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All Site ContentHamletAct 3Scene 2
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"choler", "purgation"
Wordplay
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 278-285

An explanation of wordplay in the exchange between Guildenstern and Hamlet in Act 3, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Hamlet.

Guildenstern   

The king, sir ... 

Hamlet   

Ay, sir, what of him?

Guildenstern

Is in his retirement, marvelous distempered. 

Hamlet   

With drink, sir?

Guildenstern   

No, my lord, rather with choler.

Hamlet

Your wisdom should show itself more richer to
signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him to his
purgation would perhaps plunge him into far more choler.    

In this exchange between Guildenstern and Hamlet, Shakespeare makes use of several more double meanings:

“choler”

  • anger (Guildenstern’s meaning)
  • disease of the liver (Hamlet’s intentional misunderstanding)

“purgation”

  • medicinal ridding of the body of toxins (e.g. by blood-letting or vomiting)
  • spiritual absolving of sins (time spent in purgatory)