hamlet revenge essay with quotes

20 'Hamlet' Revenge Quotes Explained For Students And Parents

Best Hamlet Revenge Quotes

Famous hamlet revenge quotes.

Hamlet is the longest play written by Shakespeare, with 30, 557 words. The story is set in Denmark.

Written between 1599 and 1601, 'Hamlet' is a Shakespeare tragedy . It follows Hamlet as he tries to exact vengeance on his uncle Claudius for murdering his father.

Adding to the tragedy, Claudius is his mother’s lover. But as a son, he must kill Claudius to avenge his father.

Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father for his throne and wife. Let us study these great 'Hamlet' quotes about revenge to get a better Hamlet character analysis. You'll come to know more about this play with the help of these quotes.

The story seems truly gripping, in every sense. If you like these quotes about revenge in 'Hamlet', check out [ 'Hamlet' madness quotes ] and 'King Lear' quotes .

These are some of the best Hamlet revenge quotes on Claudius from the play. These quotes by Shakespeare will truly impress you. Read on for 'Hamlet' revenge quotes in Act 1, 'Hamlet' revenge quotes in Act 2, 'Hamlet' revenge quotes in Act 4, 'Hamlet' revenge quotes Act 5 that will help you study and understand the play.

1. "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."

- The Ghost.

Hamlet determines to revenge the treacherous death of his father throughout the play.

2. "I dare damnation. To this point I stand, That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes, only I'll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father."

Laertes swears to find out who killed his father Polonius and avenge him.

3. “O, from this point forth my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”

Hamlet vows to think of nothing else but revenge against his uncle for killing his father.

4. “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying, / And now I’ll do’t. / And so he goes to heaven, / And so I am revenged. That would be scanned: / a villain kills my father, and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / to heaven.”

Hamlet finds a reason to not kill Claudius. He thinks killing Claudius while praying will send him to heaven and not hell.

5. “No place, indeed, should murder Sanctuarize; Revenge should have no bounds.”

- King Claudius.

King Claudius tells Laertes that revenge should have no bounds.

6. “What would he do, had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have?”

Hamlet is surprised at the passion the actor shows for Hecuba and implores everyone to imagine how he would react if he had the cause for feelings like him.

7. “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!

/ Is it not monstrous that this player here, / But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, / Could force his soul so to his own conceit / That from her working all his visage wann’d, / Tears in his eyes, distraction in’s aspect, / A broken voice, and his whole function suiting / With forms to his conceit?

and all for nothing!

/ For Hecuba!”

Hamlet insults himself for failing to avenge his father. He then shows surprise at the performance of an actor who pretends to cry over Hecuba.

8. "Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric. / I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery."

By letting his emotions get the better of himself, Laertes succeeds in avenging his father but at the cost of his own life.

9. “For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ.”

Hamlet determines to find out the truth about the death of his father.

10. “Haste me to know ’t, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge.”

Hamlets implies that he will take revenge as quickly as the mind can think.

11. “By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me.”

Hamlet says that he will make a ghost of anyone who tries to stop him from following the ghost.

12. “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.”

Hamlet agrees that women should just be themselves, look and act as they are.

Some more famous 'Hamlet' quotes about revenge are explained here. This play touched upon a lot of dramatic points, and has impressed people even centuries ahead of its time. Pick your favorite quotes from the best act and scene in the play.

13. “Leave her to heaven. And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, to prick and sting her.”

The ghost of Hamlet’s father returns and asks him to leave his mother be.

14. “Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.”

King Hamlet’s murder by Claudius is most foul because it is done in a sneaky way and it’s unnatural because a brother is supposed to love his brother, not kill him.

15. “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Hamlet says that nothing in this world is good or bad but what we think of it.

16. “Remember thee! Yea, from the table of my memory, I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records.”

He says he will wipe his mind of all the past fond memories and focus only on avenging his father.

17. “Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion!”

Hamlet says this to Claudius just before his death.

18. “Your worm is your only emperor for diet; we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots.”

Hamlet says that worms are the emperors of all diets. Just like we fatten up other creatures for our food, we fatten ourselves to be eaten by them upon our death.

19. “Though this be madness, yet there is a method in't.”

- Polonius.

Polonius implies that even though Hamlet is acting crazy, he is only pretending to be mad.

20. “I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.”

Hamlet is confused because he wants to kill his father’s murderer but doesn’t want to hurt his mother.

Here at Kidadl , we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Hamlet' revenge quotes explained for students and parents, then why not take a look at 'The Tempest' quotes and 'Twelfth Night' quotes ?

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Hamlet Revenge Quotes

Unhand me, gentlemen. By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me!

– William Shakespeare

So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

Haste me to know it, that I with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love May sweep to my revenge.

I find thee apt, And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, Wouldst thou not stir in this.

Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat In this distracted globe. Remember thee! Yea, from the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records.

The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right!

POLONIUS: Will you walk out of the air, my lord? HAMLET: Into my grave.

What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her?

A dull and muddy-mettled rascal.

Am I a coward? Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across.

Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain! O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I!

The play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king.

Come: ‘the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.’

‘Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood. And do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on.

Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do ‘t. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scann’d: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven.

This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

Dead, for a ducat, dead!

For this same lord, I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so, To punish me with this and this with me, That I must be their scourge and minister.

A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.

Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.

We go to gain a little patch of ground, That hath in it no profit but the name.

What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more… Sith I have cause and will and strength and means To do ‘t… Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in a straw When honour’s at the stake. How stand I then, That have a father kill’d, a mother stain’d, Excitements of my reason and my blood, And let all sleep? while, to my shame, I see The imminent death of twenty thousand men, That, for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause.

How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.

One part wisdom and ever three parts coward.

How stand I then, That have a father kill’d, a mother stain’d, Excitements of my reason, and my blood, And let all sleep, while to my shame I see The imminent death of twenty thousand men, That for a fantasy and trick of fame Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause.

From this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!

That drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me bastard, Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlot Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brow Of my true mother.

How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with: To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand, That both the worlds, I give to negligence, Let come what comes; only I’ll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father.

Justice And Revenge In Hamlet

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The story revolves around Hamlet’s quest for revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father in order to take the throne. Hamlet is a tragedy, and as such, it raises questions about the nature of revenge and justice.

On the one hand, Hamlet is motivated by a desire for revenge. He wants to kill Claudius in order to avenge his father’s death. This desire for revenge is what drives Hamlet to commit murder himself. On the other hand, Hamlet also feels that it is his duty to bring Claudius to justice. He wants to make sure that Claudius pays for his crime, and he does not want anyone else to suffer because of Claudius’s actions.

Hamlet is torn between these two impulses, and he struggles to decide what is the right thing to do. In the end, Hamlet chooses revenge over justice, and he kills Claudius. However, this choice comes at a great cost. Hamlet dies in the process, and his death brings about the downfall of Denmark.

So, what can we learn from Hamlet? Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to tell us that revenge is not always the best course of action. Or maybe he is trying to say that while revenge may be satisfying, it ultimately leads to more pain and suffering. Either way, Hamlet provides us with a complex portrait of the human condition, and raises important questions about the nature of justice and revenge.

Hamlet’s aims fluctuate between revenge and justice throughout the play, with this interior debate determining how events unfold. Revenge motivates Hamlet as his initial aim in his quest for vindication of his father’s death. Later, Hamlet’s torn sensibility and concern for justice are revealed in Soliloquy. Hamlet’s ability to act against Claudius is hampered as a result of this internal conflict. Only when Hamlet faces his own procrastination does inaction cease.

Hamlet swings towards his newfound realization that in order for justice to be carried out, Claudius’ wrongs must be righted through Hamlet’s own death. In the end, Hamlet chooses justice over revenge and both he and Claudius die.

Revenge is Hamlet’s dominant motive throughout much of the play. From the very beginning of the play, Hamlet is marked by his desire to avenge his father’s murder. Hamlet is unable to act on this feeling, however, because he is uncertain of Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet delay’s his revenge until he has absolute certainty that Claudius killed his father which leads him into a downward spiral as he attempts to Hamlet’s delay in revenge is caused by his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt.

Hamlet’s soliloquies reveal his Hamlet’s thoughts and feelings to the audience, providing insight that would otherwise be unavailable. In Hamlet’s second soliloquy, Hamlet bemoans his inaction, cursing himself as a “dull and muddy-mettled rascal” (II.ii.560). Hamlet recognizes his own faults and weakness, yet he is still unable to take action against Claudius. Hamlet is again torn between his desire for revenge and his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt, caught in a limbo between the two emotions.

However, Hamlet’s inaction is not simply caused by his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet is also motivated by a desire for justice. Hamlet does not want to kill Claudius without just cause, as that would make Hamlet no better than a murderer himself. Hamlet wants Claudius to be punished for his crimes, but he also wants Claudius to suffer the same type of pain and anguish that he has been feeling since his father’s death.

Hamlet’s soliloquies make it clear that he is struggling with this internal conflict. In Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy, he contemplates suicide as a way to escape the pain and suffering that he has been experiencing. Hamlet is not sure whether death is the answer, but he recognizes that death may be preferable to the life that he is currently living. Hamlet is still motivated by his desire for revenge, but he is also motivated by his sense of justice.

Hamlet does not fully realize it until later in the play, but his desire for revenge and justice are actually two sides of the same coin. Hamlet wants Claudius to be punished for his crimes, and he wants Claudius to suffer as much as he has suffered.

Hamlet’s ultimate goal is to see that justice is done. Hamlet finally realizes this near the end of the play, when he decides to take action against Claudius even though he knows that it will lead to his own death. Hamlet’s decision to kill Claudius is motivated by his desire for justice, not revenge. Hamlet knows that he will die in the process, but he also knows that it is the only way to ensure that Claudius is punished for his crimes. Hamlet’s final act is one of justice, not revenge.

While Hamlet’s initial motivation is revenge, he eventually realizes that justice is more important. Hamlet’s journey from revenge to justice is a long and difficult one, but it is ultimately a successful one. Hamlet chooses to sacrifi ce himself in order to ensure that Claudius is punished for his crimes. In doing so, Hamlet ensures that justice is done. Hamlet’s story is a reminder that justice is more important than revenge.

Hamlet triumphs over his internal debate by combining opposed forces and justifying vengeance from the inside out. Hamlet’s will isn’t initially strong enough to act only on revenge. Even though Hamlet promised he would be “swift” and “sweep to my revenge,” he admits in the “rogue and peasant slave” soliloquy that he has been “unpregnant of my cause.” It is not until Hamlet grows weary of his own passivity that he begins to question Claudius’ culpability.

Hamlet’s procrastination is due to his conscience, which reminds Hamlet that murder is a sin. Hamlet must find a way to take revenge without becoming a sinner himself. Hamlet then decides that it is better to kill Claudius in public and suffer the consequences than to privately damning Claudius, who would go unpunished in the eyes of God.

Hamlet also justifies taking revenge as a form of justice as he believes that Claudius deserves to die for murdering Hamlet’s father and marrying Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet’s internal struggle between doing what is morally right and satisfying his thirst for revenge ultimately leads him to commit murder.

Revenge is often seen as an act that is motivated by anger and hatred. Hamlet is no different as he wants to revenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet is also motivated by a sense of justice as he believes that Claudius deserves to be punished for his crimes. Hamlet’s inner struggle culminates in him committing murder, which can be seen as both an act of revenge and an act of justice.

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William Shakespeare

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Every society is defined by its codes of conduct—its rules about how to act and behave. In  Hamlet , the codes of conduct are largely defined by religion and an aristocratic code that demands honor—and revenge if honor has been soiled. As the play unfolds and Hamlet (in keeping with his country’s spoken and unspoken) rules) seeks revenge for his father’s murder, he begins to realize just how complicated vengeance, justice, and honor all truly are. As Hamlet plunges deeper and deeper into existential musings, he also begins to wonder about the true meaning of honor—and Shakespeare ultimately suggests that the codes of conduct by which any given society operates are, more often than not, muddy, contradictory, and confused.

As Hamlet begins considering what it would mean to actually get revenge—to actually commit murder—he begins waffling and languishing in indecision and inaction. His inability to act, however, is not necessarily a mark of cowardice or fear—rather, as the play progresses, Hamlet is forced to reckon very seriously with what retribution and violence in the name of retroactively reclaiming “honor” or glory actually accomplishes. This conundrum is felt most profoundly in the middle of Act 3, when Hamlet comes upon Claudius totally alone for the first time in the play. It is the perfect opportunity to kill the man uninterrupted and unseen—but Claudius is on his knees, praying. Hamlet worries that killing Claudius while he prays will mean that Claudius’s soul will go to heaven. Hamlet is ignorant of the fact that Claudius, just moments before, was lamenting that his prayers for absolution are empty because he will not take action to actually repent for the violence he’s done and the pain he’s caused. Hamlet is paralyzed in this moment, unable to reconcile religion with the things he’s been taught about goodness, honor, duty, and vengeance. This moment represents a serious, profound turning point in the play—once Hamlet chooses not to kill Claudius for fear of unwittingly sending his father’s murderer to heaven, thus failing at the concept of revenge entirely, he begins to think differently about the codes, institutions, and social structures which demand unthinking vengeance and religious piety in the same breath. Because the idea of a revenge killing runs counter to the very tenets of Christian goodness and charity at the core of Hamlet’s upbringing—regardless of whether or not he believes them on a personal level—he begins to see the artifice upon which all social codes are built.

The second half of the play charts Hamlet’s descent into a new worldview—one which is very similar to nihilism in its surrender to the randomness of the universe and the difficulty of living within the confines of so many rules and standards at one time. As Hamlet gets even more deeply existential about life and death, appearances versus reality, and even the common courtesies and decencies which define society, he exposes the many hypocrisies which define life for common people and nobility alike. Hamlet resolves to pursue revenge, claiming that his thoughts will be worth nothing if they are anything but “bloody,” but at the same time is exacting and calculating in the vengeances he does secure. He dispatches with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern , charged with bringing him to England for execution, by craftily outwitting them and sending them on to their own deaths. He laments to Horatio that all men, whether they be Alexander the Great or a common court jester, end up in the same ground. Finally, he warns off Horatio’s warning about dueling Laertes by claiming that he wants to leave his fate to God. Hamlet’s devil-may-care attitude and his increasingly reckless choices are the result of realizing that the social and moral codes he’s clung to for so long are inapplicable to his current circumstances—and perhaps more broadly irrelevant.

Hamlet is a deeply subversive text—one that asks hard, uncomfortable questions about the value of human life, the indifference of the universe, and the construction of society, culture, and common decency. As Hamlet pursues his society’s ingrained ideals of honor, he discovers that perhaps honor means something very different than what he’s been raised to believe it does—and confronts the full weight of society’s arbitrary, outdated expectations and demands.

Religion, Honor, and Revenge ThemeTracker

Religion, Honor, and Revenge Quotes in Hamlet

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

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.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

O, villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!

O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form, in moving how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

The play’s the thing, Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

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

We defy augury. There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all.

Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Hamlet and Revenge

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What is arguably Shakespeare 's greatest play, "Hamlet,"​ is often understood to be a revenge tragedy, but it is quite an odd one at that. It is a play driven by a protagonist who spends most of the play contemplating revenge rather than exacting it.

Hamlet’s inability to avenge the murder of his father drives the plot and leads to the deaths of most of the major characters , including Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. And Hamlet himself is tortured by his indecision and his inability to kill his father's murderer, Claudius, throughout the play.

When he finally does exact his revenge and kills Claudius, it is too late for him to derive any satisfaction from it; Laertes has struck him with a poisoned foil and Hamlet dies shortly after. Take a closer look at the theme of revenge in Hamlet.

Action and Inaction in Hamlet

To highlight Hamlet’s inability to take action, Shakespeare includes other characters capable of taking resolute and headstrong revenge as required. Fortinbras travels many miles to take his revenge and ultimately succeeds in conquering Denmark; Laertes plots to kill Hamlet to avenge the death of his father, Polonius.

Compared to these characters, Hamlet’s revenge is ineffectual. Once he decides to take action, he delays any action until the end of the play. It should be noted that this delay is not uncommon in Elizabethan revenge tragedies. What makes "Hamlet" different from other contemporary works is the way in which Shakespeare uses the delay to build Hamlet’s emotional and psychological complexity. The revenge itself ends up being almost an afterthought, and in many ways, is anticlimactic. 

Indeed, the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy is Hamlet's debate with himself about what to do and whether it will matter. Though the piece begins with his pondering suicide, Hamlet's desire to avenge his father becomes clearer as this speech continues. It's worth considering this soliloquy in its entirety. 

To be, or not to be- that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep- No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die- to sleep. To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There's the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death- The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn No traveler returns- puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action.- Soft you now! The fair Ophelia!- Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins rememb'red.

Over the course of this eloquent musing on the nature of self and death and what actions he should take, Hamlet remains paralyzed by indecision.

How Hamlet's Revenge is Delayed

Hamlet’s revenge is delayed in three significant ways. First, he must establish Claudius’ guilt, which he does in Act 3, Scene 2 by presenting the murder of his father in a play. When Claudius storms out during the performance, Hamlet becomes convinced of his guilt.

Hamlet then considers his revenge at length, in contrast to the rash actions of Fortinbras and Laertes. For example, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius in Act 3, Scene 3. He draws his sword but is concerned that Claudius will go to heaven if killed while praying.

After killing Polonius, Hamlet is sent to England making it impossible for him to gain access to Claudius and carry out his revenge. During his trip, becomes more headstrong in his desire for revenge.

Although he does ultimately kill Claudius in the final scene of the play , it's not due to any scheme or plan by Hamlet, rather, it is Claudius’ plan to kill Hamlet that backfires.

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Hamlet Quotes

Is Hamlet the most quoted William Shakespeare play of all time? Quite possibly so, and with due reason!

As with so many of his plays, William Shakespeare brings the characters in Hamlet to life with memorable dialogue and some fantastic quotes. We’ve trawled the play to pull together these famous quotes from Hamlet

Read our selection of the very best Hamlet quotes below, along with speaker, act and scene:

“ O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt , Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!”

(Hamlet, act 1 scene 2)

“Listen to many, speak to a few.”

(Polonius, act 1 scene 3)

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.”

“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.”, “…though i am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance.”.

(Hamlet, act 1 scene 4)

“ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. “

(Marcellus, act 1 scene 4)

“That one may smile and smile and be a villain.”

(Hamlet, act 1 scene 5)

“ There are more things in heaven and earth , Horatio, Than are dreamt of in our philosophy .”

“ brevity is the soul of wit. “.

(Polonius, act 2 scene 2)

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”

“there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”.

(Hamlet, act 2 scene 2)

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

“doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt i love.”, “what a piece of work is a man how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty in form and moving how express and admirable in action how like an angel in apprehension how like a god the beauty of the world the paragon of animals and yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust man delights not me; no, nor woman neither; though by your smiling you seem to say so..”, “ to be, or not to be, that is the question .”.

(Hamlet, act 3 scene 1)

“God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another.”

“to die, to sleep – to sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there’s the rub, for in this sleep of death what dreams may come…”, “ the lady doth protest too much, methinks. “.

(Gertrude, act 3 scene 2)

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

(Claudius, act 3 scene 3)

“ I must be cruel only to be kind ; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.”

(Hamlet, act 3 scene 4)

“ How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge. “

(Hamlet, act 2 scene 4)

“ Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: A fellow of infinite jest. “

(Hamlet, act 5 scene 1)

“If it be now, ’tis not to come: if it be not to come, it will be now: if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all.”

(Hamlet, act 5 scene 2)

“The rest is silence.”

“goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”.

(Horatio, act 5 scene 2)

“Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. ”

We have separate pages dedicated to Hamlet soliloquys and Hamlet monologues , which include the text with an analysis of other famous Hamlet quotes, such as:

“ Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven “

(Spoken by Claudius, Act 3 Scene 3)

“ Now might I do it pat “

(Spoken by Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 3)

Are we missing any great William Shakespeare Hamlet quotes? Let us know your favourite quotes from Hamlet in the comments section below!

Read Hamlet quotes translated into modern English

See All Hamlet Resources

Hamlet | Hamlet summary | Hamlet characters : Claudius , Fortinbras , Horatio , Laertes , Ophelia . Osric , Polonius , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | Hamlet settings | Hamlet themes  | Hamlet in modern English | Hamlet full text | Modern Hamlet ebook | Hamlet for kids ebooks | Hamlet quotes | Hamlet quote translations | Hamlet monologues | Hamlet soliloquies | Hamlet performance history | All about ‘To Be Or Not To Be’

Shakespeare Quotes by Play

Hamlet Quotes | Henry V Quotes | Julius Caesar Quotes | King Lear Quotes | Macbeth Quotes | A Midsummer Night’s Dream Quotes | Much Ado About Nothing Quotes | Othello Quotes | Romeo and Juliet Quotes | The Tempest Quotes | Twelfth Night Quotes

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Not sure if I understood your question properly but it sound like: ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’ from Macbeth

Pansies , they are for thoughts . Rosemary for remembrance

I have forgotten the rest of the verse. over 60 years since i learned it

The dog will have his day. Undiscovered country Sweets to the sweet

Long live the king!

How could you forget that, my dear friends.

The play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Hamlet Revenge — Justice And Revenge In Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Justice and Revenge in Shakespeare's Hamlet

• Categories: Hamlet Hamlet Revenge William Shakespeare

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

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