Critics' Quotes: Hamlet
Von Goethe: Religion
"All duties seem holy for Hamlet"
Swinburne: Hamlet's character
"The single characteristic of Hamlet's innermost nature is by no means irresolution or
hesitation...but rather the strong conflux of contending forces."
Bradley: Religion
"Hamlet is unable to carry out the sacred duty, imposed by divine authority, of punishing
an evil man by death"
Samuel Johnson: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is...rather an instrument than an agent"
Coleridge: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is obliged to act on the spur of the moment"
Wilson Knight: Claudius is a good King
"Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal...He is..a good and gentle king,
enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime."
Wilson Knight: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is an element of evil in the state of Denmark"
Alexander: Human aggression
"The play does not offer any conclusions about what is the right response to the
questions it poses about human aggression"
Belsey: Revenge
"Revenge is not justice. It is rather an act of injustice on behalf of justice"
Belsey: Justice
"Revenge is always in excess of justice"
Belsey: Morals
"Revenge exists on a margin between justice and crime"
Wilson Knight: Hamlet's Morality
"He [Hamlet] is in fact the poison in the veins of the community"
Alexander: Vengeance
"The desire for vengeance is seen as part of a continuing pattern of human conduct"
Alexander: Audience Reaction
"The audience are entertained because they are asked to see, feel and understand a
little more about the hidden springs of action"
Rebecca Smith: Polonius' character
"Polonius seems to love his children; he seems to have the welfare of the kingdom in
mind. His means of actions, however, are totally corrupt"
Rebecca Smith: Polonius and Ophelia's relationship
"Trained his daughter to be obedient and chaste and is able to use her as a piece of bait
for spying"
Marilyn French: R&G
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sacrifice the bond of human friendship to a coial
propriety"
Showalter: Ophelia's character
Von Goethe: Religion
"All duties seem holy for Hamlet"
Swinburne: Hamlet's character
"The single characteristic of Hamlet's innermost nature is by no means irresolution or
hesitation...but rather the strong conflux of contending forces."
Bradley: Religion
"Hamlet is unable to carry out the sacred duty, imposed by divine authority, of punishing
an evil man by death"
Samuel Johnson: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is...rather an instrument than an agent"
Coleridge: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is obliged to act on the spur of the moment"
Wilson Knight: Claudius is a good King
"Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal...He is..a good and gentle king,
enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime."
Wilson Knight: Hamlet's character
"Hamlet is an element of evil in the state of Denmark"
Alexander: Human aggression
"The play does not offer any conclusions about what is the right response to the
questions it poses about human aggression"
Belsey: Revenge
"Revenge is not justice. It is rather an act of injustice on behalf of justice"
Belsey: Justice
"Revenge is always in excess of justice"
Belsey: Morals
"Revenge exists on a margin between justice and crime"
Wilson Knight: Hamlet's Morality
"He [Hamlet] is in fact the poison in the veins of the community"
Alexander: Vengeance
"The desire for vengeance is seen as part of a continuing pattern of human conduct"
Alexander: Audience Reaction
"The audience are entertained because they are asked to see, feel and understand a
little more about the hidden springs of action"
Rebecca Smith: Polonius' character
"Polonius seems to love his children; he seems to have the welfare of the kingdom in
mind. His means of actions, however, are totally corrupt"
Rebecca Smith: Polonius and Ophelia's relationship
"Trained his daughter to be obedient and chaste and is able to use her as a piece of bait
for spying"
Marilyn French: R&G
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sacrifice the bond of human friendship to a coial
propriety"
Showalter: Ophelia's character
