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,No, 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: But I have that within which passeth show; These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
In this passage from Hamlet, the character expresses a profound disconnection between outward appearances and inner feelings. He emphasizes that his black attire and melancholic demeanor are mere facades that do not capture the depth of his sorrow. The actions he describes, such as sobbing or dressing in mourning clothes, are simply performances, not true manifestations of his grief.
He asserts that true emotion lies deeper within him, beyond what can...
