Truth Within Deception

HAMLET:
"Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me: I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery."
(3.1.131-140)

Hamlet truly is a fascinating character. His relationship with deceit -- he abhors it, yet utilizes it -- is shown in this monologue and scene, as is the changeability of his relationship with Ophelia. More than anything, however, this passage shows Hamlet's opinions of humanity. He shows his thoughts about women, himself, and humans in general, but it is still uncertain as to whether or not these thoughts are sincere.

Hamlet's first focus is on Ophelia and her kind (women). By shouting "Get thee to a nunnery" five times in one scene (3.1.131,140,148-149,151,162), Hamlet drives home his opinion that women are only valuable when they are chaste and therefore "honest" (3.1.113). He views sexual women as, invariably, whores, whose only purposes and desires are for sex and the domination of man's will. On the other hand, Hamlet also seems to have trouble with the concept that mothers also are sexually active, as shown in his relationship with Gertrude. He asks Ophelia, "Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?", as if taking another approach to convince her to be celibate (it should be noted that he uses the word "breeder" to describe a woman, adding a negative connotation to the concept of motherhood and equating women/mothers to animals). He asks her why she would want to have sex and become a mother when it is inevitable that her children will be sinners.

This brings him to a list of traits that are unseemly within himself. He quantifies that though he is "indifferent honest," he is still "proud, revengeful, [and] ambitious" (3.1.132-133, 135). Even virtuous men are still guilty of some sin, and Hamlet is guilty, not only of sins he commits in nature or action, but of sins that come to his mind but are never acted upon (3.1.135-138). He shows himself to be quite self-aware, yet unwilling to change his ways -- despite the fact that he condemns others for the same behavior. He seems to know this, however, and asks why he should be allowed to be "crawling between earth and heaven", instead of in hell where he belongs. And he seems to extend this view of himself to all men, asserting that they are all "arrant knaves" who should not be believed about anything (3.1.139-140).

This reminder to Ophelia to not trust men reminds us of something else about Hamlet: the fact that he is making up his entire demeanor to mislead Claudius and the court. This monologue is in prose rather than blank verse, contrasting with Hamlet's monologue earlier in the scene ("To be or not to be," from lines 64-98) when he thought he was alone. The use of prose in Shakespeare's plays usually indicates a lower social class or a state of madness; Hamlet's use of prose shows the other characters and the audience that he is mad or pretending to be so, while his use of verse shows himself and the audience that he is sane and aware at that point in time. This monologue, then, is given while Hamlet is pretending to be crazy. It is therefore unclear as to the sincerity of the sentiments expressed. Only the director and the actor would be able to determine the truth of Hamlet's words.

This scene, which begins the climactic act in the play, shows Hamlet's real complexity. With the contrast between the ideas he expresses and the dishonesty of his demeanor, he becomes quite hard to figure out. It is possible that a performance of the text would provide more clarity, but it might simply be that Hamlet is a complex and obscure character, meant to be an anomaly and a puzzle for all audiences.