Flashcards
Hamlet Quotes
Cards in this deck (40)
- 1Who's there?-Barnardo
First line of the play - beginning with a question. Begins in the middle of a scene (in medias res).
Uncertainty/Identity/Perception - 2That if again by this apparition come, he may approve our eyes and speak to it.-Marcellus
Believing by what we see or seeing what we want to believe. Significance of speaking.
Other connection: Confirmation bias - Hamlet wants to see his father.
Perception/Belief/Words/Speech - 3This bodes some strange eruption to our state.-Horatio
Violent imagery of destruction. Foreshadows individual state of being and the state of the Danish nation.
Action/Consequence/Conflict/Built Up - 4...young Fortinbras of unimproved mettle, hot and full...-Horatio
Contrast between Hamlet and Fortinbras' (undisciplined energy) character. Challenging or questioning the roles of princes.
Authority/Identity/Acting/Roles/Perception - 5...it started like a guilty thing...-Horatio
Is the ghost guilty? Implies being conscious of consequences. Our actions and appearance reveal our true intentions and disposition.
Intentions/Perception/Justice/Consequence - 6...discretion fought with nature-Claudius
Held back from things we ought to do (based on the judgement of others?). Claudius not properly grieving, encouraging the same in others.
Action/Oppression/Pressure/Authority - 7The head is not more native to the heart, the hand more instrumental to the mouth.-Claudius
Linking thought to emotion, action to word. Actions should act out our words in a balance of thoughtful and emotional discernment.
Words/Action/Thought/Emotion - 8A little more than kin, and less than kind.-Hamlet
Establishing expectations of Hamlet with a pun.
Expectations/Reality/Words - 9...fruitful river in the eye...-Hamlet
River as a symbol for grief, fruit as a symbol for productivity. River causes fruit to grow. The healing processed through grief is natural, helpful and productive.
Nature/Grief/Healing - 10Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, that denote me truly. These indeed seem, for they are actions that a man might play.-Hamlet
Considering the authenticity of grief. We are defined by the emotions we feel. Actions aren't genuine but 'acted'.
Grief/Identity/Acting - 11O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew-Hamlet
Ice is unmoving, showing inaction. Hamlet has to change state in order to move. Needs warmth from others? Resolution from acting
Inaction/Resolution - 12'tis an unweeded garden Something is rotten in the state of Denmark-Hamlet
-Marcellus
Referring to Denmark as a flawed garden (decay). There are things growing that shouldn't be. This is a continuing process, overtaking.
Nature/Corruption/Growth/Decay - 13Frailty, thy name is woman Here's metal more attractive-Hamlet
Perception and opinion of women. Expected roles. Women as material objects.
Roles/Expectation/Gender Roles - 14I must hold my tongue-Hamlet
Implying that words are an action in themselves, causing consequence.
Action/Words/Obligation - 15Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportion'd thought his act.-Polonius
It's important to have a filter for your thoughts and for your actions through your thoughts. Contrast with Hamlet who frequently voices his thoughts - opposing other characters.
Action/Words/Speech/Expectations - 16Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers.-Polonius
Mistrust of words. Action speaks louder than words because words are fragile. Ironically using words to critique words.
Words/Speech/Trust/Truth - 17I do not set my life at a pin's fee-Hamlet
Doesn't value his life very much. Potential result of grief.
Life/Death/Value - 18He waxes desperate with imagination-Horatio
Desire for something unreal. Life isn't satisfying.
Life/Death/Reality - 19That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain-Hamlet
What we see isn't always true. Appearances are deceiving. Comment on hers and villains.
Perception/Truth - 20These are but wild and whirling words-Horatio
Connecting words to action or words alone are worth enough without action.
Words/Action - 21He seem'd to find his way without his eyes, for out o'doors he went without their helps.-Ophelia
Appearance. Others see us even when we fail to see ourselves clearly. Action doesn't require logical perception though it would ensure sensible action.
Reality/Identity/Grief/Madness/Action - 22This is the very ecstasy of love, whose violent property...leads the will to desperate undertakings.-Polonius
The violent nature of love causes us to act illogically and desperately. Warning to Ophelia about Hamlet - could reference Hamlet and his father.
Love/Action - 23Sith nor th'exterior nor the inward man resembles that it was.-Claudius
Grief and madness transform both our inner and outer selves. Recognised by those around us.
Change/Perception/Appearance/Reality/
Misalignment/Grief/Madness - 24Why day is day, night night and time is time-Polonius
Language without true meaning is pointless. Language isn't intended to state the obvious.
Words/Meaning - 25For to define true madness, what is't but to be nothing else but mad?-Polonius
Searching for meaning is irrelevant and creates the opposite effect.
Madness/Meaning - 26More matter with less art-Gertrude
Art doesn't hold truth and therefore doesn't matter. Madness could be art with less matter. Too many words creates a loss of meaning and precision. Too many words in the play itself?
Words/Truth/Art/Madness/Meaning - 27Except my life, except my life, except my life-Hamlet
Repletion similar to 'words, words, words'. Nihilistic, loss of meaning in loss of meaning for life. Close to 'accept'. He isn't accepting of his life, it dissatisfies him.
Life/Death/Meaning - 28The very substance of ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.-Guildenstern
An ambitious man achieves no more than a shadow of what he dreamed of.
Dreams/Meaning/Perception - 29A dream itself is but a shadow-Hamlet
Darkness instead of hope found in dreams. There isn't anything truly tangible in life.
Life/Death/Dreams/Shadows - 30Yet I...can say nothing...am I a coward?-Hamlet
The inability to speak out is a form of cowardice. It is in fact braver to act. Fear in relation to self preservation is shallow.
Action/Speech/Perception/Cowardice - 31Must like a whore unpack my heart with words-Hamlet
The only way to express himself is to speak - the power of words. It is shameful and exposing to offer one's feelings.
Speech/Words/Expression - 32For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ.-Hamlet
Actions speak louder than words for they have the capacity to be much more drastic.
Actions/Words/Speech - 33To die, to sleep; to sleep perchance to dream--Hamlet
Comparing death to sleep and dreaming. Elevating death as an escape from life - peaceful, reviving.
Life/Death/Inaction/Dreams - 34Thus conscious does make cowards of us all-Hamlet
Overthinking holds us back from taking action and clouds natural resolution/instinct. Deliberates about Claudius and doesn't act, doesn't think and kills Polonius by accident. Our true nature is scary and wild and needs a conscious.
Action/Cowardice/Thought - 35...commencement of his grief sprung from neglected love-Polonius
Lack of love causes grief. Love is powerful.
Love/Grief - 36Suit the action to the word, the word to the action-Hamlet
Words and action. One causes the other but not always in the same order. Hamlet may not be obeying his own philosophy. Could be Hamlet's method of acting mad.
Action/Words/Acting - 37the purpose of playing...is to hold as t'were the mirror up to nature-Hamlet
The purpose of art is to reflect life and nature accurately. Causes us to consider what both Hamlet and Shakespeare are showing us through their art.
Art/Storytelling/Acting/Nature - 38Revenge should have no bounds-Claudius
Revenge is dangerous and uncontrollable. When acting from revenge, we lose our own boundaries.
Revenge/Action - 39The readiness is all-Hamlet
Hamlet's obsession with timing.
Timing/Action/Thought - 40antic disposition most foul, strange and unnatural words, words, words a crafty madnessDeeper context
Information
- Description
- NCEA Level 3 English (3.1 - Written Text) Flashcards on Hamlet Quotes, created by rachelouise01 on 08/09/2015.
- Created by
- rachelouise01
- Views
- 52
- Rating