| “O, That this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew.” | Hamlet, Act I, scene iiContext: talking to Gertrude and Claudius, they are trying to console him about his fathers death and convince him to stay. They leave and Hamlet has monologue, its his first reflection on the death of his father. |
| “Frailty, thy name is woman!” | Hamlet, Act I, scene iiContext: same monologue as “O, that this too” quote, Hamlet is expressing anger towards Gertrude for betraying his father and marrying Claudius. He’s calling her weak. |
| “Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak’d meatsDid coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” | Hamlet, Act I, scene iicontext: Hamlet is talking to Horatio about why he’s come back from Wittenburg. They discuss the funeral and wedding. Hamlet points out that his fathers death was the cause of his mother’s remarriage. |
| “Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads. And reckless not his own rede.” | Ophelia, Act I, scene iiiContext: Laertes is giving Ophelia advice on Hamlet, telling her to be careful with him. She is saying he shouldn’t give her advice he doesn’t take himself. |
| “Neither a borrower nor a lender be:For loan oft loses both itself and friend.” | Polonius, Act I, scene iiicontext: Polonius is giving advice to Laertes about friendship and how to act. He is saying loaning things to people is bad bc if its lost it can hurt a friendship |
| “This above all-to thine own self be true;And it mist follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” | Polonius, Act I, scene iiicontext: This quote comes right after the previous one. Polonius is telling Laertes to be himself. |
| “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” | Marcellus, Act I, scene iv context: hamlet just saw the ghost. Marcellus is talking to Horatio about the drama going on in Denmark |
| “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” | Hamlet, Act I, scene vcontext: Hamlet is making Horatio and Marcellus swear to never tell about the ghost. Hamlet is saying that things exist even if Horatio doesn’t believe in them. |
| “More matter with less art” | Gertrude, Act II, scene iicontext: Polonius begins talking to Gertrude about how Hamlet has gone mad. Gertrude is telling Polonius to stick to the point because he talks too much. |
| “Doubt thou the stars are fire;Doubt that the sun doth move;Doubt truth to be a liar;But never doubt I love.” | Hamlet, Act II, scene iicontext: this is part of his love letter to Ophelia. It shows that he did love her at least once before. |
| “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” | Hamlet, Act II, scene iicontext: Hamlet is talking to Rosencratz and Guildenstein about the state of Denmark. The meaning of this quote is pretty self explanitory. |
| “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty!…..man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though, by your smiling, you seem say so.” | Hamlet, Act II, scene iicontext: Hamlet is talking to Rosencratz and Guildenstein. It seems like he’s joking about being gay. thats all i could understand. |
| “Use every man after his desert, and who should ‘scape whipping?” | Hamlet, Act II, scene ii context: Hamlet is talking to Polonius about the cast members of the play. |
| “O! what a rogue and peasant slave I am!” | Hamlet, Act II, scene iicontext: Hamlet is having a monologue. He is talking about the passion and emotion the actor had and how he has to hide his emotions. |
| “The play’s the thing, Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” | Hamlet, Act II, scene iicontext: this is the same monologue as the previous quote. He is saying that he’ll base Claudius’ guilt off his reaction to the play. |
hamlet quotes pt 1
August 30, 2019