Hamlet’s Soliloquy – Act II.2

I have of late—but wherefore I know not—lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of

exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament,

this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. What a piece of work is a man!

How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable,

in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man

delights not me—no, nor woman neither.

This soliloquy sees Hamlet trying to understand his own unhappiness. He explains that “wherefore I know not” he has lost his happiness.

Indeed, he is so affected by his depression that he cannot appreciate the enormous miracle of life. He lists the qualities of earth and sky, and contrasts them with how they impact on him. The sky may be “majestical… fretted with golden fire” but to him it is nothing but “foul and pestilent… vapours”.

He remarks on how extraordinary mankind is: “What a piece of work is a man!” He suggests all of the beautiful qualities of men; they are intelligent, graceful, physical. He compares men to angels, and to god himself. Hamlet considers men to be the pinnacle of the animal world, indeed of the entire world. Yet, despite the infinite wonders of mankind, he sees nothing in mankind but their inevitable death (“this quintessence of dust”).

He ends by simply saying that he can find no pleasure in the company of men, then possibly realizing that this could be construed as meaning he finds pleasure in women, he corrects himself, “no, nor woman neither”.

This speech is by way of explanation to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as to why he is so unhappy. He reveals that he is unhappy with his existence whilst not revealing the true reasons, his Uncle and Ophelia. The final “no, nor woman neither’ seems a direct attempt to head off any thoughts that he is unhappy because of his thwarted desire for Ophelia.

For what it’s worth, this is my favourite passage in the whole play. The imagery is remarkably vivid and the way Shakespeare builds and builds all the qualities of mankind, only to dash them with an abrupt anti-climax (“…this quintessence of dust?”) is both dramatically skillful, whilst also being extraordinarily tragic. That Hamlet cannot see the beauty of the world or the qualities of mankind is a strong indication of how deep his misery is.