| a. “Frailty, thy name is woman!” Act 1, Scene 2 | Hamlet was talking about Gertrude and how she moved on to Claudius quickly after King Hamlet’s death. This shows how poorly he treated and thought of Gertrude |
| b. “This above all: To thine own self be true, and it mustfollow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then befalse to any man.” Act I, Scene 3 | Polonius was giving Laertes advice before he left for Paris. This is the first logical thing Polonius has said and it shows how throughout the play we never know who is being true (ex. Claudius, Hamlet) |
| c. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Act I,Scene 4 | Marcellus tells Horatio this after they discover the ghost is real and Hamlet wants to go with the ghost alone. This foreshadows all the craziness that is about to happen because of King Hamlet’s death. |
| d. “There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio,than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Act I, Scene 5 | Hamlet tells Horatio this after they discover the ghost is real because Horatio is still in disbelief. This is important because Horatio is a practical person so if he has seen the ghost it must be real. |
| e. “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”Act 2, Scene 2 | Polonius says this as an aside about Hamlet because he thinks Hamlet has gone crazy due to his extreme love for Ophelia. This is significant because Hamlet is pretending to act crazy so he can see if Claudius murdered his father. |
| f. “Denmark’s a prison.” Act 2, Scene 2 | Hamlet says this to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after he asks them what they did to land in a prison. This shows how Hamlet feels trapped in his situation and has no control over his life. |
| g. “Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothingeither good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Act 2,Scene 2 | Hamlet is talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about how he thinks Denmark is a prison. This is significant because it shows how the grass is always greener on the other side. Why would a prince think his country is a prison? |
| h. “The lady protests too much, methinks.” Act 3, Scene2 | Gertrude said this about the queen in the play because she thinks the lady is overdoing it. This is important because it shows that Gertrude thought the queen in the play was being silly for not thinking about remarrying. |
| i. “I must be cruel only to be kind.” Act 3, Scene 4 | Hamlet tells Gertrude this after he asks her not to sleep with Claudius. This is important because Hamlet needs to be cruel to Gertrude so she won’t continue to “Betray” King Hamlet. |
| j. “Come, my coach! Good night, ladies. Good night,sweet ladies. Good night, good night.” Act 4, Scene 5 | Ophelia is the speaker and she has gone crazy after discovering Polonius was killed. |
| k. “The rest is silence.” Act V, Scene 2 | Hamlet tells Horatio this right before he dies. |
| l. “For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune.” Act V,Scene 2 | … |
Hamlet
August 21, 2019