Hamlet Quotes Notes

“What have I done, that thou darest wag thy tongue in noise so rude
against me?” ACT III, 4

The queen says this to Hamlet, she is asking him what she has done for him to ever be so rude to her.

“The lady doth protest too much.” ACT III, 2

The Queen says this to Hamlet and she is saying that the Queen in the play is doing too much and over exaggerating

“To thine own self be true.” ACT I, 3

Polonius , he is giving his son his blessings and giving him advice on how to act at university

“Now might I do it pat, now he is praying.” ACT III, 3

Hamlet says this after he hears the King confess what he had done to his brother and in the situation, Hamlet is planning to kill the King and decides that this is time to do it

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” ACT I, 3

Polonius, he is saying that you shouldn’t rely on others and don’t let others rely on you.

“Ay, springes to catch woodcocks.” ACT I, 3

Polonius, he is speaking to ophelia and telling her that his words are empty and meaningless.

“I must be cruel only to be kind.” ACT III, 4

Hamlet says this to the Queen in the context of him asking her why she is attracted to this man and why she is with him.

“It is a custom more honored in the breech than the observance.” ACT I,4

Hamlet says this to Horatio when they are talking about the King celebrating

“O my offense is rank, it smells to heaven.” ACT III, 3

The king says this when Hamlet is listening to him confess what he has done to his brother.

“O my prophetic soul.” ACT I, 5

Hamlet says this when talking to the Ghost after the Ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle is the one who killed his father

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.” ACT III, 1

Hamlet says this to Ophelia in his to be or not to be speech where he is contemplating whether or not to take his life

“I am but mad north-north-west.” ACT II, 2

Hamlet says this to Guildenstern when he is telling them that he is more sane than mad and he can control it.

“Though this be madness, yet there is a method in it.” ACT II, 2

Polonius says this to Hamlet because he is trying to understand Hamlet’s madness and what is driving him to be this crazy.

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts
never to heaven go.” ACT III, 3

The King says this after he confesses to the killing of his brother ( the late king) but he thinks no one hears this. By saying this he means that no matter how many times he confesses to this, if he isn’t sincere, the words and confessions will never reach heaven.

“Good night sweet Prince.” ACT V, 2

Horatio says this to Hamlet after Hamlet says he can not live anymore after being poisoned.

“O that this too, too sullied flesh would melt.” ACT I, 2

Hamlet says this to himself wishing that his body could just turn to water and melt away and he wishes it wasn’t illegal to commit suicide.

“O what a rash and bloody deed is this.” ACT III, 4

The Queen says this to Hamlet after he kills Polonius. She says this because he had just killed a practically innocent man and she is in shock.

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt
of in your philosophy.” ACT I, 5

Hamlet says this to Horatio and means that the human mind should let us believe what is created and we don’t know everything and many things haven’t been discovered

“Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” ACT III, 1

The King says this to Polonius because he is suspicious of Hamlet's “madness” and wants to send him away because he knows what insanity can do to a leader.

“To sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there’s the rub.” ACT III, 1

Hamlet says this in his to be or not to be speech to Ophelia and he says this because he is saying that sleep is kind of like death and the dreams after death that may come along could be a fantasy from the real world. almost like an escape.

“There is nothing/either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” ACT II, 2

Hamlet says this to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and he means that nothing is ever really as good or bad as your mind makes it, you overthink things to make them more than they are.

“Frality, thy name is woman.” ACT I, 2

Hamlet says this about his mother, he is saying that being and women and weakness are one of the same things and he is saying she is weak because she betrayed her late husband by marrying his brother after he died.

“But that I am forbid to tell the secrets of my prison house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood.” ACT I, 5

The Ghost says this to Hamlet, he is tempted to reveal who killed him but he thinks that it will scar Hamlet terribly.