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
