Note to Hamlet, 5.1.39: "confess thyself"

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Act 5, Scene 1, line 39

confess thyself: This is probably half a phrase, which the Second Clown interrupts by saying "Go to." There was a saying, "Confess thyself and be hanged," which had its origin in the fact that before a person was hanged, he/she was supposed to make a confession of sins to save his/her soul. Thus a person who is hopeless, clueless, lame, stupid, oblivious, or otherwise worthless can be told that he/she should "confess thyself and be hanged," because there is absolutely nothing else for him/her to do.