| “With mirth in funeral and dirge in wedding” | Speaker – Claudius In support of moving on, saying there should be a wedding after a funeral. Had no trouble moving on. |
| “Conscience does make cowards of us all” | Speaker – ClaudiusAfter the play-within-a-play, Claudius is overcome by his actions, approaching repentance – can’t happen because he’s a coward and thought too much about it. |
| “The lady dost protest too much, me thinks” | Speaker – GertrudeTalking about her character in the play, Gertrude doesn’t associate with the play; possibly referencing her own actions – until someone is in a situation, they can’t say what they would or would not do |
| “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so” | Speaker – HamletIn regards to revenge, one thing isn’t good or bad – the way it is perceived; key word thinking – as opposed to doing, ties in with character flaw of indecisiveness |
| “The plays the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” | Speaker – HamletReference to the play-within-a-play to find out whether or not Claudius is guilty; has expectation of a revelation |
| “Sweets to the sweet” | Speaker – Gertrude, speaking over Ophelia’s grave at the end of the playShows her changed perception of Ophelia, shows her hypocrisy, ties into the Oedipus complex |
| “His liberty is full of threats to all” | Speaker – Claudius, referencing HamletDecides he should send Hamlet to England because of his presumed insanity, justifying sending Hamlet away and killing him; reveals a duplicitous aspect of Claudius’ personality |
| “Words without thoughts to heaven go” | Speaker – Claudius After he’s attempted to pray and confession, realizes he can’t really be sorry so his attempt at repentance was meaningless because he wasn’t genuine |
| “As kill a king and marry his brother” | Speaker – Hamlet to GertrudeConfronting Gertrude to see if she’s innocent, she doesn’t understand and is unaware that her late husband had been murdered which shows that she didn’t know anything |
| “I must be cruel only to be kind” | Speaker – Hamlet to GertrudeIn response to Gertrude accusing him of being too cruel, saying that he has to be mean and abrasive in order to bring justice, to clear her of guilt |
| “I must commune with your grief… / If my direct or collateral hand they find us touched” | Speaker – Claudius to LaertesSaying he would give up his kingdom (life) if he’s found in direct connection with Polonius’ death, knows he has been indirectly involved – shows his duplicity again, playing Laertes into supporting him |
| “Is she to be buried in Christian burial” | Speaker – Grave diggerShould Ophelia have a sanctified burial, burial worthy of a person with religion; grave digger’s opinion is no because she drowned – looked upon as a possible suicide, cannot have a religious burial |
| “Give me pardon, sir. I have done you no wrong.” | Speaker – Hamlet to Laertes Apologizing to Laertes, Laertes accepts apology but must attempt to kill out of honor |
| “And our affairs of England come too late” | Speaker – Ambassador Very end of play, bringing news that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead but it doesn’t matter, it’s too late because Hamlet is dead |
| “To die, to sleep, to sleep perchance to dream” | Speaker – HamletFurther into “to be or not to be”, considering the ramifications of suicide; if he does, he goes to a permanent dream world, afraid he will be haunted by his not having acted in the after life |
| “To be or not to be” | Speaker – HamletMost famous soliloquies, contemplating suicide; also goes along with to do or do thing (indecisiveness), his ability to act on suicide |
| “A dream itself is but a shadow” | Speaker – HamletImage of unconsciousness, betrayal of what actually happens, fearful of what dreams reveal and what would happen in the after life |
| “Though this be madness, yet there be method in it” | Speaker – Polonius to HamletHamlet’s first appearance in a “guise” of insanity, recognizes the logic to the way that he’s behaving, questioning if a person who was truly insane would act in any sort of logical way |
| “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy” | Speaker – Hamlet to HoratioTelling Horatio that despite his education, there may be more to life than he can understand |
| “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” | Speaker – Ghost to HamletSpeaking of himself in the third person, telling Hamlet to avenge his father’s murder, bringing into question whether or not the ghost is Hamlet’s father or not |
| “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” | Speaker – Marcellus Referring to the murder, political state of Denmark, social state of Denmark, religious, and Hamlet himself; corruption |
| “Neither a borrower nor a leader be…” | Speaker – Polonius to LaertesAdvice to Laertes as he goes back to France, stay out of trouble because he would be responsible, telling him not to gamble, Laertes has obviously already been in trouble before |
| “To thine own self be true / It shall follow as night the day / Thou canst not be false to any man” | Speaker – Polonius to LaertesSaying he should be true to himself and he can never be found a liar, parallels with Hamlet |
| “Frailty, thy name is woman!” | Speaker – Hamlet to GertrudeSpeaking of all women, their frailty is that they must be with men |
| “A little more than kin and less than kind” | Speaker – Hamlet to ClaudiusMore than his son, but responsible for incestuous marriage if nothing else |
Hamlet Quote Test
August 1, 2019