The Accoutrements of Grief

HAMLET:
"Seems," madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems."
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods,shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly. These indeed "seem,"
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe."
(1.2.79-89)

    Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, marries his mother, Gertrude, less than two months after Hamlet's father dies. Hamlet takes the death much harder than his mother does, as one can assume due to her quick and somewhat disconcerting marriage to Claudius. Since Old King Hamlet's death, Hamlet has been wearing black, the color of mourning in most western cultures, and moping around with self-pity. Here, he responds to his mother questioning him on why he still wears such dismal clothing and why his mourning seems so distinct and personal. In his answer, he shows his poor emotional state as well as his regard for his mother's actions.
    Hamlet begins his response by criticizing his mother's words. Claiming "I know not 'seems,'" he implies that his actions are obviously justified (1.2.79). This is particularly biting, as he is essentially insulting his mother's obliviousness to his emotional state and her lack of sharing that same sense of mourning. He says that his mourning is in fact deeply personal, and that there's nothing unusual about it.
    To justify his outward appearance, Hamlet affirms it is his emotions that dictate how he presents himself. It is not his "suits of solemn black," his "fruitful river in the eye," tears or watery eyes, that is, nor his "suspiration," or sighing that define his grief (1.2.81-83). Rather, it is his mental or emotional state. He harbors the grief inside him that show his visible expressions as "the trappings and the suits of woe" (1.2.89). In other words, all that Hamlet displays to the world is just a husk of what he actually feels.
    This passage characterizes not only Hamlet's profound feeling of emotion, but also how he regards his mother after her quick marriage to Claudius. His portrayal of his external image as insignificant compared to what he really feels shows his sensitivity to his emotions. It seems he is rather insensitive to those of others (or at least his mother's), however, when he provides a sharp and ill-intended response to his mother's concerns. In this passage, Hamlet provides some of the first clues to his emotional state and personality.