Of Hamlet’s “transformation”—so call it

Since nor th' exterior nor the inward man

Resembles that it was. What it should be,

More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him

(Act 2, Scene 2, line 4-9)

1st CONTEXT
The king is discussing Hamlets sudden madness with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ask for their help

1st ANALYSIS
The king here alongside Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is curious of Hamlet's sudden change in character calling him “mad”. It is here that the theme of madness is introduced after Hamlets foreshadowing in the first act. The kings paranoia builds from here as he cannot find reason behind Hamlets change except for the reason of finding out the truth behind old Hamlet's death. 

2nd QUOTE
With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players

Play something like the murder of my father

Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks.

I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do blench,

I know my course. 

(Act 2, Scene 2, line 556-560)

2nd CONTEXT
Hamlets is talking to himself after discussing a play with polonius and the actors

2nd ANALYSIS
The introduction to the play and Hamlet's plan to confirm his beliefs of the true nature of his father's muder is vital to the story and its development, as it pushes Hamlet to do the things he does later in the play, as well as cause the events of the latter part of the story to happen. 

1st CONTEXT
The King has fled to his room after seeing the part of the play meant to bring out his guilt and Hamlet is happy with the results. 

1st ANALYSIS
Once the plan had succeeded to reveal his uncle's guilt Hamlet was visibly happy telling the musicians to play some music, what this tells us is that Claudias had hamlets hatred all along and that he is happy to have a reason to kill his uncle as opposed without having a guilty conscience. 

2nd QUOTE
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell.

I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.

Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger.

(Act 3, Scene 4, line 33-34)

2nd CONTEXT
Hamlets speaks about polonius after having killing him

2nd ANALYSIS
This quote shows how far-gone Hamlet is that even when killing a man that the did not mean to kill he insults the one he killed as if to give himself a reason for killing him. It is at this point we know undeniably that Hamlet would not hesitate if given the chance to kill his uncle as by killing a man and acting nonchalant afterwards shows his mental state. 

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.

(Act 4, Scene 4, line 31-34)

CONTEXT
Hamlet speaks to the Norwegian prince about how he is leading his men into a fight of over insignificant land and as they leave he speaks to himself

ANALYSIS
This quote shows us the audience that the end is near as the fact the hamlet is now in a rush to kill his uncles shows that the conclusion will come soon. What this shows use plot-wise is that the ghost's voice is in Hamlet’s head as in their previous encounter he told him to not waste any time.  

I am dead, Horatio.—Wretched queen, adieu!—

You that look pale and tremble at this chance,

(Act 5, Scene 2, line 326-329)

CONTEXT
Hamlet has finally killed the king and is ready to die alongside Laertes

ANALYSIS
This quote marks the end of the play with Hamlet's or the main character’s death. It shows that he is satisfied with the outcome and is ready to accept any consequence to his actions as was the need for him to get revenge. It also shows us that any plot of revenge never ends well. 

Yea, from the table of my memory

I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,

All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past”

(Act 1, Scene 5, line 95-100)

CONTEXT
The ghost has just left after discussing the true nature of his father's death with hamlet and hamlet is processing the situation out loud

ANALYSIS
In a sense this is a quote that represents the beginning of the end for Hamlet or the Inciting incident of his revenge. His journey begins with the profound determination shown here, to go as far as to to dedicate his life and being, to avenge his father and to kill one that his family and Denmark was fooled and done wrong by. 

(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on)

(Act 1, Scene 5, Line 171-172)

Context
Hamlet is talking to his friends after having talked to the ghost and is currently telling his friends not to speak of the ghost not matter the circumstance

Analysis
During the play Hamlet's madness is a key and vital theme to the plot however in the beginning of the story he warns his friends that he will act strangely and to do nothing if he does. the fact that he says this bring debate to whether he is really mad or not or if he was acting but slowly became mad because of the act and of the constant thoughts of murder. 

was a fishmonger. He is far gone. And truly, in my

youth, I suffered much extremity for love, very near

this.  (Act 2, scene 2, Line 205-208)

Context
This is Polonius reflecting after the conversation he had with Hamlet trying to find out the cause of his madness

Analysis
In this quote we see the first real confirmation by a character that Hamlet is made whether it is an act on Hamlet's part or not. This is important to the theme madness as it shows the character the severity of the issue and that it is not to be taken lightly as it was beforehand.

Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed,

Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse,

And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses

Or paddling in your neck with his damned fingers,

Make you to ravel all this matter out:

That I essentially am not in madness

But mad in craft.

(Act 3, Scene 4, Line 185-192)

Context
Hamlet after having killed Polonius is having a conversation with his mother about what she should do and how she should act towards the king

Analysis
In this quote Hamlet seems to be speaking to his mother in a no-mad way and tells her that by no means should she tell the king that he is faking his madness alongside a list of other things she should not do. This is particularly interesting as it makes the reader curious as to whether Hamlet is fooling himself and really is mad or has been acting this entire time. This is also interesting because afterward meaning she as far as we know she obeyed Hamlet however it could be she really thought him to be mad as she has reason to do so with the ghost that only he saw.

Yet the unshapèd use of it doth move

The hearers to collection. They yawn at it

And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts,

Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them,

Indeed would make one think there might be thought,

Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.

(Act 4, Scene 5, Line 7-13)

Context
The queen was refusing to talk to Ophelia but the gentleman says that she is insistent in her madness and follows by describing it  

Analysis
This quote speaks about Ophelia and her madness caused by her father's death. Her madness is clearly different from hamlets in the fact that hamlet was mad to the point that what he was speaking had meaning but only he could understand it however in Ophila’s case she was mad to the point the speech is nothing, there is no meaning behind the words as said by the gentlemen in the quote, showing us that perhaps Hamlet’s madness, how it does not interfere so much so that he can't continue to do things he normally would as that would make it harder to get revenge. This makes it possible that the extent of his madness was by design so it would not interfere with his revenge giving us more evidence that Hamlet was in fact not mad.

2nd Quote
KING CLAUDIUS

What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Mad as the sea and wind when both contend

Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit,

Behind the arras hearing something stir,

Whips out his rapier, cries 'A rat, a rat,'

And in this brainish apprehension, kills

The unseen good old man.

(Act 4, Scene 1, Line 6-12)

2nd Context
Act 4 begins with the king questions the queen for her mood and she continues to talk about their previous encounter where he killed Polonius

In this quote it shows the extent of Hamlet's madness to his family as he killed a man in his madness it is a clear and definite sign that action is to be taken before the situation falls out of control. As such this was the point of the story where Hamlet's madness to others was at its peak as after this hamlet's madness did not cause a greater consequence as it did here.

If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,

And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes,

Then Hamlet does it not. Hamlet denies it.

Who does it, then? His madness.

(Act 5, scene 2. Lines 213–217)

Context
Hamlet is apologizing to Laertes for the murder of his father before their fencing match

Analysis
Hamlet here apologies for killing Laertes’s father and blames it on his madness. This is interesting as nearing the end of the story Hamlet's madness was gone. He no longer shows himself as mad because his knowledge of the kings attempt on his life led him to believe that this was another attempt on his life and an opportunity for him to get his revenge. 

Or that the Everlasting had not fixed

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!

How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable

Seem to me all the uses of this world!

(Act 1, Scene 2, Line 130-134)

Context
Hamlet speaks to himself after a conversation with the queen and king

Analysis
This quote speaks of Hamlet's character after the meeting with the ghost. It shows us that after contemplating on revenge he no longer has the desire to live and that he only lives for his revenge. he also contemplates with suicide here and it shows us that he does not expect to live after his revenge has been seen through.

Quote
Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,

How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself

(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on),

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall—

With arms encumbered thus, or this headshake,

Or by pronouncing some doubtful phrase,I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet. These words are not mine.

(Act 1, Scene 5, Line 173-176)

Context
Hamlet has talked to the ghost and making sure that his friends don't tell anyone what happened

Analysis
What this shows us here when he says that “How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” meaning that he is saying that he knows that people would see him as mad in the future and is is doing so on purpose to bring his prey closer to him. We know that Hamlet is a smart man and is good at acting and as such it is logical to assume that he is capable of this.

Quote
CLAUDIUS

How fares our cousin Hamlet?

HAMLET

Excellent, i' faith, of the chameleon’s dish. I eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.

CLAUDIUS

I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet. These words are not mine.

(Act 3, Scene 2, Line 85-88)

Context
Hamlet and King Caudius have a conversation before the play
Analysis
In this quote we see that Hamlet answered Claudias’s greetings in an absurd way almost mocking the fact that he was greeting him. from this and based off his rational speech towards other after this we can clearly see that hamlet is acting and under normal circumstances would not return a greeting in such a manner

Quote
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

(Act 3, Scene 1, Line 57-63

Context
Hamlet walks into the room speaking to himself

Analysis
The famous monologue of Hamlet debating whether he would rather be alive or dead or To be, or not to be speaks of his state of mind. The fact that he when he talks to himself speaks in such a manner speaks to if he is really acting when he acts in a “mad” manner. As for the speech itself in it he speaks of “outrageous fortune” such as his own as such it is safe to assume that through this debate of suicide that he was not 100% intent on killing his uncle as taking his revenge was his outrageous fortune.

Quote
“Remember thee!

Yea, from the table of my memory

I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,

All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past”

(Act 1, Scene 5, line 95-100)

Context
The ghost has just left and hamlet is processing the situation out loud

Analysis
How this quote speaks of Hamlet's character is that this is the beginning of the whole story and it describes how determined hamlet was upon hearing the truth from the ghost. This determination led to the events that followed in the story. It also perfectly describes that of the moment he said Hamlet's singular goal in life was his revenge an nothing else as he wiped his memory of all else. 

It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t,

A brother’s murder. Pray can I not.

Though inclination be as sharp as will,

My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,

And, like a man to double business bound,

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,

And both neglect. 

(Act 3, Scene 3, Line 37-44)

Context
Claudias is alone in his room after leaving the play abruptly as the recreation of the muder he committed in the play stirred up his guilt.

Analysis
 In this quote as it is the first real admission of guilt from the king himself to the audience and because of how dramatic he is being here it tells the audience that this character is in fact humane and in not heartless. In short it shows us another side of the character that we have not seen. It also really brings the whole play together as it shows us the thoughts of a character outside of hamlet and from the villain himself. As the villain, having humane thoughts to take away from his evil makes his character more interesting and the play itself more enjoyable.

Quote
That cannot be, since I am still possessed

Of those effects for which I did the murder:

My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.

May one be pardoned and retain th' offense?

(Act 3, Scene 3, Line 54-57)

Context
Claudias is alone in his room after leaving the play abruptly contemplating on whether he could be forgiven

Analysis
This was particularly interesting as the king here is in deep regret however he does not want to leave what he gained through the murder for the sake of forgiveness. It speaks of how deep his regret really is and solidifies him as an evil villain not a person who made a mistake. Moreover what this scene in general does is that in the beginning it shows us the humane side of the king and later shows us this as to show that he is human and fels regret however he is still greedy and a man who did the crime he did.

Quote
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death

The memory be green, and that it us befitted

To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom

To be contracted in one brow of woe,

Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature

That we with wisest sorrow think on him

Together with remembrance of ourselves.

Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,

Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state,

Have we—as ’twere with a defeated joy,

With an auspicious and a dropping eye,

With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,

In equal scale weighing delight and dole—

Taken to wife.

(Act 1, Scene 2, Line 1-14)

Context
King Claudias’s first appearance in the play

Analysis
In this scene where it is the introduction of the villain the man whose death is the goal for his first appearance to be of caring towards hamlet is ironic as there is a love for his nephew that he has but his the real reason he has behind caring for him is his paranoia that someone found out and as such he can't leave any stone unturned. That is why we see him here debating the reason for Hamlet's sudden madness months after his father's death.

Quote
Laertes, was your father dear to you?

Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,

A face without a heart?

(Act 4, Scene 7, Line 54-55)

Context
Claudias discusses how they are going to kill hamlet with Laertes

Analysis
In this quote we see The king talk to Laertes about his father and through this is asking whether this revenge is for the sake of revenge or out of actual love for his father. This is interesting because it relates to Hamlet and the king himself. This is because Hamlet is in the same situation as Laertes where he is seeking revenge for the death of his father however somewhere along the way his intentions become wary and it becomes debatable for what reason he is taking revenge. This relates to the king because it talks about the caring of a family member and perhaps talking out of guilt out of what he has done he is asking him whether he cares for his father. 

Quote
(aside) Oh, ’tis too true!

How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!

The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plastering art,

Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it

Than is my deed to my most painted word.

O heavy burden!

(Act 3, Scene 1, Line 54-55)

Context
Claudias is waiting for hamlet to arrive so he and Polinius can hide and see if he is love-crazed by eavesdropping on his conversation with Ophilia 

Analysis
In this quote we see a rare insight of the mind of the king and how he really is outside of his kingly act. He normally is flattering people to gain their favour however we see that in his mind he really does think bad of people and insults them as he has ophelia in this quote.