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All Site ContentHamletAct 5Scene 2
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"benetted"
Metaphor
Act 5,
Scene 2
Lines 26-37b

An explanation of the “benetted” metaphor in Act 5, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamlet   

Here's the commission; read it at more leisure.
But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed?

Horatio   

I beseech you.

Hamlet

Being thus benetted round with villains,     
Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,
They had begun the play. I sat me down,    
Devised a new commission, wrote it fair.
I once did hold it, as our statists do, 
A baseness to write fair, and labored much
How to forget that learning. But, sir, now
It did me yeoman's service. Wilt thou know
Th' effects of what I wrote?

Horatio

                                                 Ay, good my lord.

Hamlet

Horatio

Hamlet

Horatio

Hamlet

Horatio 

Hamlet

Horatio

Hamlet

Horatio

[Enter young Osric, a courtier.]

Osric

Hamlet

Horatio

Hamlet 

Osric   

[With his hat in his hand]

Hamlet

Osric   

Hamlet

Osric

Hamlet

Osric

Hamlet   

[Motioning for Osric to put on his hat.] 

Osric

Hamlet   

Osric   

Hamlet   

Osric

Hamlet   

Horatio

Osric   

Hamlet

Osric

Hamlet   

Osric

Hamlet

Osric   

Hamlet

Osric   

Hamlet   

[Exit Osric.] 

Horatio

Hamlet

Horatio   

Hamlet

Horatio   

Hamlet

Horatio

Hamlet

In this metaphor, Hamlet is surrounded Claudius’s agents, just like an animal trapped by a net.