Hamlet Close Reading

Hamlet Close Reading

So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for
I'll have a suit of sables. O heavens! die two
months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's
hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half
a year: but, by'r lady, he must build churches,
then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with
the hobby-horse, whose epitaph is 'For, O, for, O,
the hobby-horse is forgot.'

(ACT. 3, SC. 2)

The first part of this passage seems to be sort of sarcastic. This is for a various amount of reasons. First off, because Hamlet is talking about how his father was forgotten so early that his mourning clothes are no good, there's no reason for him to be wearing these clothes and mourning his father if people are going to forget him so quickly. Nonetheless, he quickly seems to take back what he said and talk about how he hasn't been forgotten yet. This shows how Hamlet is pretending to be insane just for the saque of his play and to prove what The Ghost told him. 

Later on Hamlet says that his father "he must build churches, then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on". This makes us wonder if hamlet is saying that his father must worship God or if he should have done great things in life that would have made him be remembered by the living, like building churches, for instance. 

Maybe Hamlet's father might regret / lament being forgotten so quickly? Like the hobby-horse from that popular song.