Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, / But certain issue strokes must arbitrate; / Towards which advance the war.
Act V, Scene 4
Context
Siward closes the scene by declaring that speculation is useless; only the upcoming battle will reveal the true outcome, and the army should now advance toward that decisive conflict.
Analysis
Siward sets 'thoughts speculative' against 'strokes' in a parallelism that privileges action over uncertainty, framing war as the arbiter of truth. The rhyming couplet ('relate'/'arbitrate') gives his speech a tone of grim finality, as if the verse form itself is sealing off debate and propelling the play toward violence. By making blows, not words, the judge of 'certain issue,' Shakespeare aligns masculine authority with physical force, reinforcing the play's recurring idea that in this world, might determines right.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that the play presents violence as the ultimate truth-teller—Siward's dismissal of 'thoughts' in favor of combat strokes reflects a worldview where swords, not reason, settle questions of legitimacy and power.