TEXT:
HAMLET: (continued)
Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life
A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this?
Ha!
'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
NOTES:
Pate
This is an old Middle English word for head (specifically the crown of the head).
Peter Hall
David Warner’s performance, mentioned in this episode, was directed by Peter Hall. The latter was the subject of one of our bonus episodes - you can listen to it here.
Swounds
Swounds or Zwounds is the latest entry into our catalogue of minced oaths. This one is “by Christ’s wounds
.