’Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes / Between the pass and fell incensed points / Of mighty opposites.
Act V, Scene 2 · Hamlet
Context
Hamlet is explaining why he feels no guilt over sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths. He describes them as minor players who got caught between two powerful enemies.
Analysis
The image of 'fell incensed points'—sword-tips aimed at each other—turns political conflict into a duel, with the 'baser nature' (lesser men) merely collateral damage. This metaphor lets Hamlet dodge moral responsibility: if they were just unlucky bystanders, their deaths weren't his fault. The clean geometric image (two points, one obstacle) makes messy human consequences sound like impersonal physics.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Hamlet employs deterministic metaphors to justify killing—by framing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as inevitable casualties of a larger clash, he evades examining whether he chose to sacrifice them.