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Shakespeare Insults Quotes

Frailty, thy name is woman!

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2. Hamlet’s most famous comment about Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and his mother, is an bitter condemnation of women in general. He is lashing out at his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle after his father’s death.

Vicious mole of nature.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4. Hamlet is speaking about people born with a character flaw. Despite all their good qualities this results in others seeming them as corrupt or evil, leading to their downfall.

One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5. Hamlet on the villainy behind the smiling face of Claudius, who in order to legitimize his rule wears a mask of being good and honest, when he is really not.

More matter, with less art.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Queen Gertrude interrupts the long-winded Polonius to tell him to stop embroidering things and get to the point, when he begins speaking about Hamlet’s madness.

You are a fishmonger.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Hamlet’s response to Polonius’ question, "Do you know me, my lord?" It has been said that fishmonger is slang for pimp, suggesting that Polonius has been willing to sell his daughter’s happiness in exchange for honors from the king. Hamlet is also pretending not to recognize the councilor to the king and feigning madness, allowing him to mock and ridicule Polonius. He is punning by comparing Polonius to a fisherman, since Polonius is trying to fish for answers from Hamlet.

They have a plentiful lack of wit.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Hamlet, when asked by the aging Polonius what he is reading, pretends the book is about old men who lack wit.

What is this quintessence of dust?

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. To a disillusioned Hamlet, who feels let down by people close to him, humans may be the noblest of God’s creatures but in reality they are mere dust.

O, there has been much throwing about of brains.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Guildenstern says there has been a lot of debate over the child actors usurping the London stage and the traveling players visiting the castle who were compelled to go on the road.

Came each actor on his ass.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Hamlet is engaging in some wordplay here, restating Polonius’ last lines, "The actors are come hither…upon my honour." He is sarcastically equating Polonius’ honor with his ass.

A dull and muddy-mettled rascal.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Shakespeare is the greatest writer of insults in any language. Here Hamlet calls himself names for failing to avenge his father’s murder.

Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. Hamlet appears to go a little crazy here, as he suggests that Ophelia lock herself away in a convent, in order to avoid giving birth to more sinners.

Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool nowhere but in’s own house.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. Hamlet aims this insult to Polonius, whom he knows is hiding along with Claudius to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia.

It offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2. Hamlet’s advice to the players, saying that he hates to hear a boisterous player ruin an emotional scene with excessive acting.

Leave thy damnable faces.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2. Impatient to get to the murder in his play-within-a-play, Hamlet shouts at the actor playing the murderer to stop making silly faces and begin.

Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2. Hamlet believes that Guildenstern is trying to manipulate him and play him like a recorder.

I will speak daggers to her.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2. Hamlet will attack his mother with words, but he will not hurt or kill her.

Take you me for a sponge.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 2. Spoken by Rosencrantz. Hamlet compares Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to sponges, saying Claudius is only using them and will discard them when he is done. They have been asking where Hamlet hid Polonius’ body.

Such bugs and goblins in my life!

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2. Hamlet’s reaction when he discovered Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were carrying a letter from Claudius to the English King, instructing him to cut off Hamlet’s head for the good of Denmark’s health.

Canker of our nature.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2. Hamlet expresses the true depth of his hatred for Claudius, the symbol of all that is corrupt and diseased in Denmark. He believes he would be damned if he let this monster live to do more harm.

Dost know this water-fly?

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2. When Hamlet sees the courtier Osric coming to invite him to his death, he said this to Horatio. Osric is a minor character used by Claudius to lure Hamlet into the final fencing duel with Laertes.

‘Tis a vice to know him.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2. Hamlet’s assessment of King Claudius’ courtier Osric. But while it is a curse to know him, Hamlet says that having a lot of fertile land and cattle gets him a welcome at the King’s table.

His purse is empty already, all’s golden words are spent.

– William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2. Horatio to Hamlet, about Osric’s reckless extravagence with words.

What great ones do, the less will prattle of.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 2. The Captain saying that common people will gossip about the nobility, in this case about Duke Orsino’s pursuit of the love of Lady Olivia.

Let them hang themselves in their own straps.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 3. Hard-drinking partygoer Sir Toby Belch when Maria chides him for his behavior.

A fellow o’ th’ strangest mind i’ th’ world.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 3. Sir Andrew Aguecheek, about himself.

Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. Lady Olivia’s clown Feste make this witty reply to Maria when she warns him that Olivia will “hang” him or kick him out for his absences from work. There is a double meaning to Feste’s quip, as he suggests a “well-hung” man can stop a bad marriage by pleasing his wife in bed.

Go to, y’are a dry fool: I’ll no more of you.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. Lady Olivia says this to her jester Feste, tired of his brand of humor.

He speaks nothing but madman.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. Olivia asking that her uncle and drunkard Sir Toby Belch be sent away from her house.

How your fooling grows old, and people dislike it.

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. Olivia to Feste, her clown, saying how his fooling has become boring.

A plague o’ these pickle-herring!

– William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. Sir Toby Belch, who has been snacking on herring and getting drunk.

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