What a piece of work is a man

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The phrase "What a piece of work is a man!" comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act II, scene II, and it is often used in reference to the whole speech containing the line.

Contents 1 The speech 2 Sources 3 References in later works of fiction and music 4 See also 5 References

[edit] The speech

The monologue, spoken in the play by the title character, follows in its entirety:

“

I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late--but wherefore I know not--lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me: no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

”

[edit] Sources

Scholars have pointed out this section's similarities to lines written by Montaigne:

“

Who have persuaded [man] that this admirable moving of heavens vaults, that the eternal light of these lampes so fiercely rowling over his head, that the horror-moving and continuall motion of this infinite vaste ocean were established, and contine so many ages for his commoditie and service? Is it possible to imagine so ridiculous as this miserable and wretched creature, which is not so much as master of himselfe, exposed and subject to offences of all things, and yet dareth call himself Master and Emperor.

”

However, rather than being a direct influence on Shakespeare, Montaigne may have merely been reacting to the same general atmosphere of the time, making the source of these lines one of context rather than direct influence.^[1] ..

[edit] References in later works of fiction and music

See also: References to Hamlet

In the Reduced Shakespeare Company's production The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), the more famous solliloquy, "To be, or not to be," is omitted from the Hamlet portion of the production, not for time constraints, or because the speech is so well known, but because the group states that they dislike the speech for momentum and motivation reasons. The What a piece of work is a man speech is delivered in its stead.

• In the film Grosse Pointe Blank, one character (the Polonius character) recites to another: "What a piece of work is man! How noble... oh, fuck it, let's have a drink and forget the whole damn thing."
• An episode of the television show Babylon 5 aptly named The Paragon of Animals, had one of the characters, Byron, recite Hamlet's "how noble is man..." speech.
• In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Hide and Q” Captain Jean-Luc Picard says to “Q”: “What Hamlet said with irony I say with conviction: ‘What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!’ ” (II.ii.304-308).
• The lines appear at the close of Handmade Films' 1986 cult classic Withnail & I, spoken by Richard E. Grant's Withnail to the wolves at London Zoo in the torrential rain.
• In the Rock-Musical Hair, numerous lyrics are derived from Hamlet, most notably a song titled "What a Piece of Work is Man".

[edit] See also

v • d • e William Shakespeare's Hamlet Characters Hamlet • Claudius • Gertrude • Ghost • Polonius • Laertes • Ophelia • Horatio • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern • Fortinbras • The Gravediggers • Yorick Speeches "To be, or not to be" • "What a piece of work is a man" • "Speak the speech" Sources & Criticism Legend of Hamlet • The Spanish Tragedy • Ur-Hamlet • Critical approaches • Bibliographies Influence Phrases from Hamlet in common English • References to Hamlet • References to Ophelia Performances Moscow Arts Theatre (1911) Adaptations The Lion King • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead • Hamletmachine • Hamlet (opera) • Strange Brew • Gertrude and Claudius Hamlet in film 1920 film • 1948 film • 1964 film • 1969 film • 1990 film • 1996 film • 2000 film

[edit] References