Hamlet Monologue

Front 1

Speak... tongue.

Back 1

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue.

Front 2

But if... lines.

Back 2

But if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines.

Front 3

Nor do... smoothness.

Back 3

Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus,but use all gently, for in the torrent, tempest, (and I may say) whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire a temperance that may give it smoothness.

Front 4

O, ... and noise.

Back 4

O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious, periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise.

Front 5

I... Termagant.

Back 5

I would have such a fellow whipped for o'er doing Termagant.

Front 6

It... Herod.

Back 6

It out-Herods Herod.

Front 7

Pray... it.

Back 7

Pray you avoid it.

Front 8

Be... tutor.

Back 8

Be not too tame, neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor.

Front 9

Suit... nature.

Back 9

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.

Front 10

For... pressure.

Back 10

For anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature,s corn her image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.

Front 11

Suit... nature.

Back 11

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.

Front 12

For... pressure.

Back 12

For anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature,s corn her image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.