Be all my sins remembered?

Question

I feel a little dumb for asking, but I've never been quite clear on the last line of his "to be or not to be" soliloquy, "be all my sins remembered".

Was he saying that his cruelness towards Ophelia should not be forgiven? I just have trouble coming up with a modern day phrase that amounts to the same thing. The language is sort of lost on me.

Answer 1

It can be read several ways, but I believe that Hamlet is covertly trying to warn Ophelia away from him, stressing the fact that he is a sinner and therefore impure, unlike Ophelia herself. I don't believe that he is asking for Ophelia to pray for him because his view of the world at that point is that it is hopelessly corrupt and therefore beyond redemption for anyone mixed up in it, as he is.

Answer 2

The full quote is "Nymph, in thy orisons  be all my sins remembered." Orisons are prayers.  Hamlet is asking Ophelia to forgive him and to pray for him.. The play does not actually say it, but I believe it is because he has seduced her  in a dishonorable fashion which was a really big sin in a time when virginity was so highly valued.

Today we'd say, darling, I'm sorry, please forgive me. Or I apologize for harming you. Please pray to God to  forgive me.