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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?
The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.’
Hamlet calls man the noblest and most admirable of God's creations, but also the purest extract from the dust of which all things are made. He wonders why he is not delighted by man or woman, and questions his own sanity.
Hamlet praises man as a 'piece of work' and a 'quintessence of dust' in Act 2 Scene 2. He contrasts his own depression with the beauty and nobility of human nature, and questions the meaning of life.
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. More recently, in the 20th century, the phrase ‘a nasty piece of work’, or more recently just ‘a piece of work’, has been coined to mean ‘a really bad person, lacking morality and scruples’.
quintessence] Besides the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water, the early alchemists believed that there was a fifth essence, which was the highest. This, then, means the concentrated virtue of the spirit (the "dust").
Apr 28, 2024 · 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.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet
