| My hour is almost come, When I to sulf’rous and tormenting flames must render up myself | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletIt is almost morning, must hurry for he will go back to purgatory (description of the place) |
| Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder | Spoken by: GhostTo: Hamletrevenge my death, which was executed so sinfully (interesting points for neither church believed in revenge) |
| With wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love | Spoken by: HamletTo: GhostThe murder is foul and unnatural, but he will avenge it with love (ironic) |
| A serpent stung me | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletAllusion to Adam and Eve, Claudius is the serpent |
| So the whole ear of Denmark is… Rankly abused | Spoken by: GhostTo:HamletEar motif, all of Denmark has been affected by Claudius’ actions, Rankly = disease imagery |
| Won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletMotif of illusions (seeming), ghost is commenting on her weakness but he is not blaming her (blaming Claudius) |
| Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, so lust, to a radiant angel linked, will sate itself in a celestial bed, and prey on garbage | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletReligious/purity imagery, Gertrude is the angel/virtue, Claudius is the garbage |
| Methinks I scent the morning air, brief let me be | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletReference to time, ironic for he has a looonnnng speech |
| By a brothers hand of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletRepitition, emphasizes what Claudius’ motives were and what he will in the future refuse to give up |
| Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, unhouseled, disappointed, and unaneled | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletWhen the late Hamlet died he received no holy sacrament, was unprepared for death, and had no time to repent his sins |
| Let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest | Spoken by: GhostTo:HamletA reference to the union of Claudius and Gertrude |
| Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletGentleness on king, do not harm/blame your mother, keep your mind focused |
| The glowworm shows the matin to be near and ‘gins to pale his uneffectual fire | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletReference to time, glowworm=sun, he can’t be out during the day |
| Remember me | Spoken by: GhostTo: HamletHis last message, remember my story and avenge my death, do not forget the purpose |
| Whiles memory holds a seat in this distracted globe | Spoken by: HamletTo: SoliloquyGlobe = his mind, reference to his fatal flaw, perhaps even foreshadowin |
| From the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial find records | Spoken by: HamletTo: SoliloquyHe’ll clear his mind of all thoughts except this one, of revenge |
| Thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain unmixed with baser matter | Spoken by: HamletTo: SoliloquyA reflection of his character, ironic because this does not end up happening |
| O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain | Spoken by: HamletTo: SoliloquyBelittling his mother (motif of misogyny), and speaking of the deception of Claudius |
| I have sworn’t | Spoken by: HamletTo: SoliloquySwears to avenge his father and focus only on that task but he breaks this promis |
| Your business and desire shall point you, for every man hath business and desire | Spoken by: HamletTo: HoratioMotivation/motive is what propels people to do things (subtle reference to Claudius??) |
| Well said, old mole! | Spoken by: HamletTo:Ghost (though he is off stage)Reference to spying and disease imagery again |
| There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy | Spoken by: HamletTo: HoratioEven he and knowledge cannot explain all things such as the supernatural |
| The time is out of joint | Spoken by: HamletTo: himself, but Horatio and Marcellus are thereNatural course of things have been upset, all is not as it should be |
| O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right! | Spoken by: HamletTo: himself, but Horatio and Marcellus are thereReference to the time out of joint, cursing that it is his fate to reorder Denmark, it is a burden for him |
Hamlet Quotes, Act I Scene V
November 15, 2019