William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is one of the most profound and cherished pieces of literature in history. Filled with themes of existential contemplation, moral ambiguity, and complex human emotions, "Hamlet" has left readers reflecting on its powerful quotes for centuries. In this article, we delve into the depth of "Hamlet" through its famous quotes by exploring ten distinct perspectives. Each section provides a set of twelve quotes that capture varied nuances of this literary masterpiece and aim to inspire and resonate with audiences worldwide. Whether you are a seasoned Shakespeare enthusiast or a curious newcomer, these quotes hold valuable insights into the human condition.
Existential Quotes from Hamlet
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
"What a piece of work is man!"
"The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns."
"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
"The rest is silence."
"I am but mad north-north-west; when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
"We defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow."
"O that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!"
"For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Not a whit, we defy augury."
"What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff?"
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions."
Love and Betrayal Quotes in Hamlet
"Frailty, thy name is woman!"
"Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love."
"I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum."
"Get thee to a nunnery!"
"O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!"
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
"Tis in my memory locked, and you yourself shall keep the key of it."
"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind."
"No more marriages!"
"If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart absent thee from felicity awhile."
"I must be cruel, only to be kind."
"This above all: to thine own self be true."
Quotes on Death and Mortality
"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."
"To die: to sleep; no more."
"The dread of something after death."
"Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay."
"Death the undiscovered country."
"The readiness is all."
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow."
"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
"Why, may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander"
"Your worm is your only emperor for diet."
"Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew, and dog will have his day."
"He is justly served; it is a poison tempered by himself."
Madness Quotes in Hamlet
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."
"I am but mad north-north-west."
"In my mind's eye, Horatio."
"O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!"
"How all occasions do inform against me."
"As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on."
"It hath made me mad."
"Let me be cruel, not unnatural."
"This is the very ecstasy of love."
"Mad as the sea and wind when both contend which is the mightier."
"I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft."
"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below."
Quotes on Revenge and Justice
"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
"The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!"
"Now might I do it pat, now he is praying."
"O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth."
"How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge!"
"Let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damnèd incest."
"There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow."
"Suit the action to the word, the word to the action."
"I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so to punish me with this, and this with me."
"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
"There's a divinity that shapes our ends."
"His foul crimes will come to light."
Quotes on Power and Corruption
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
"Power: ‘tis an outward show."
"Do it, England."
"When our deep plots do pall, and that should learn us there's a divinity that shapes our ends."
"And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought."
"Give me that man that is not passion's slave."
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions."
"Our courts are corrupt; and that speaks to Denmark's infirmity."
"No place, indeed, should murder sanctuarize."
"So oft it chances in particular men that for some vicious mole of nature in them."
"My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen."
"The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown."
Family Relations Quotes in Hamlet
"A little more than kin, and less than kind."
"Like Niobe, all tears;—why she married with my uncle."
"I shall obey, my lord."
"I was the more deceived."
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be."
"His greatness weighed, his will is not his own."
"O heart, lose not thy nature."
"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me."
"My fate cries out and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve."
"We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us."
"Poison in jest! No offence i' the world."
"Let me see. Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."
Philosophical Thoughts in Quotes
"O God! I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space."
"To die: to sleep; no more."
"This above all: to thine own self be true."
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio."
"What a piece of work is man!"
"Words, words, words."
"For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come."
"I must be cruel, only to be kind."
"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all."
"There is a kind of confession in your looks."
"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind."
"Hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."
Friendship Quotes in Hamlet
"Give me that man that is not passion's slave and I will wear him in my heart's core."
"The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel."
"A man I am sure of; but for your housekeeping, let them stand for good intentions."
"If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart absent thee from felicity awhile."
"Friendship is constant in all other things."
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions."
"Do not forget: this visitation is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose."
"Hold, hold, my heart."
"Any person, merely by opening their mouth, might give a more acceptable answer."
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember."
"I shall win at the odds; but thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart."
"He that hath killed my king and whored my mother, popped in between the election and my hopes."
Tragic Quotes in Hamlet
"O, woe is me to have seen what I have seen, see what I see!"
"Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool nowhere but in's own house."
"I will speak daggers to her, but use none."
"O, my prophetic soul!"
"The time is out of joint."
"O cursed spite that I was ever born to set it right!"
"You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal."
"How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!"
"The spirit that I have seen may be the devil."
"Let it work, for 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard."
"Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet."
"O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven."
Final words
Shakespeare's "Hamlet" offers a timeless exploration of the human psyche through its intricate themes and unforgettable quotes. Each line, rich with meaning and emotion, offers a window into universal human experiences: existentialism, love, betrayal, the inevitability of death, madness, power, family dynamics, and the essence of friendship. These quotes from "Hamlet" serve both as a mirror and a magnifying glass into the depth of human nature, illuminating our darkest fears and our most cherished hopes. As we continue to revisit these lines, we find them echoing the complexities of contemporary life, reminding us of our age-old truths and struggles. Whether you are wrestling with moral dilemmas or reflecting on relationships, the wisdom in Hamlet's words provides solace and guidance. Let these powerful quotes inspire and provoke thought, allowing you to find your own interpretations and connections to Shakespeare's immortal words.
