What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals.
Act II, Scene 2 · Hamlet
Context
Continuing his speech to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet lists all the qualities that make humanity admirable.
Analysis
The anaphora 'how' and accumulation of comparisons ('like an angel,' 'like a god') build a soaring catalog of human excellence. Yet this praise is setup for a reversal: Hamlet is itemizing all the reasons man should matter to him, which makes his inability to feel that value all the more painful.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Hamlet is trapped between intellectual admiration for humanity and emotional disgust—he can articulate why people should matter but cannot make himself feel it, which reflects his broader paralysis between thought and feeling.