Hamlet's Seventh Soliloquy

1st lines
How all occasions do inform against me
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man

End lines

To hide the slain? O, from this time forth

My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!

Background
Hamlet's seventh and last soliloquy falls in Act 4, Scene 4.
The scene develops when Prince Hamlet, on his way to England, sees Fortinbras, who is
leading his army through Denmark to capture some part of Poland, a small territory which,
according to the captain, “hath in it no profit, but the name.”
This little revelation induces Hamlet to ponder upon his inability to execute his father's
revenge, even with sufficient motive and cause. Then Hamlet delivers the following
soliloquy, which is also his last.

Summary and Explanation

The information given to Hamlet by the captain stimulates his thoughts of revenge and
makes him scold himself for his inaction. He realizes that thousands of soldiers are ready to
die for a piece of worthless land, but he, Hamlet, who is equipped with an excellent motive
to take revenge for his father’s death, is still unable to do anything about it.
This soliloquy sheds light on the fact that he has a natural deficiency that always thwarts his
purpose. His tendency to generalize and universalize, to think instead of act, one that can
be seen in his other soliloquies, is, once more, evident here also.
He tells himself that every person has a purpose and they should fulfill it. A man is no better
than a beast if he is satisfied only with sleeping and feeding himself. God gave reason to
human beings so that they may make use of it. He says that a man is justified in taking
action if his sense of honor demands that he should, that he could “find quarrel in a star” i.e.
accept the challenge, even if the provocation is far and distant.
Hamlet remembers his powerful motive with “a father killed, a mother stained.” These are
the images that torture him.
This is a turning point for Hamlet where he stops mulling over the past, licking his wounds,
and fantasizing about revenge and instead, starts acting on his thoughts