“ Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping? ”
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1623). copy citation
| Author | William Shakespeare |
|---|---|
| Source | Hamlet |
| Topic | ethics punishment |
| Date | 1623 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Written between 1599 and 1602 |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1524/1524-h/1524-h.htm |
Context
“Do you hear, let them be well used; for they are the abstracts and brief chronicles of the time. After your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.
Polonius. My lord, I will use them according to their desert. HAMLET. God's bodikin, man, better. Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping? Use them after your own honour and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in.
Polonius. Come, sirs. HAMLET. Follow him, friends. We'll hear a play tomorrow.
” source
Polonius. My lord, I will use them according to their desert. HAMLET. God's bodikin, man, better. Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping? Use them after your own honour and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in.
Polonius. Come, sirs. HAMLET. Follow him, friends. We'll hear a play tomorrow.
” source
Meaning and analysis
