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What does Hamlet mean in this quote you are but mad north northwest?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
After Hamlet has discovered that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are false friends who are acting on behalf of King Claudius, Hamlet tells the two that he knows that the King thinks he is mad, and says, "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw" (2.2.378-9). Literally, Hamlet is saying he is mad only when the wind blows in one particular point of the compass, north-north-west. In other words, he is mad only at certain times, or in certain situations.
If sanity can be metaphorically identified with a compass that points true north, then Hamlet is playing with the trope here, saying that his supposed madness is only a little bit crazy; he is not too far off the mark. Polonius himself observes that Hamlet's apparent mad statements have some "method"; he isn't allowing himself to stray very far from his true intentions, even when he is sorely pressed to do so. Probably his craziest moments are immediately after the Ghost's revelation in Act I when Horatio and Marcellus speak with him.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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In hamlet there is a quote that says Her clothes spread wide And mermaid-like a while they bore her up what does the quote mean?
he was ready to get some
What does the quote Seems madam Nay it is I know it not seems mean from hamlet?
outward appearances of grief are not the same as grief itself.
What does the great equalizer mean in Hamlet?
This expression does not occur in Shakespeare's Hamlet anywhere.
When was Hamlet made?
You mean William Shakespeare's Hamlet? It was written around 1600.
What does it mean when the king ask Hamlet how is it that the clouds still hang on you?
Why is Hamlet still mourning his father's death after a wedding
What does the quote but mad north -North west mean in Hamlet?
In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the line "but mad north-northwest" is spoken by Hamlet when discussing his state of mind with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It implies that while he may appear mad, there is a method or purpose to his madness. This phrase suggests that Hamlet is playing a strategic role to achieve his goals despite appearing unpredictable or irrational.
In hamlet there is a quote that says Her clothes spread wide And mermaid-like a while they bore her up what does the quote mean?
he was ready to get some
What does the quote Seems madam Nay it is I know it not seems mean from hamlet?
outward appearances of grief are not the same as grief itself.
What does northwest mean?
A set of laws the government made for the North West only.
What does more matter less art mean in hamlet?
More matter with less art' is a quote from Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet. In a modern context it generally means 'less talk more action'.
What does conklin mean?
the hamlet
What does it mean when marcellus states sometthing is rotten in the state of denmark?
This quote comes from the play 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare. It refers to the fact that there is incest and murder going on in the Danish royal family.
What does the great equalizer mean in Hamlet?
This expression does not occur in Shakespeare's Hamlet anywhere.
When was Hamlet made?
You mean William Shakespeare's Hamlet? It was written around 1600.
What mean of schwarzenbach?
Black Hamlet
What does the name of the Northwest Territories mean?
Well, it means just what it says - Territories in Canada that are in the north west. NWT as they are often written are in the very far north of Canada and in the west.
What does a cloak of madness mean?
This is from Hamlet. What it means is that Hamlet suspected his father was murdered. Which he was, but at that stage he didnt know this.
