Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

How stand I then,
That have a father kill’d, a mother stain’d,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep? (Hamlet IV.iv)

Which of the following is the best paraphrase of this quote?

My parents are dead, and all I want to do is sleep.
My father is dead, my mother is disgraced, and I am very agitated, but nobody else is.
My father is dead, my mother is disgraced, and I want revenge on the person responsible, and he lies asleep.
When I think about the state of my parents, I get agitated, but I cannot take action; I go to sleep instead.

Respuesta :

The best choice would be:

When I think about the state of my parents, I get agitated, but I cannot take action; I go to sleep instead.

This is the part where Hamlet is frustrated at himself. He sees a troop go to war, willing to do die for territory and he is frustrated that despite what happened to parents, he could not bring himself to take revenge or take action because he fears for his life. He sees himself as a coward.

When I think about the state of my parents, I get agitated, but I cannot take action; I go to sleep instead.


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