Hamlet · Act 3, Scene 1
Ophelia monologue from Hamlet
- Play
- William Shakespeare
- Women
- Playing age Teens–30s
- About 0:45
- Classical · verse
Ophelia’s monologue from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Act 3, Scene 1). A classical piece for women with a playing age of teens–30s, running about 0:45.
The full speech. Read it out loud twice before you start working it.
Ophelia’s monologue
O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!
The courtier's, scholar's, soldier's, eye, tongue, sword,
Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state,
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,
Th' observ'd of all observers- quite, quite down!
And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That suck'd the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;
That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me
T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!
Public domain text.
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About Hamlet
- Hamlet is the longest of Shakespeare's plays, and Hamlet speaks more lines than any other character Shakespeare wrote.
- The play is set at the royal castle of Elsinore in Denmark.
- "To be, or not to be" in Act 3, Scene 1 is one of the most quoted speeches in the English language.
All 24 monologues from Hamlet All 135 William Shakespeare monologues
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