English – Hamlet Quotes

1. Ophelia Quotes and character description English – Hamlet Quotes Ophelia Obeys her father and Laertes Her death symbolizes the being free of the manipulation that is forced upon her Represents femininity (innocence) What the Elizabethan audience expects of a women Foil character to Hamlet for madness, does as she is told, whereas Hamlet does not follow Also a Foil to Gertrude Quotes "I do not know, my lord, what should I think" " I shall obey my lord" "I did repel his letters and denied, His access to me." "Do not believe his vows" - Polonius "I was the more deceived" "Oh, what a noble mind is here overthrown" 2. Claudius quotes "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below, words without thoughts never go to heaven" He feels his words are meaningless "How is it that the clouds still hang on you" Talking to hamlet about his depression Telling him to stop moping "tis sweet and commendable in your nature Hamlet, to gives these mourning duties to your father Highlight hamlets weakness Telling hamlet to move on "Tis unmanly grief, it shows a will most incorrect to heaven" 3. Queen (Gertrude) Quotes 4. Fortinbras Quotes and description This grief is sinful because the king sits above God and Hamlet must move forward "How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience" "O heavy deed" Murder of the king "O, speak to me no more! These words like daggers enter in mine ears" Display she doesn't know about the murder "Fragility, thy name is women" - Hamlet He says that all women are weak Situational irony (hamlet is the weaker one as he cannot do anything after his father's death, where his mother moves on) Marriage of convenience to ensure that Denmark has a strong king "Do not forever with thy veiled lids seek for thy Nobel father in the dust" Gertrude is practical as she does things for the good of all Women are overlooked and undervalued Hamlet thinks that he mother doesn't care about his father Gertrude calls Hamlet out for not showing any strength "Let not thy mother loose her prayer Hamlet" Don't rush off Fortinbras Foil to Hamlet Impulsive and decisive Strengths - (inspiring war leader, active and successful) Takes action He possesses all of the qualities necessary to be a good king. He is reliable, trustworthy, a good decision maker, and a leader while the other candidates only possess some of those traits. Fortinbras is a clear choice over Claudius because of all his personality flaws. Quotes "Witness this army of such mass and charge Led by a delicate and tender prince, Whose spirit with divine ambition puffed Makes mouths at the invisible event" Saying he is ore of Fortinbras as he is acting decisively The way Fortinbras is represented as a Foil Character 5. Leartes Quotes "Bare Hamlet like a solider to the stage, For he was likely, had he been put on, to have proved most royally" Shows he has conscious Even though hamlet has acted in a bad way he is a Prince and he should be treated so Situational Irony (we expect he wold treat hamlet like an enemy and he hasn't been brave or a King for his people, but he gives him a burial) "For me with sorrow, I embrace my fortune" Respectful of the death and loss and showing great leadership He uses the word sorrow, shows he is respectful He understand that he will be King of Denmark Talk about tone - attitude towards what is in front of him (both respectful and acknowledgement) He would be a good leader and he has morals/conscientious 6. Revenge / Honor Point 1: Hamlet avenging his fathers death Highlight that Hamlet is given the truth for what he has always suspected His father ghost asked him to seek revenge Hamlet does not take revenge for his father, and instead does not take action like Fortinbras Honourable but he does not act in an honourable way