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All Site ContentHamletAct 3Scene 2
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"brute part," "capital," and "calf"
Wordplay
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 94-101

An explanation of puns in Act 3, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamlet

No, nor mine. [To Polonius] Now, my lord, 
you played once i'th' university, you say?

Polonius

That did I, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.

Hamlet   

And what did you enact?

Polonius

I did enact Julius Caesar. I was killed i'th' Capitol.
Brutus killed me.

Hamlet

It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf there.
Be the players ready?

This series of puns makes for several readings of this line:

“brute part”

  • the role of Brutus in the play
  • the brutal act of murder

“capital”

  • prized; killing Caesar is like killing a prized animal
  • the top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome where Caesar was killed

“calf”

  • valued animal; the character of Caesar
  • fool; Claudius (calves were viewed as stupid)

(La Morte di Cesare, Vincenzo Camuccini, c. 1804-1805)