Word Entry: Act 3 Scene 1

1. That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? (75-77)

2. My guess:  I suspect quietus means silent (as in quiet), and bodkin means rear-end (like bare bottom) as if newly born or innocent. I'm really stumped on this one.

3. Definition: quietus: a final settlement (as of a debt)
bodkin: ornamental hairpin shaped like a stiletto (merriam-webster.com).

4. Explanation: Both definitions do not help very much with understanding the passage.  Perhaps the meaning is related to the "not to be" side of the speech.  A final settlement using what sounds like a sharp object implies suicide.