Question

The following excerpts are taken from the play _________ by __________.

"Seems," madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems."
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
80No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly. These indeed "seem,"
For they are actions that a man might play.
85But I have that within which passeth show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t! ah fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!

Answer 1

Answer: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Explanation: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play portrays Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who had murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. In the excerpts above, Hamlet is speaking to his mother and his uncle (also by now his stepfather) about why he is sad.

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and his extant works and collaborations are extensive. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.