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Can you recite Hamlet's 'to be or not to be' soliloquy quicker than the fastest talker?
Rachel Swatman, Guinness World Records, 2018
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A Guinness World Records news article, published 19 January 2018, that describes Sean Shannon's 1995 record as the fastest talker, for reciting the 260-word Hamlet soliloquy in 23.8 seconds, and gives the rate as 655 words per minute.
- How much weight it carries
- Official record-keeper, and the figures match its record entry. It is a single timed performance of a memorized text, not conversational speech, and the record is a one-off rather than a measured average.
Facts taken from this source
- Sean Shannon's Guinness record recitation of the 260-word Hamlet soliloquy ran at 655 words per minute.
“This means that Sean spoke at a rate of 655 words per minute!” (Article body)