The speech you cite occurs in Act IV, Scene 4 of Hamlet.
Just before Hamlet speaks these words, he has been talking a captain from Fortinbras' army. He learns from him that Fortinbras and the army mean to fight over a worthless piece of land in Poland.
Upon hearing that, he starts to scold himself in the speech you're talking about. His internal conflict is whether he wants to avenge himself for his father's death and his mother's dishonor or not. He is unhappy with himself because, as he notes, the army is willing to spill blood over something worthless while he hasn't done anything to avenge his father's death and his mother's dishonor (something very important).
So, his internal conflict is that he really feels that he ought to do something to take revenge, but it's pretty much against his more reflective, philosophical nature to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment