Asselta - Hamlet Quotes - Midterm Flashcards
“Be wary then; best safety lies in fear”
Act I Who - Laertes To Whom - Ophelia Context: Laertes telling Ophelia the dangers of associating with Prince Hamlet Meaning: Be cautious
“When blood burns, how prodigal the soul lends the tongue vows”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Ophelia
Context: Polonius telling Ophelia the dangers of associating with Prince Hamlet
Meaning: In times of extreme feelings of emotion, you’ll say things you might not mean
“The apparel oft proclaims the man”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Laertes
Context: Parting advice that Polonius gives to Laertes before he leaves for France
Meaning: How you dress tells a lot (Dress like you have class, but not gaudily)
“Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Laertes
Context: Parting advice that Polonius gives to Laertes before he leaves for France
Meaning: Don’t tell what you’re thinking, and think before you act
“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice. Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgement”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Laertes
Context: Parting advice that Polonius gives Laertes before he leaves for France
Meaning: Listen without speaking; don’t judge the problems of others
“Neither a borrower nor lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Laertes
Context: Parting advice that Polonius gives Laertes before he leaves for France
Meaning: Don’t lend or borrow because the loan will most likely not be returned and then ruin the friendship
“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”
Act I
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Laertes
Context: Parting advice that Polonius gives Laertes before he leaves for France
Meaning: Be true to yourself and you can’t be false to anyone else
“It is common for the younger sort to lack discretion”
Act II
Who - Polonius
To Whom - Ophelia
Context: Another warning against Prince Hamlet after he showed up to Ophelia all disorderly and grabbed her and was acting crazy
Meaning: Young folk don’t know how to act
“Brevity is the soul of wit”
Act II
Who - Polonius
To Whom - King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Context: Polonius being straightforward about Prince Hamlet’s condition to the king and queen
Meaning: It’s smart to be clearer and concise
“Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”
Act II
Who - Prince Hamlet
To Whom - Rosencrantz and Guildnstern
Context: Ros and Guild both dislike Denmark (say it is a poison), Prince Hamlet likes it and says this quote
Meaning: Nothing is inherently good or bad; opinions make things good or bad
“To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand”
Act II Who - Prince Hamlet To whom - Polonius Context: Fishmonger part Meaning: There don't seem to be many honest people in the world anymore
“I must be cruel only to be kind”
Act III Who - Prince Hamlet To whom - Queen Gertrude Context: Part where Prince Hamlet just killed Polonius Meaning: "Tough love"
“Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind”
Act III
Who - Ophelia
To whom - Prince Hamlet
Context: Part where Ophelia/Polonius are trying to find the reason of Prince Hamlet’s illness and send Ophelia as “bait”
Meaning: Gifts from unkind givers are not so good
“For some must watch while some must sleep. So runs the world away”
Act III
Who - Prince Hamlet
To whom - Horatio
Context: Just after the play is ended by King Claudius, Prince Hamlet says this
Meaning: Someone is always on guard, while others are unaware
“For use almost can change the stamp of nature”
Act III
Who - Prince Hamlet
To whom - Queen Gertrude
Context: Prince Hamlet is telling Queen Gertrude to cut it out with sexy time with King Claudius; saying that habit can almost change how she feels about him.
Meaning: Nature made us in a certain way that can only be altered by how we use what we were given
“Thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought”
Act III Who - Prince Hamlet To Whom - Prince Hamlet Context: Hamlet's soliloquy Meaning: Overthinking kills the drive to get something done
“When sorrows come, they come not in single spies but in battalions”
Act IV Who - King Claudius To whom - Queen Gertrude Context: King Claudius speaking of Ophelia's madness as the result of a series of unfortunate events Meaning: Bad things happen in clusters
“We know what we are, but not what we may be”
Act IV Who - Ophelia To whom - King Claudius Context: Ophelia acting crazy Meaning: We don't always see our potential
“A knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear”
Act IV
Who - Prince Hamlet
To whom - Rosencrantz
Context: Prince Hamlet telling them that they are too foolish to realize the king is evil
Meaning: Fools will listen to evil words blindly
“Rightly to be great is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor’s at the stake”
Act IV Who - Hamlet To Whom - Hamlet Context: Meaning: Never fret for no reason, but if anything, not matter how big or small, threatens your honor, defend it
“Cat will mew and dog will have his day”
Act V
Who - Prince Hamlet
To whom - King Claudius
Context: Prince Hamlet fighting Laertes over loving Ophelia
Meaning: Everybody has their time to shine
“Goodnight sweet prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”
Act V Who - Horatio To whom - Prince Hamlet Context: Prince Hamlet now dead but soon to be elevated to heroic status Meaning: May angels guide you to Heaven
