Hamlet Quotes Flashcards
Hamlet first aside: act 1 scene 2 -theme role of the family
“A little more than kin and less than kind”
Hamlet to himself act 1 scene 2 first line of the first soliloquy- theme is death
“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt”
Hamlets first soliloquy: Act one scene 2, theme-betrayal (is angry at Gertrude points finger at role of women)
“frailty, thy name is woman… O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer”
Act 1 scene 2: claudius first addressing of hamlet -quote theme is family
“But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son”
- eerie uncomfortable ownership to claim role as father after Old king Hamlet died, can be linked to biblical pretences and the royal speech as a king
Act One scene 2: hamlet to Horatio, using food in referral to death- theme death, greed and marriage
“Thrift, thrift Horatio. The funeral baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables”- greedy need for power in haste marriage
Marcellus to Horatio, theme- death, quote referral to denmark
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
Ghost to Hamlet, theme- revenge, injustice and death
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”- Claudius’ unjust betrayal
Ghost to Hamlet, theme- injustice of true ruler and betrayal, quote referral to serpent and crown
“The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown”
Hamlet to Horatio (Marcellus and Ghost is present as well), theme- afterlife, referral to heaven and earth and philosophy
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,/ Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus (Ghost is present as well)
“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite/ That ever i was born to set it right!”
Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus (Ghost is present as well), theme- time and duty and justice, quote referral to time and spite
The time is out of joint. O cursed spite/ That ever i was born to set it right!
Gertrude to Polonius (Claudius is present as well), theme- logic over art, quote referral art
“More matter with less art”
Polonius to himself (hamlet is present as well), theme- madness and logic, quote referral madness and method
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.”- perfectly personifies Shakespeare’s characterization of Hamlet
Hamlet to himself, theme- control, quote referral is freedom and feeling like a slave
“O, what a rogue and peasant slave am i!”
Hamlet to himself, theme- sceaming, evidence, quote referral to the play and Cladius’ reaction
“The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.”
Hamlet to himself (Ophelia, Polonius and Claudius are present however), theme- the question, quote referral is action, 2nd soliloquy
“To be or not to be…/…lose the name of action.”
Hamlet to Ophelia (Polonius and Claudius are present as well) theme- church and purification, quote referral to female members of a church
“Get thee to a nunnery”
Claudius to Polonius (Ophelia is present but does not hear), theme- madness, quote referral to madness and watchful eye
“It shall be so./ Madness in great ones must no unwatched go”
Gertrude to Hamlet on the play, theme- duplicity between the lady character in the play and Gertrude, quote referral is to protesting and opinion
“The lady doth protests too much, me thinks.”
Claudius to himself, theme- repentance, afterlife and forgiveness, quote referral is to offences, heaven and curse
“O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;/ It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t.”
Claudius to himself, theme- the mind and heaven, quote referral is to thoughts, words and heaven
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go”
Hamlet to Gertrude, theme- image, duplicity, family, quote referral- a picture and two brothers
“Look here upon this picture and on this,/ The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.”
Hamlet to Gertrude, theme- foolish and allegiance to claudius, killing of polonius, quote referral is to counsellor, foolish and knave
“This counselor/ Is now most still, mosecret, and most grave,/ Who was in life a foolish, prating knave”
Hamlet to Claudius (Rosencrantz present as well), theme- tools to desired outcome( chess), quote referral is to progress and a beggar
“Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress/ through the guts of a beggar”
Hamlet to himself, theme- revenge, spontaneity, quote referral is to revenge(lapse of judgement killing polonius)
“How all occasions do inform against me/ and spur my dull revenge.”
Hamlet to himself,theme- thought, quote referral is to blood and worth
“O, from this time forth/ My thought be bloody or be nothing worth,”
Ophelia to Laertes (Claudius and Gertrude present as well), theme- death and remembrance, quote referral is to remembrance and love(fathers death)
“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance,/ Pray you, love, remember.”
Laertes to dead Ophelia (Claudius and Gertrude are present) theme- death, quote referral is to Ophelia’s death and forbidden tears
“Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,/ and therefore i forbid my tears.”
Hamlet to Horatio (Gravedigger present as well)
“Alas, poor Yorick! i knew him, Horatio–a fellow/ of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.”
