Hamlet Quotes

“Tis sweet and commendable in your nature Hamlet, to give these mourning duties to your father, but to persevere in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness.” Claudius, It’s great that you loved your dad, but you need to move on, everyone loses fathers you need to get over it.
“There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt by in your philosophy.” Hamlet, to Horatio- there’s more to life than meets the eye, and there is a whole world out there that you don’t know
“As you did command, I did repel his letters and denied his access to me.” Ophelia, speaking to Polonius after obeying not to see Hamlet anymore.
“The plays the thing wherein ill catch the conscience of the king.” Hamlet, it is the point before the play where he will discover that Claudius is guilty and what the Ghost says is true.
“Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave there tinct.” Gertrude, to Hamlet, after he has confronted her of the news of his father’s death and the Ghost’s orders.
“There perfume lost, take thee again for to the noble mind, rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.” Ophelia, to Hamlet, when she gives back his letters and the jewels and any type of gift that he had given her.
“Alas poor, Yorick, I knew him, a fellow of infinite jest.” Hamlet speaking to Horatio at the graveyard remembering his father’s jest, whom he loved.
“Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels, sing thee to thy rest.” Horatio, to Hamlet as Hamlet is dying
“How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge whether it be bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple of thinking too precisely on the event, a thought which quartered hath but one part wisdom and ever three parts coward, I do not know why yet I live to say this things to do sith I have caused and will and strength and means to do it.” Hamlet, everything in the world is against him, but he realizes that he has the strength, the means, and the will to pursue his vengeance against his uncle. He will avenge his father’s death, and he is inspired by the will of Fortinbras.
“For me, with sorrow, I embrace my fortune I have some rights of memory in this Kingdom which now to claim my vantage doth invite me.” Fortinbras, as he is made King of Denmark
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” Claudius- he says the words, but they mean nothing, and therefore he isn’t sorry
“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance:/… and here’s pansies, that’s for thoughts.” Ophelia, she is collecting flowers for her father’s grave and giving symbolism for the different flowers
“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, / Rough- hew them how we will.” Hamlet- there is a God in heaven that guides you into the right direction
“Now cracks a noble heart” Horatio- to Hamlet as he is dying
“To thine ownself be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day,/ Thou canst not be false to any man.” Polonius, giving advice to Laertes- be true to yourself and you’ll never be fake to any man
“A figure.. armed at point, exactly, Cap-a-pe” This quote is describing the ghost of King Hamlet. It means that the ghostly figured looked like the King in armor. It is said by Horatio.
“His doublet all unbraced, no hat upon his head, his stockings foul’d, ungarter’d and down- gyved to his ankle…” This quote is describing Hamlet. It means that Hamlet appeared in Ophelia’s closet exposing himself in a crazy like state. It is said by Ophelia.
“That great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling clouts.” This quote is describing Polonius. It means that Polonius is immature and still wears diapers. It is said by Hamlet.
A bosom as black as death! O limed soul, that struggling to be free, art more engaged.” This quote describes Claudius. Claudius is repenting and acknowledges the awful situation at hand. He says that the more he tries to rid himself of sin, the guiltier he feels, and he remains sinful. It is said by Claudius.
“Her clothes spread wide, and mermaid like, while they bore her up…” This quote describes Ophelia, in her death. Her clothes were heavy and they dragged her down the river, and she lost the will to fight. It is said by Queen Gertrude.
“A little more than kin and less than kind.” Hamlet- he is nephew and son and he will be rude to the king because they are nothing alike.
“Seems madam! Nay, it is. I know not “seems” Hamlet- what you see isn’t always what you get.
“How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!” Hamlet- he has nothing to live for anymore, and he wants to kill himself.
“Frailty, thy name is woman!” Hamlet- he targets all women saying they are weak, especially his mother, Gertrude.
“Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bakes meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.” Hamlet- he is angered at the haste remarriage after the death of his father.
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. 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.” Polonius- this is his advice to Laertes: Do not borrow or take money, because he will either end up in debt or loss. Be true to yourself and you will not be fake to anyone.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Marcellus- something isn’t right
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” Ghost- avenge his father, and that he was killed.
“My uncle!” “Aye, that incestuous, that adulterate beast.” Ghost- the uncle is committing the sin of marrying blood and slept with her out of marriage.
“Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught. Leave her to Heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her.” Ghost- Do not harm Gertrude. Let God judge her.
“The time is out of joint. Oh, cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right!” Hamlet- he is angered due to the bad timing and questions why he must be the one to fix it.
“What majesty should be, what duty is, what day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.” Polonius- Let your words have power: quality over quantity. It is ironic because Polonius is long winded.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” Polonius- he must be up to something and have a plan of action.
“Why, then tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Hamlet- nothing is created good or bad, its all opinionated. It is in Hamlet’s opinion that he believes Denmark is a prison.
“What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! 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 the quintessence of dust? Man delights not me– no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.” Hamlet- he talks of the form of the human body and the greatness of the human mind, in which he no longer finds an interest in.
“The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” Hamlet- he will watch Claudius’ reaction to the play and see if he is guilty.
“Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” King- there is more to his madness than Ophelia. He will ship Hamlet off to England to be killed.
“Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you overstep not the modesty of nature.” Hamlet- when performing, reflect the human condition, and do not overact.
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Queen- she thinks that they are covering something up.
“O good Horatio, I’ll take the ghosts word for a thousand pound. Didst perceive?” Hamlet- he will continue to believe the ghost until proven otherwise. He asks that Horatio lets him do what he needs to do, and if the Ghost is lying, he will stop immediately.
“O heart, lose not thy nature, let not ever the soul of Nero enter this firm bosom. Let me be cruel, not unnatural. I will speak daggers to her, but use none.” Hamlet- he wants to be filled with the cruelty he needs to be rude to his mother and make her feel guilty. He will speak rude words to her, but he will not harm her.
“What is a man if his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.” Hamlet- A human is a beast, if all he does is eats and sleeps
“Oh, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth.” Hamlet- with everything happening around him, he considers all non violent thoughts worthless, so that he will become extremely dedicated to his cause.
“The cat will mew and dog will have his day.” Hamlet- even a hero like Hercules cannot keep the cats from being cats and the dogs from being dogs