamlet walks in on him praying Clauduis is confessing his sins for murdering King Hamlet and asking for forgiveness for what he has done with admitting his guilt is stronger than what his intentions were. Clauduis wishes he could pray but he wonders whether he can be forgiven with also being able to keep the crown and his queen.

Break the speech into complete thoughts. Clearly mark the different thoughts. (You may obtain the text electronically and copy and paste it into a Word document in order to do this) Original Text Now might I do it pat. Now he is