Hamlet

After looking into many monologues, both Shakespeare and contemporary I think I have made a choice to use a piece which I find the most interesting and exciting to write a piece of music to. Since it's from my favourite Shakespeare play, Hamlet, I believe this will give me the most inspiration to create a piece that will suit not only my voice but also my dramatic style.

The piece in which I am going to compose into an aria is Ophelia's Monologue (Act 3, scene 1, lines 159-70) ;

"O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!
 The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword,
 Th'expectancy and rose of the fair state,
 The glass of fashion, and the mould of form,
 Th'observ'd of all observers - quite, quite down!
 And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
 That suck'd the honey of his music vows,
 Now see that noble and most sovereign reason
 Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;
 That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth
 Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me,
 T'have seen what I have seen, see what I see."

 (Shakespeare, 1996, pg 133)