Watch the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet consider killing his king, uncle, and stepfather Claudius
Seeing Claudius alone and unarmed, Hamlet considers killing him in Act III, scene 3 of Shakespeare's Hamlet .
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.And how do you really pronounce Telemachus?Media Editor: Kira Helm
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A teacher explains why Hamlet is her favourite Shakespeare play to teach.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn why The Merchant of Venice is one teacher's favourite Shakespeare play to teach.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Caesar rejects Calpurnia's cautionary pleas with the words “What can be avoided whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?” from Act II, scene 2, of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
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Transcript
HAMLET: Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do it. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
No!
Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in it;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes.
And now I'll do it. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
No!
Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in it;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes.
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