There’s the rub: Difference between revisions

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If there is a more concentrated richness of English idioms in a single passage, I’d like to see it:
{{a|drafting|}}If there is a more concentrated richness of English idioms in a single passage, I’d like to see it. It presents the question, what came first: the brilliant idioms, or the fact that they are in so famous a speech?
 
{{quote|
{{blue|To be, or not to be: that is the question:}} <br>
{{blue|To be, or not to be: that is the question:}} <br>
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer <br>
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer <br>
Line 12: Line 12:
{{blue|To sleep: perchance to dream}}: {{blue|ay, there’s the rub}}; <br>
{{blue|To sleep: perchance to dream}}: {{blue|ay, there’s the rub}}; <br>
For in that sleep of death {{blue|what dreams may come}} <br>
For in that sleep of death {{blue|what dreams may come}} <br>
When we have {{blue|shuffled off this mortal coil}},
When we have {{blue|shuffled off this mortal coil}}, <br>
Must give us pause: there’s the respect <br>
Must give us pause: there’s the respect <br>
That makes calamity of so long life; <br>
That makes calamity of so long life; <br>
Line 18: Line 18:
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, <br>
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, <br>
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, <br>
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, <br>
The insolence of office and the spurns <br>
The {{blue|insolence of office}} and the spurns <br>
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,<br>
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,<br>
When he himself might his quietus make <br>
When he himself might his quietus make <br>
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To grunt and sweat under a weary life,<br>
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,<br>
But that the dread of something after death,<br>
But that the dread of something after death,<br>
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn<br>
The {{blue|undiscover’d country}} from whose bourn<br>
No traveller returns, puzzles the will<br>
No traveller returns, puzzles the will<br>
And makes us rather bear those ills we have<br>
And makes us rather bear those ills we have<br>
Than fly to others that we know not of? <br>
Than fly to others that we know not of? <br>
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;<br>
Thus {{blue|conscience does make cowards of us all}};<br>
And thus the native hue of resolution <br>
And thus the native hue of resolution <br>
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,<br>
Is sicklied o’er with {{blue|the pale cast of thought}},<br>
And enterprises of great pith and moment<br>
And enterprises of great pith and moment<br>
With this regard their currents turn awry,<br>
With this regard their currents turn awry,<br>
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now!<br>
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now!<br>
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons<br>
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons<br>
Be all my sins remember’d.<br>
Be all my sins remember’d.<br>}}

Latest revision as of 17:05, 14 November 2022

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If there is a more concentrated richness of English idioms in a single passage, I’d like to see it. It presents the question, what came first: the brilliant idioms, or the fact that they are in so famous a speech?

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember’d.