Hamlet themes and quotes

“The need we have to use you did provoke our hasty sending. Something have you heard of Hamlets transformation- so I call it.” -act 2 scene 2, ACTION V INACTION

-shows Claudius inaction in surveillance hamlet, uses rosencrantz and guildenstern instead

“I will do’t. And for that purpose, I’ll about my sword.” -act 4 scene 7, ACTION V INACTION

-Laertes plotting to avenge fathers death- foil to hamlets inaction

“How now? A rat! Dead for a ducat, dead.” -act 3 scene 4, ACTION VS INACTION

-shows hamlets quick action in “killing the king” - rushes his sword without thought

“The plays the thing. Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”- act 1 scene 2, ACTION VS INACTION

-plans to get the king to admit to murder of his father

—> the “mousetrap”- but shows Hamlets inaction in his goal of regicide so an ironic name

“The tune is out of joint. O cursed spite, that I ever was born to set it right.”- act 1 scene 5, ACTION V INACTION

-hamlets decides to kill Claudius after his father told him he murdered him

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts never to heaven go.”- act 3 scene 3, APPEARANCE VS REALITY

-Claudius attempts to pray for forgiveness- but his true feelings don’t match his words

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy “- act 1 scene 5, APPEARANCE VS REALITY

-there are more things there than are… not there

“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 1 scene 3, APPEARANCE VS REALITY

-polonium advice to his son laertes- ironic, as he himself is duplicitous and uses his own daughter as a pawn to get ahead in the French court

“Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not ‘seems’”- act 1, scene 2

-hamlet to his mother Gertrude- first signs of resentment towards her, and her ignorance towards the true situation

“God hath given you one face, and you give yourselves another”

“Wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them”-act 3 scene 1, WOMEN/GENDER

-hamlet criticised Ophelia and all of women for wearing makeup and deceiving men - link to appearance v reality

“Your chaste treasure”

“The Chariest maid is prodigal enough if she unmask her beauty to the moon”- act 1, scene 3, WOMEN/ GENDER

-Laertes telling Ophelia not to lose her virginity- shows how unmarried women are perceived in society

“‘Tis unmanly grief: It shows a will most incorrect to heaven.”- act 1 scene 2, WOMEN/ GENDER

-Claudius to hamlet regarding his mourning

“If this had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o’christian burial”-act 1 scene 5, RELIGION, HONOUR AND REVENGE

-gravedigger- normal people see court corruption as nobles are treated in higher status and can escape religious teachings

“Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, a broken voice… and all for nothing.”-act 2 scene 2, RELIGION, HONOUR AND REVENGE

-H discusses actor- can make emotions visible but his own can’t and do nothing to avenge his fathers death

“No reckoning made but sent to my account with all my imperfections on my head…”

“A couch for luxury and damned incest”

“Taint not thy mind nor let thy soul continue against thy mother aught” -act 1 scene 5, RELIGION, HONOUR AND REVENGE

-hamlet senior unable to confess sins before death - importance of religion

—> honours Gertrude and doesn’t wish her harm

“O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven… primal curse”- act 3 scene 3, POISON, CORRUPTION AND DEATH

-Claudius knows he’s a sinner and feels Gods judgement

“O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew”- act 1 scene 2, POISON, CORRUPTION AND DEATH

-ponders merit of suicide- wants his flesh to passively become liquid via some process

“In the same figure like the king that’s dead”- act 1 scene 1, POISON, CORRUPTION AND DEATH

-ghosts appears as recently deceased king - great chain of being disrupted