Home › M › Madness

Madness: Quotations from Shakespearian Quotations

Your noble son is mad: Mad, call I it: for, to define true madness, What is't, but to be nothing else but mad?— H. ii. 2

A sight most pitiful in the meanest wretch; Past speaking of in a king.— K. L. iv. 6.

And he repulsed, (a short tale to make,) Fell into a sadness, then into a fast; Thence to a watch; thence into a weakness; Thence to a lightness: and, by this declension, Into the madness wherein now he raves.— H. ii. 2

Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vex'd sea; singing aloud; Crown'd with rank fumitor, and furrow weeds, Shakespeariau Dictionary. With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn.— K. L. iv. 4

Oh, he is more mad Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly Was never so imbost.— A. C. iv. 11

O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's eye, tongue, sword. The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form, The observ'd of all observers; quite, quite down. And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That suck'd the honey of his music vows, Now see that sovereign and most noble reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth, Blasted with ecstacy: O, woe is me! To have seen what I have seen, see what I see! ! H. iii.— H. iii. 1

This is mere madness: And thus awhile the fit will work on him; Anon, as patient as the female dove, When that her golden couplets are disclos'd, His silence will sit drooping.— H. v. i

Essentially mad, without seeming so.— H. IV. PT. I. ii. 4

She speaks much of her father; says, she hears, There's tricks i' the world; and hems, and beats her heart, Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing, Yet the unshaped use of it, doth move The hearers to collection.— H. iv. 5,

O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!— K. L. i. 5.

How pregnant sometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of!— H. ii. 2.

It is the very error of the moon; She comes more near the earth than she was want; And makes men mad.— O. v. 2.

O, matter and impertinency mix'd! Reason in madness!— K. L. iv. 6.

That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity; And pity 'tis, 'tis true.— H. ii. 2

Mad world, mad kings, mad composition.....— K. J. ii. 2.

Shakespearian Dictionary. MAG I am as mad as he,— T. N. iii. 4.

If sad and merry madness equal be. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st There is another comfort than this world, That thou neglect me not, with that opinion That I am touch'd with madness.— M. M. V. 1.

It is not madness, That I have utter'd: bring me to the test, And I the matter will re-word; which madness Would gambol from.— H. iii. 4

Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go.