Key Quotations (Edexcel A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes

Key Quotations

Act 1

"Seems, madam! Nay, it is; I know not "seems."

• Hamlet responds to his mother Gertrude's question about why he seems so dismayed.
• This quote highlights the difference between appearance and reality, a central theme in the play. Hamlet asserts that his sadness is genuine, not just an outward performance.
• Key themes: Appearance vs. reality, grief, honesty.

"O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew."

• Hamlet expresses his desire to escape his troubles through death.
• The metaphor of flesh melting and thawing emphasises Hamlet's deep sorrow and his wish for his physical and emotional burdens to dissolve.
• Key themes: Death, despair, transience.

"Frailty, thy name is woman!"

• Hamlet condemns his mother Gertrude for her quick remarriage.

• This generalisation about women reflects Hamlet's feelings of betrayal and his broader misogynistic views. It highlights his disappointment and anger towards his mother.

• Key themes: Misogyny, betrayal, family.

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."

• Hamlet criticises the rapid marriage of his mother to Claudius following his father's death.
• The imagery of funeral meats being reused for the wedding feast underscores the haste and insensitivity of the marriage, suggesting a lack of respect for his father's memory.
• Key themes: Death, disrespect, marriage.

"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."

• Polonius advises his son Laertes before he departs for France.
• Though this advice seems earnest, it is ironic given Polonius's duplicitous nature. It underscores the theme of appearance vs. reality.
• Key themes: Honesty, integrity, appearance vs. reality.

Act 2

"What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty!"

• Hamlet reflects on the nature of humanity while speaking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
• The speech contrasts human potential and nobility with Hamlet's disillusionment and sense of meaninglessness.
• Key themes: Human nature, disillusionment, existentialism.

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."

• Polonius comments on Hamlet's seemingly insane behaviour.
• This line suggests that Hamlet's madness may have a rational purpose, highlighting the theme of appearance vs. reality.
• Key themes: Madness, strategy, appearance vs. reality.

"The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

• Hamlet plans to use a play to confirm Claudius's guilt.
• This quote underscores Hamlet's strategic use of performance to uncover the truth, blending themes of theatre, reality, and deception.
• Key themes: Revenge, truth, performance.

"O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!"

• Hamlet berates himself for not taking immediate action to avenge his father's murder.
• This soliloquy reveals Hamlet's frustration with his inaction and his self-loathing, deepening the theme of internal conflict.
• Key themes: Inaction, self-reflection, revenge.

"To be, or not to be: that is the question."

• Hamlet contemplates the nature of existence and the appeal of suicide.
• This soliloquy explores deep philosophical questions about life, death, and the human condition, emphasising Hamlet's existential crisis.
• Key themes: Existence, mortality, suffering.

Act 3

"Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?"

• Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to a convent, implying she should avoid relationships with men.
• The quote reveals Hamlet's disillusionment with women and relationships, reflecting his broader distrust and despair.
• Key themes: Misogyny, disillusionment, purity.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

• Gertrude comments on the Player Queen's overzealous declarations of fidelity.
• This line highlights the theme of appearance vs. reality and foreshadows Gertrude's potential insincerity.
• Key themes: Deception, performance, reality.

"O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven."

• Claudius confesses his guilt over murdering his brother.
• The metaphor of a foul smell illustrates the depth of Claudius's crime and his awareness of its moral and spiritual consequences.
• Key themes: Guilt, sin, corruption.

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: / Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

• Claudius acknowledges that his prayers are insincere.
• This line highlights the conflict between appearance and reality, showing that Claudius's outward show of repentance lacks true remorse.
• Key themes: Hypocrisy, guilt, appearance vs. reality.

"I must be cruel, only to be kind."

• Hamlet explains to his mother that his harsh words are meant to help her.
• This paradoxical statement underscores the complex nature of Hamlet's actions and his struggle to balance morality with his quest for revenge.
• Key themes: Conflict, morality, familial relationships.

Act 4

"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, / But in battalions."

• Claudius remarks on the overwhelming nature of grief and misfortune.
• This metaphor highlights the cumulative and devastating impact of tragedy on the characters, particularly Ophelia's madness and Polonius's death.
• Key themes: Grief, tragedy, suffering.

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow / of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."

• Hamlet reflects on mortality while holding the skull of Yorick, the court jester.
• The skull symbolises the inevitability of death and the futility of life, deepening Hamlet's existential musings.
• Key themes: Mortality, memory, existentialism.

"Sweets to the sweet: farewell!"

• Gertrude scatters flowers on Ophelia's grave.
• This phrase juxtaposes the sweetness of flowers with the sorrow of death, highlighting the tragedy of Ophelia's demise.
• Key themes**:** Death, mourning, innocence.

"The rest is silence."

• Hamlet's final words before dying.
• This statement signifies the end of Hamlet's struggles and the culmination of the play's exploration of mortality and the afterlife.
• Key themes: Death, silence, resolution.

"Good night, sweet prince, / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"

• Horatio bids farewell to Hamlet after his death.
• This quote conveys the depth of Horatio's loyalty and friendship, offering a poignant and hopeful conclusion to Hamlet's tragic story.
• Key themes: Friendship, death, peace.