Hamlet Quotes

Question 1

Hamlet first aside: act 1 scene 2 -theme role of the family

Answer 1

“A little more than kin and less than kind”

Question 2

Hamlet to himself act 1 scene 2 first line of the first soliloquy- theme is death

Answer 2

“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt”

Question 3

Hamlets first soliloquy: Act one scene 2, theme-betrayal (is angry at Gertrude points finger at role of women)

Answer 3

“frailty, thy name is woman… O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer”

Question 4

Act 1 scene 2: claudius first addressing of hamlet -quote theme is family

Answer 4

“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

Question 5

Act One scene 2: hamlet to Horatio, using food in referral to death- theme death, greed and marriage

Answer 5

“Thrift, thrift Horatio. The funeral baked meats

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables”- greedy need for power in haste marriage

Question 6

Marcellus to Horatio, theme- death, quote referral to denmark

Answer 6

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”

Question 7

Ghost to Hamlet, theme- revenge, injustice and death

Answer 7

“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”- Claudius’ unjust betrayal

Question 8

Ghost to Hamlet, theme- injustice of true ruler and betrayal, quote referral to serpent and crown

Answer 8

“The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown”

Question 9

Hamlet to Horatio (Marcellus and Ghost is present as well), theme- afterlife, referral to heaven and earth and philosophy

Answer 9

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,/ Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Question 10

Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus (Ghost is present as well)

Answer 10

“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite/ That ever i was born to set it right!”

Question 11

Hamlet to Horatio and Marcellus (Ghost is present as well), theme- time and duty and justice, quote referral to time and spite

Answer 11

The time is out of joint. O cursed spite/ That ever i was born to set it right!

Question 12

Gertrude to Polonius (Claudius is present as well), theme- logic over art, quote referral art

Answer 12

“More matter with less art”

Question 13

Polonius to himself (hamlet is present as well), theme- madness and logic, quote referral madness and method

Answer 13

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.”- perfectly personifies Shakespeare’s characterization of Hamlet

Question 14

Hamlet to himself, theme- control, quote referral is freedom and feeling like a slave

Answer 14

“O, what a rogue and peasant slave am i!”

Question 15

Hamlet to himself, theme- sceaming, evidence, quote referral to the play and Cladius’ reaction

Answer 15

“The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.”

Question 16

Hamlet to himself (Ophelia, Polonius and Claudius are present however), theme- the question, quote referral is action, 2nd soliloquy

Answer 16

“To be or not to be…/…lose the name of action.”

Question 17

Hamlet to Ophelia (Polonius and Claudius are present as well) theme- church and purification, quote referral to female members of a church

Answer 17

“Get thee to a nunnery”

Question 18

Claudius to Polonius (Ophelia is present but does not hear), theme- madness, quote referral to madness and watchful eye

Answer 18

“It shall be so./ Madness in great ones must no unwatched go”

Question 19

Gertrude to Hamlet on the play, theme- duplicity between the lady character in the play and Gertrude, quote referral is to protesting and opinion

Answer 19

“The lady doth protests too much, me thinks.”

Question 20

Claudius to himself, theme- repentance, afterlife and forgiveness, quote referral is to offences, heaven and curse

Answer 20

“O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;/ It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t.”

Question 21

Claudius to himself, theme- the mind and heaven, quote referral is to thoughts, words and heaven

Answer 21

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go”

Question 22

Hamlet to Gertrude, theme- image, duplicity, family, quote referral- a picture and two brothers

Answer 22

“Look here upon this picture and on this,/ The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.”

Question 23

Hamlet to Gertrude, theme- foolish and allegiance to claudius, killing of polonius, quote referral is to counsellor, foolish and knave

Answer 23

“This counselor/ Is now most still, mosecret, and most grave,/ Who was in life a foolish, prating knave”

Question 24

Hamlet to Claudius (Rosencrantz present as well), theme- tools to desired outcome( chess), quote referral is to progress and a beggar

Answer 24

“Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress/ through the guts of a beggar”

Question 25

Hamlet to himself, theme- revenge, spontaneity, quote referral is to revenge(lapse of judgement killing polonius)

Answer 25

“How all occasions do inform against me/ and spur my dull revenge.”

Question 26

Hamlet to himself,theme- thought, quote referral is to blood and worth

Answer 26

“O, from this time forth/ My thought be bloody or be nothing worth,”

Question 27

Ophelia to Laertes (Claudius and Gertrude present as well), theme- death and remembrance, quote referral is to remembrance and love(fathers death)

Answer 27

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance,/ Pray you, love, remember.”

Question 28

Laertes to dead Ophelia (Claudius and Gertrude are present) theme- death, quote referral is to Ophelia’s death and forbidden tears

Answer 28

“Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,/ and therefore i forbid my tears.”

Question 29

Hamlet to Horatio (Gravedigger present as well)

Answer 29

“Alas, poor Yorick! i knew him, Horatio–a fellow/ of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.”