famous hamlet quotes

Old English Text

“To be, or not to be: that is the question.” Hamlet quote (Act III, Sc. I)

“This above all: to thine own self be true.” Hamlet quote (Act I, Sc. III)

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” (Act II, Sc. II)

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking it makes it so.” (Act II, Sc. II)

Modern Text

“The question is: is it better to be alive or dead?” (Act III, Sc. I)

“And, above all, be true to yourself.” (Act I, Sc. III)

“There is a method to his craziness”

“Nothing is really good or bad, it is just what someone thinks about it.”

The quote, “The question is: is it better to be alive or dead?” is extremely important to our play. All throughout the play Hamlet is depressed over his father’s death and his family’s situation and is contemplating suicide. Hamlet is very upset and feels betrayed because his mother re-married his father’s brother less than a month after his father’s death. Hamlet is thinking that it will be better to commit suicide and just escape the whole situation. The second quote, “And, above all, be true to yourself,” is said when Polonius is giving advice to his son, Laerters. Polonius is warning him to always stay true to himself and not let others affect him or change who he is. “There is method to his craziness” is important to the play because Hamlet seems to be losing his mind throughout the whole play but Polonius understands that he is still being logical and is thinking through things. “Nothing is really good or bad, it is just what someone thinks about it” is another famous quote. It is significant to the play because the characters have a lot of different opinions in the play and it’s their different opinions on people that affect who are friends or foes.