O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.
Act II, Scene 2 · Hamlet
Quote Type: DialogueDifficulty: ★★★Quotability: ★★★★★
Character
Literary Device
Setting
Context
Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he could be content in the smallest space if not for his bad dreams.
Analysis
The juxtaposition of 'nutshell' and 'infinite space' collapses physical scale: the mind can contain vastness even in confinement. But 'bad dreams' undo this freedom, showing that Hamlet's real prison is internal—his thoughts torture him more than any external constraint.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Hamlet's paralysis is psychological rather than circumstantial—this quote reveals that his problem is not lack of opportunity but the contents of his own mind, which makes action feel impossible.