Hamlet: TO BE wins vs. NOT TO BE, 46 to 2

“To be” in Hamlet occurs 46 times; “Not to be,” twice:

1.1
Bernardo
Get thee TO BEd, Francisco.

Horatio
any good thing TO BE done

1.2
Claudius
TO BEar our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
TO BE contracted in one brow of woe...
...Our state TO BE disjoint

Hamlet
[TO BErnardo] Good even, sir.

1.3
Laertes
It fits your wisdom so far TO BElieve it

Polonius
…better TO BEguile.

1.5
Ghost
The glowworm shows the matin TO BE near

2.2
Guildenstern
…lay our service freely at your feet,
TO BE commanded.

Voltimand
…appear'd
TO BE a preparation

Pol
…is't but TO BE nothing else but mad?

Pol (reading Ham)
…Doubt truth TO BE a liar

Ham
TO BE honest, as this world goes, is TO BE one man
pick'd out of ten thousand.

Ham
Com’st thou TO BEard me in Denmark?

3.1
Guild
Nor do we find him forward TO BE sounded

Ham
TO BE, or not TO BE*…
…a consummation
Devoutly TO BE wish’d
(* 1st “not to be”)

3.2
Ham
…some necessary
question of the play be then TO BE considered

Rosencrantz
…ere you go TO BEd

Ham
…do you think I am easier TO BE played on than a pipe?

3.3
Pol
I’ll call upon you ere you go TO BEd

Claud
TO BE forestalled ere we come to fall...
…O limed soul, that, struggling TO BE free,
Art more engag'd!

3.4
Pol
his pranks have been too broad TO BEar with…

Ham
TO BE too busy is some danger.

…when you are desirous TO BE blest...
I must be cruel, only TO BE kind...
by no means…
Let the bloat King tempt you again TO BEd;

4.2
Ham
…TO BE
demanded of a sponge...
…TO BE last swallowed

4.3
Claud
TO BEar all smooth and even

4.4
Ham
Rightly TO BE great
Is not to stir without great argument

4.5
Gertrude
It spills itself in fearing TO BE spilt

Ophelia
TO BE your Valentine.

Msngr
now but TO BEgin

Laer
Cry TO BE heard

5.1
1st Clown
Is she TO BE buried…

Ham
…Such-a-one’s horse when he went TO BEg it

Gravedigger
a pit of clay for TO BE made

Ham
Thou dost lie in't, TO BE in't and say it is thine.

Ham
Who is TO BE buried in't?

5.2
Ham
And is't NOT TO BE* damn'd
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?
(* 2nd “not to be”)

Ham
I take him TO BE a soul of great
article

The text repeatedly suggests that “to be” should win out.
This week, may all your best victories be for the greatest common good.


NOTES: All references to Hamlet (and other Shakespeare plays) are to the Folger Shakespeare Library online versions: https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/hamlet/entire-play/

Initial phrase-search was done using OpenSourceShakespeare:
https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/search/search-advanced.php
Next, this was checked also with Folger's text of the play.


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