| “Without the sensible and the true avouch.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Horatio –> Marcellus and Benardo-If he hadn’t seen the ghost with his own eyes he wouldn’t believe it. |
| “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Queen & King-Hamlet wants to vanish |
| “Let me not think on ‘t; frailty, thy name is woman!”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Queen & King-Frailty is moral weakness |
| “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Polonius –> Laertes-Borrowing makes you spend more than you can afford and loans are often not repaid. |
| “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.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Polonius –> Laertes-Be true to yourself. And be true to others and they will be true to you. |
| “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Marcellus –> Horatio-Reflects mood of uncertainty and fear about Denmark’s future under Claudius. |
| “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite. That ever I was born to set it right.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Horatio & Marcellus-The weight of the world is on his shoulders. He found out his fathers was murdered and that his father wants him to seek revenge and now it is up to him. |
| “Therefore, brevity is the soul of wit.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Polonius –> King & Queen-Ironic because Polonius is never brief. |
| “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Polonius –> aside-Polonius recognizes that hamlet CAN make sense. |
| “What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in facilities, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god; the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals- and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights me, no, nor woman neither.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-Everything beautiful about the world means nothing to Halmet. |
| “I am but mad north-north west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-He isn’t crazy |
| “The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Himself-He will use the play as a way to get him to confess. |
| “Rich gifts wax poor when gives prove unkind.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Ophelia –> Hamlet-It won’t mean anything to her if it doesn’t mean anything to him. |
| “Madness in great ones must not go unwatched go.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -King –> Polonius-The King sees Hamlet as a threat |
| “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”Who says this to who? | Queen –> Hamlet |
| “I will speak daggers to her but use none.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Himself-He will be cruel to his mother |
| “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below, words without thoughts never to heaven go.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -King –> Himself-He says the words but he doesn’t believe them so they do no good. |
| “That I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> mother-He is acting |
| “Whom I will trust as I will adders fanged.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> mother-He trusts her like he trusts a poisonous snake |
| “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance pray you, love, remember, and there’s pansies that’s for thought.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Ophelia –> Laertes-The flowers mean things |
| “To cut his through I’ th’ church.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Laertes –> King-He is so willing to avenge his fathers death that he will cut Hamlet’s throat in church. |
| “Sweets to the sweet farewell.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Queen –> everyone at the funeral-She scatters flowers as she says this. It is ironic because it isn’t a sweet farewell, Ophelia has gone mad because of her fathers death. |
| “The cat will mew and the dog will have his day.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –>-Hamlet sees himself as a righteous hero, who, while he may be considered a lowly no-count creature by others (a dog), will surely (the cat will mew — what else would it do?) have his revenge (his day.) |
| “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Horatio-Fatalistic, life is on a course that we have no control over. |
| “That I have shot my arrow o’er the house and hurt my brother.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | -Hamlet –> Laertes-He understands the consequences of his actions, takes responsibility for himself, and cares about others. |
| “But I do prophesy th’ election lights on Fortinbras; he has my dying voice.”Who says this to who? | Hamlet –> HoratioHamlet is saying Fortinbras will be the next king |
| “How cracks a noble heart. Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”Who says this to who?What does this mean? | Horatio –> himselfHe is saying goodbye to his friend, Hamlet. |
Hamlet Quotes for Mrs. Yates
September 6, 2019