| Thou art a scholar. Speak to it, Horatio. | – Scene 1- Marcellus to Horatio- Your smart, I trust your words |
| In what particular thought to work I know not,But in the gross and scope of mine opinionThis bodes some strange eruption to our state. | – Scene 1- Horatio to Marcellus and Bernardo- Foreshadow, allusion (something wrong is going to happen) |
| Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet(For so this side of our known world esteemed him)Did slay this Fortinbras, who by a sealed compactWell ratified by law and heraldry,Did forfeit, with his life, all those his landsWhich he stood seized of to the conqueror, | – Scene 1- Horatio to Marcellus and Bernardo- Praising now dead King Hamlet |
| A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye.In the most high and palmy state of Rome,A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, | – Scene 1- Horatio to Marcellus and Bernardo- Allusion to Julius Caesar who was assassinated by his own men and took over Rome, foreshadows events |
| But soft, behold! Lo, where it comes again.I’ll cross it though it blast me.—Stay, illusion! | – Scene 1- Horatio to ghost- Making cross deters evil spirits or cross path of ghost |
| Awake the god of day, and, at his warning,Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air,Th’ extravagant and erring spirit hiesTo his confine | – Scene 1- Horatio to Marcellus and Benardo- Allusion to god of day (which makes all the evil spirits go away) |
| Together with remembrance of ourselves.Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, | – Scene 2- Claudius to all- Sister-in-law now wife |
| Have we—as ’twere with a defeated joy,With an auspicious and a dropping eye,With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, | – Scene 2- Caludius to all- Oxymorons, can;t have defeated joy, have one auspicious eye and one dropping eye, funeral and marriage, shoes duplicity in his personality being a loving brother and brave king at once |
| A little more than kin and less than kind. | – Scene 2- Hamlet to himself- Closer in relation but he still doesn’t like him |
| “How is it that the clouds still hang on you?””Not so, my lord. I am too much i’ the sun.” | – Scene 2- Claudius to Hamlet then Hamlet to Claudius- Symbolism, pun (saying sun instead of son, sarcasm) |
| Do not forever with thy vailèd lidsSeek for thy noble father in the dust.Thou know’st ’tis common. All that lives must die,Passing through nature to eternity. | – Scene 2- Gertrude to Hamlet- Saying everyone dies get over it |
| “Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.”‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,Nor customary suits of solemn black,Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,Nor the dejected ‘havior of the visage,Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,That can denote me truly. | – Scene 2- Hamlet to Gertrude- Clothing imagery, theme of appearance v. reality |
| Fie on ‘t, ah fie! ‘Tis an unweeded gardenThat grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature | – Scene 2- Hamlet to himself- Metaphor, Denmark is now a garden with weed |
| My father’s brother, but no more like my fatherThan I to Hercules. | – Scene 2- Hamlet to himself- Metaphor |
| Neither a borrower nor a lender be, | – Scene 3- Polonius to Laertes- don’t borrow and don’t lend |
| This above all: to thine own self be true,And it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man. | – Scene 3- Polonius to Laertes- Theme: Appearance vs Reality |
| Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. | – Scene 4- Marcellus to Horatio- Foreshadowing |
| Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.Murder most foul, as in the best it is.But this most foul, strange and unnatural. | – Scene 5- Ghost to Hamlet- Saying death was unnatural telling Hamlet to seek revenge |
| A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of DenmarkIs by a forgèd process of my deathRankly abused. But know, thou noble youth,The serpent that did sting thy father’s lifeNow wears his crown. | – Scene 5- Ghost to Hamlet- Allusion to garden of eden |
| That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.At least I’m sure it may be so in Denmark. (writes)So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word. | – Scene 5- Ghost to Hamlet- Creates antagonist, sets plot in motion |
| How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself(As I perchance hereafter shall think meetTo put an antic disposition on), | – Scene 5- Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus- Telling him he;s going to act crazy |
| The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite, | – Scene 5- Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus- Saying time is all whacked up and everything is crazy, retributive justice |
Hamlet Act 1 Quotes
September 8, 2019