Hamlet act 3

To be or not to be, that is the question Hamlet soliloquy (to himself). Meaning: The question is: is it better to be alive or dead?
The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Ophelia talking to herself after she has seen Hamlet in all his insanity (he called her a *****). Meaning: he used to be the jewel of the country and the perfect heir to the throne.
It out-Herods Herod. Hamlet said this to the actors when instructing them on how to perform a speech he told them to perform. Meaning: that’s as bad as the old plays in which king herod ranted. Please avoid doing that.
Suit the action to the word, the word to the action. Hamlet says this to the performer in instructing him how to perform the speech he told him to perform (same as last quote). Meaning: let you action be in keeping with the words you are saying — don’t act too overemotional or under emotional when it isn’t appropriate.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Gertrude says this to hamlet while watching the play that he wrote for the players to act out. Meaning: the lady is overdoing it.
A king of shreds and patches! Hamlet talking to Gertrude about Claudius after it was revealed that he did indeed kill king hamlet. Meaning: raised poor? Not meant to be royalty because of his upbringing?
For tis the sport to have the engineer, Hoist with his own petard. Hamlet talking to Gertrude about him leaving for England’s. meaning: it’s fun to watch the engineer get blown up by his own explosives.
September 10, 2019