Hamlets soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 5 commences after the Ghost makes his second appearance to tell Hamlet about Claudius heinous act of murder.

The abrupt caesura before “Remember thee?” provides a division between the two ideas in line 95 and introduces Hamlet’s amazement at his father’s orders to remember him because his present torment is so great and it stems from the memory of his father’s wrongful murder.   The repetition of the question in line 97 further emphasizes Hamlet’s incredulity.  Hamlet’s soliloquy takes on a parallel structure in lines 99-100 that allows the audience to see how seriously Hamlet is taking on the task his father has put upon him.  The repetition of the word “all” and the list of scholarly pursuits that Hamlet will now abandon give the impression that he has set the task as his priority in life.   Hamlet’s use of the word “commandment” indicates that he has interpreted his father’s request to avenge his death as an order.  The metaphor in which Shakespeare compares Hamlet’s brain to a book demonstrates that effectively avenging his father’s death will now be his ‘scholarly’ pursuit.  Hamlet affirms his declaration in lines 102-104 with the exclamation “Yes, by heaven!”  The reference to heaven contrasts with his earlier question “Shall I couple hell?”

        Hamlet’s observation “Meet it is I set it down” is a prompt for the actor playing Hamlet to begin writing in his ‘table’ a record of what has transpired and what he intends to do.  This heightens the drama of the scene because by setting his intentions down in print, they are made permanent and irreversible.  Hamlet’s resolve is conveyed with the phrase “Now to my word” (line 110) which is given a place of emphasis at the end of the line following a caesura.  After repeating his father’s parting farewell, Hamlet ends his soliloquy by swearing to remember his father.  The line “I have sworn’t” falls far short of the 10 syllables of the previous lines and therefore creates a dramatic conclusion to his soliloquy.