This soliloquy was given almost immediately after the success of Hamlet’s play plan. He and the audience were, thus, in a state of great excitement. It is in Hamlet’s nature to be easily and instantaneously excited and yet lacking in zeal in the medium to long term (for further exploration of idea see thisessay and consult the arguments on his hamartia). It is consistent with this idea of feeling through circumstance that Hamlet begins his soliloquy by comment on the surroundings as if, somehow, the darkness and all associated myths of hell and demons, coupled with the success of his plan can lead to a Hamlet capable of more action than normal.
Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,
And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on.
Yet he does worry, as he did after the ghost left him, that he will lose some of his impulsiveness, even in the time it takes him to reach his mother’s chamber. He does not want Nero to calm his fire-filled heart. Nero was a famous Roman Emperor who was said to have “fidgeted while Rome Burned”, famed for his diplomacy.
Soft! now to my mother.
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom:
The exact meaning behind the last part of his speech seems unclear. Is the fact that he resolves to do no harm to his mother a nod towards his more considered, procrastinating, nature setting in? The rather unimpassioned and semantic discription of his tongue and soul as hypocrites would seem to point to this. Or is it instead a Hamlet, enraged, resolving to obey the ghosts commands and not to harm his mother thus the “my soul, consent”. It may be a confused mixture of the two, which attempts to give an account of his contradictory behaviour so far.
Let me be cruel, not unnatural:
I will speak daggers to her, but use none;
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites;
How in my words soever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent!
There likely isn’t that much hmmmmm here and what little there is, is above.