| Brevity is the soul of wit. | Speaker: PoloniusSpoken to: Gertrude and ClaudiusSituation: Polonius is talking to Gertrude and Claudius explaining to them that he knows what is going on with Hamlet.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning of the quote is that the essence of wisdom is not talking too much so he must hurry to he point.Thematic Meaning: |
| More matter, with less art. | Speaker: GertrudeSpoken to: PoloniusSituation: Polonius is discussing that the problem with Hamlet is that he is going mad but says some random things as well.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning is that Gertrude is telling Polonius to stick to the point with what he has to say is wrong with Hamlet.Thematic Meaning: |
| Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t | Speaker: PoloniusSpoken to: HimselfSituation: Polonius is having a conversation with Hamlet to try to figure out if he is mad from love.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning is that Polonius knows that there is something that is leading to Hamlet’s madness.Thematic Meaning: |
| …there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. | Speaker: HamletSpoken to: Rosencrantz and GuildensternSituation: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have traveled to visit Hamlet as they have been hired as spies by Claudius to find any thing that might lead to Hamlet’s madness. Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning is that Hamlet is talking about Denmark being a prison so he means that since nothing is good or bad in itself then it’s all what a person thinks about it.Thematic Meaning: |
| What a piece of work is a man! | Speaker: HamletSpoken to: Rosencrantz and GuildensternSituation: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have traveled to visit Hamlet as spies by Claudius. Hamlet suspects that they didn’t travel just to visit him.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning is that Hamlet says what a perfect invention a human is to describe the qualities of a perfect humanThematic Meaning: |
| I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw. | Speaker: Hamlet Spoken to: GuildensternSituation: Hamlet is greeting the players that will perform in his play and is talking to Rosencrantz at Guildenstern at the time as well.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning is that Hamlet is saying that he is only crazy sometimes and at other times, he knows what he doing.Thematic Meaning: |
| Use every man after his desert, and who shall scape whipping. | Speaker: Hamlet Spoken to: PoloniusSituation: Hamlet is setting up his play that he makes in order to see if Claudius is going to react to it.Contextual Meaning: What Hamlet means contextually is that he is telling Polonius to pay everyone what they deserve and they would never skip a whipping.Thematic Meaning: |
| What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,? That he should weep for her? | Speaker: HamletSpoken to: HimselfSituation: Hamlet is organizing his play for the next day called the murder of gonzago and hears the monologue and is telling everyone to go rest for the play is tomorrow.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning of the phrase is that Hecuba is Trojan queen and is the reason why the actors were playing so beautifully.Thematic Meaning: Lack of emotion |
| For murder, though it have no tongue will speak/ With most miraculous organ. | Speaker: HamletSpoken to: HimselfSituation: Hamlet is expressing his feelings in a soliloquoy in which he expresses his feelings and his thoughts towards the audience.Contextual Meaning:The contextual meaning of the quote is that murder has no tongue, but still finds a way to speak to describe his father’s murder.Thematic Meaning: |
| …the devil hath power/T’assume a pleasing shape. | Speaker: Hamlet Spoken to: HimselfSituation: Hamlet is expressing his feelings in a soliloquoy in which he expresses his feelings and his thoughts towards the audience.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning of the quote is that he is thinking that the ghost who Hamlet saw may be the devil and that the devil could have a disguise that is trying to fool him.Thematic Meaning: |
| The play’s the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king. | Speaker: HamletSpoken to: HimselfSituation: Hamlet is expressing himself in a soliloquoy in which he expresses his feelings and thoughts and plans.Contextual Meaning: The contextual meaning of the quote is that Hamlet is going to find the evidence that he needs by using the play to see if it will uncover the conscience of the king.Thematic Meaning: |
Hamlet Quotes ACT II
September 12, 2019