I need Help deciphering these Hamlet Quotes *Please Help*

[LilBoom]

here are the quotes " Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth" - Polonius (2,1 Line 70)

"that hath made him mad" -Polonius (2,2 line 125)

"Thanks Rosencrantz and Gentle Guildenstern" -King (2,2 line 35)
"Thanks Guildenstern and Gentle Rosencrantz" - Queen(2,2 line 35)

"It might please you to give wuite pass/through your dominions"- Voltemand (2,2 Line 84)

" More matter less Art"-Queen (2,2 line 103)
"Though this be madness, yet there is method In't" - Polonius (2,2 line 220)

"Denmark's A prison"-Hamlet (2,2 line 262)

"I am mad but North-North west" -Hamlet (2,2 line 402)

"They Are the Abstract and Brief chronicles of the time" -Hamlet (2,2, line 550)

"what's Hecuba to him, or he to (hecuba) "-Hamlet (2,2 line 586)

" The spirit i have seen/may be a devil"-Hamlet (2,2 line 628)

"The Play's the thing" - Hamlet (2,2 line 635)

*note The legend for the location of the quote is as follows (act,scene,Line number) ok were good thanks to everyone who decides to help me!

What i need from these quotes 1: Speaker( I already put the speakers
2. Situation
3: dramatic importance to the play
please help me out i can even give you the direct line locations if you want but all these quotes are from act 2

someone help?

[chasestalling]

what are scene and lines of the 1st quote?

[Janine]

LilBloom, I can help. I will be back later, after my dinner...promise. I know 'Hamlet' well by now - have seen the play at least 25 times, listened to audio CD's and also read the play several times. I know what the lines mean - at least most of what you have quoted. Hang in there and I will return. Glad to be of help to you.

[chasestalling]

never mind.

"your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth"

polonius is urging reynaldo to slander his son in public with the result that the truth, that his son is nothing but the paragon of honor, will be published to the world at large and their sterling reputations as father and son confirmed.

this isn't unlike a parent at a pta meeting egging on the teacher to gush about his son or daughter.

[LilBoom]

LilBloom, I can help. I will be back later, after my dinner...promise. I know 'Hamlet' well by now - have seen the play at least 25 times, listened to audio CD's and also read the play several times. I know what the lines mean - at least most of what you have quoted. Hang in there and I will return. Glad to be of help to you.

oh thank you very much! i will give the lines to the quotes now to make it easier!

[LilBoom]

what are scene and lines of the 1st quote?

i edited it check it !

[JBI]

I'll just give you one - The King names the two wrong, mixing them up - in the third one, and is corrected by the Queen.

[LilBoom]

I'll just give you one - The King names the two wrong, mixing them up - in the third one, and is corrected by the Queen.

thanks for that!

[chasestalling]

"it might please you to give quiet pass/through your dominions"

voltimond is asking claudius free passage through denmark on behalf of the norwegian army which is going to poland to do battle.

if it wasn't for hamlet sr. (hamlet's dad) who beat norway, then denmark would be under norway's yoke throughout the play. hamlet jr. chides claudius for jeopardizing the benefits of his father's victory and at the end norway reclaims denmark when hamlet jr., not to mention the king and queen of denmark, die.

[LilBoom]

"it might please you to give quiet pass/through your dominions"

voltimond is asking claudius free passage through denmark on behalf of the norwegian army which is going to poland to do battle.

if it wasn't for hamlet sr. (hamlet's dad) who beat norway, then denmark would be under norway's yoke throughout the play. hamlet jr. chides claudius for jeopardizing the benefits of his father's victory and at the end norway reclaims denmark when hamlet jr., not to mention the king and queen of denmark, die.

thank you so much!

[LilBoom]

Anyone got anymore?

[Janine]

Lil Bloom, I finally got back; sorry to keep you waiting. I see others have come to your rescue...good. Her is my interpretation of the quotes

"that hath made him mad" -Polonius (2,2 line 125)

I believe here Polonius is speaking to the King and Queen and referring to Hamlet's recent actions as being one who is mad, due to being cut off from Ophelia by the urging of Polonius and his commands upon her to stop seeing Hamlet, who she has been seeing on intimate terms. Therefore Polonius (her father) feels that this has driven Hamlet to madness.


"Thanks Rosencrantz and Gentle Guildenstern" -King (2,2 line 35)
"Thanks Guildenstern and Gentle Rosencrantz" - Queen(2,2 line 35)

I believe this is a sort of tongue and cheek statement, whereby the Queen corrects the King on his observation of the two characters. She sees Rosencrantz as the gentle of the two.

Ok, let's see what I can do with these:

" More matter less Art"-Queen (2,2 line 103)

The Queen says this to the very long-winded Polonius - he likes to talk with florishes many times to try to impress everyone - she requires he speak the plain truth and not beat around the bush as to what he really is getting at concerning Hamlets and the relationship to his daughter and how that "hath made him mad"

"Though this be madness, yet there is method In't" - Polonius (2,2 line 220)

As Hamlet is talking or replying to Polonius he is indeed being quite crafty with his words and witty and there is deeper meaning in what he says or replies - Polonius recognises this and still thinking Hamlet 'mad' (insane), which is Hamlet's intention, he says 'there is method in his madness' - probably where the phrase came from "method in madness".

"Denmark's A prison"-Hamlet (2,2 line 262)

To Hamlet now Denmark is a kind of prison, he is imprisoned within his own grief and madness over his father's death, seeing his ghost and knowing he has been employed to advenge it and knowing also that he is no longer free in any way from what his responsibility as a son now means. Therefore, living under the rule of his murderous Uncle and mother who he feels has defiled her first husband, he feels he is in a prison.

"I am mad but North-North west" -Hamlet (2,2 line 402)

Not too sure about this line. I think it is just another example of Hamlet twisting his works in order to reply to Polonius. I believe before or after this are the lines about the buzz saw and the bird (was it an eagle's flight)...he says he knows the difference. Without looking them up I think this refers to the direction one is viewing his situation and from his perspective Hamlet knows he is not mad; from Polonius' perspective P believes he is insane. Anyone else have any ideas on this line? I am kind of guessing on this one. I have never been quite sure what it means.

"They Are the Abstract and Brief chronicles of the time" -Hamlet (2,2, line 550)

I thought this followed the speech "What a piece of work is man!", but now I don't think I am right. Is it right after the players meet Hamlet and recite? I am not sure which part of the play these lines come from. If you clue me in I can look it up and tell you better what it refers to?

"what's Hecuba to him, or he to (hecuba) "-Hamlet (2,2 line 586)

Hamlet says this in reference to the players and the head male player(actor) who becomes emotional over the grief in the play he is acting out the part from. In that play Hecuba's husband is killed and cut to pieces before his enemies; Hecuba sees this in the crowd as she hides the fact she is a queen. The player becomes totally impassioned as he acts through the lines and recites with tears in his eyes at the end. Hamlet them compares the actors relationship to Hecuba, whom he has no real relation to and to himself, Hamlet, who has lost a father to his uncle's supposed vicious behavior and his mother's possible support. Hamlet then goes into a long speech alone criticising himself for taking no action to remedy this or to advenge his father. He pits himself against the passion of the actor who shows such deep emotion. He sees himself as ineffectual, at this point and wavering, in carrying out his dead (ghostly) father's wishes to be avenged.

" The spirit i have seen/may be a devil"-Hamlet (2,2 line 628)

Hamlet and the others quest if the ghost was indeed a devil or other such creature and not to be trusted.

"The Play's the thing" - Hamlet (2,2 line 635)

The full line goes "The Play is the thing, in which to catch the conscience of the King."

By mimicing the crime his uncle has perpetrated on his father and the household, Hamlet is hoping to reveal, by the King's immediate and uncomforable actions/reactions that he is truly 'guilty' of the crime.

Hope this helps you understand the lines better.

[LilBoom]

Lil Bloom, I finally got back; sorry to keep you waiting. I see others have come to your rescue...good. Her is my interpretation of the quotes

"that hath made him mad" -Polonius (2,2 line 125)

I believe here Polonius is speaking to the King and Queen and referring to Hamlet's recent actions as being one who is mad, due to being cut off from Ophelia by the urging of Polonius and his commands upon her to stop seeing Hamlet, who she has been seeing on intimate terms. Therefore Polonius (her father) feels that this has driven Hamlet to madness.


"Thanks Rosencrantz and Gentle Guildenstern" -King (2,2 line 35)
"Thanks Guildenstern and Gentle Rosencrantz" - Queen(2,2 line 35)

I believe this is a sort of tongue and cheek statement, whereby the Queen corrects the King on his observation of the two characters. She sees Rosencrantz as the gentle of the two.

Ok, let's see what I can do with these:

" More matter less Art"-Queen (2,2 line 103)

The Queen says this to the very long-winded Polonius - he likes to talk with florishes many times to try to impress everyone - she requires he speak the plain truth and not beat around the bush as to what he really is getting at concerning Hamlets and the relationship to his daughter and how that "hath made him mad"

"Though this be madness, yet there is method In't" - Polonius (2,2 line 220)

As Hamlet is talking or replying to Polonius he is indeed being quite crafty with his words and witty and there is deeper meaning in what he says or replies - Polonius recognises this and still thinking Hamlet 'mad' (insane), which is Hamlet's intention, he says 'there is method in his madness' - probably where the phrase came from "method in madness".

"Denmark's A prison"-Hamlet (2,2 line 262)

To Hamlet now Denmark is a kind of prison, he is imprisoned within his own grief and madness over his father's death, seeing his ghost and knowing he has been employed to advenge it and knowing also that he is no longer free in any way from what his responsibility as a son now means. Therefore, living under the rule of his murderous Uncle and mother who he feels has defiled her first husband, he feels he is in a prison.

"I am mad but North-North west" -Hamlet (2,2 line 402)

Not too sure about this line. I think it is just another example of Hamlet twisting his works in order to reply to Polonius. I believe before or after this are the lines about the buzz saw and the bird (was it an eagle's flight)...he says he knows the difference. Without looking them up I think this refers to the direction one is viewing his situation and from his perspective Hamlet knows he is not mad; from Polonius' perspective P believes he is insane. Anyone else have any ideas on this line? I am kind of guessing on this one. I have never been quite sure what it means.

"They Are the Abstract and Brief chronicles of the time" -Hamlet (2,2, line 550)

I thought this followed the speech "What a piece of work is man!", but now I don't think I am right. Is it right after the players meet Hamlet and recite? I am not sure which part of the play these lines come from. If you clue me in I can look it up and tell you better what it refers to?

"what's Hecuba to him, or he to (hecuba) "-Hamlet (2,2 line 586)

Hamlet says this in reference to the players and the head male player(actor) who becomes emotional over the grief in the play he is acting out the part from. In that play Hecuba's husband is killed and cut to pieces before his enemies; Hecuba sees this in the crowd as she hides the fact she is a queen. The player becomes totally impassioned as he acts through the lines and recites with tears in his eyes at the end. Hamlet them compares the actors relationship to Hecuba, whom he has no real relation to and to himself, Hamlet, who has lost a father to his uncle's supposed vicious behavior and his mother's possible support. Hamlet then goes into a long speech alone criticising himself for taking no action to remedy this or to advenge his father. He pits himself against the passion of the actor who shows such deep emotion. He sees himself as ineffectual, at this point and wavering, in carrying out his dead (ghostly) father's wishes to be avenged.

" The spirit i have seen/may be a devil"-Hamlet (2,2 line 628)

Hamlet and the others quest if the ghost was indeed a devil or other such creature and not to be trusted.

"The Play's the thing" - Hamlet (2,2 line 635)

The full line goes "The Play is the thing, in which to catch the conscience of the King."

By mimicing the crime his uncle has perpetrated on his father and the household, Hamlet is hoping to reveal, by the King's immediate and uncomforable actions/reactions that he is truly 'guilty' of the crime.

Hope this helps you understand the lines better.

thank you very much i really hope karma will bring you good fortune in the future thanks alot! this really helps especially explaining the situation and dramatic importance to the play thank you!

[chasestalling]

"they are the abstract and brief chroniclers of the time"

hamlet's lauding the value of actors, their ability to mirror ourselves thereby serving to curb our foibles and passions.

[LilBoom]

thanks again!