Hamlet. The context here is that Hamlet is thinking out loud about whether to kill himself.He decides that there is no way that anyone would want to live because life is so painful.But, on the other hand, we are afraid of what might happen in the afterlife (and this is what he is calling "conscience" here) so we are too afraid to kill ourselves. So that is what the quote means that our fear of the afterlife makes us afraid to die. What this reveals is the depth of Hamlet's indecision and the extent to which he is tortured by that indecision -- he doesn't like either of the choices that he sees for himself. d. "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go." (Act 3, Scene 3, lines 100 and 101 / 98 and 99) In this pivotal scene the King has directed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet to England, thus effectively banishing this troublesome young man. Polonius enters and tells the King that he will conceal himself and spy on the conversation between Hamlet and his mother; and the King then kneels and prays not so much for forgiveness for his "rank" offence in killing his brother, but rather that he will get away with it. Hamlet enters, unseen by the King, and considers killing the King at prayer. He does not, however, fearing that the King will then go to heaven. The King rises from prayer, never having seen Hamlet, and utters the words above, revealing his own knowledge that his prayer is invalid, and consists
