Important Quotations HAMLET

#1

"This above all: to thine own self be true." (Act I, Scene III)

Polonius is doling out sage advice to his son, Laertes.

Overall, Polonius's advice helps reveals a theme of irony that threads throughout the play. Neither Polonius nor Laertes heeds the advice that Polonius gives in this scene, and both perish.

#2 "To be, or not to be: that is the question." (Act III,

Scene I) In the beginning of his fourth, and best known,

soliloquy Hamlet muses about the dilemma of suicide.

He wonders if one route is "nobler" than the next. The tone of Hamlet's soliloquy is more meditative

than angry, but he does seriously consider suicide. He relates his personal struggle to the struggles

that all of mankind shares. Given that you don't know what happens after you die, Hamlet realizes that death wouldn't be the ideal escape he craves.

#3 "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (Act I, Scene II) Hamlet speaking The "woman" he specifically refers to is his

mother. Hamlet felt she was weak, or not strong enough

to mourn his father longer. Hamlet goes on further to say that not even an

animal or beast, who has no reasoning skills, would have abandoned the mourning so quickly.

All in all, this shows how angry and confused Hamlet is by his mother's remarriage.

#4 "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (Act

III, Scene II) Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude speaks She feels that the play-queen seems insincere

because she repeats so dramatically that she'll never remarry due to her undying love of her husband.

The play-queen, in fact, does remarry. It is unclear whether Gertrude recognizes the

parallel between herself and the play-queen; Hamlet certainly feels that way. This moment has an irony that is shown throughout the play.