Queen Gertrude to Hamlet

Have you ever heard someone mis-attribute a quote to Shakespeare?

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Here's where you can fact check all quotes attributed to Shakespeare: Ref.

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Gertrude to Hamlet

Here is the Version from Hamlet that you most probably know, Queen Gertrude speaks:

The lady protests too much, methinks.Ref ]

Checking Original Works in British Museum

I found a line from Hamlet that well respected sources misquote. Queen Gertrude is often quoted incorrectly: "The lady protesteth too much, me thinks." or "Methinks the lady doth protest too much"

However, this doesn't match the version of Hamlet I reviewed on the British Library website. The version I reviewed said, "The lady protests too much."

[Ref: Visually inspected 6 May 2005: British library: Hamlet; 1603 (1st) quartro; Halliwell-Phillipps (C.34.k.1), page 38, 4th line from bottom]

4th line from bottom, page 38: There is no 'doth' or 'Methinks' in this version; it's incorrect to say the quote ~from this version~ is 'Methinks the lady doth protesth too much'

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What does this mean?

These web references are incorrect.

If someone wants to point to the original texts and another version, feel free. Until then, the quote on this page on this page stands as it is. [ Other essays on Hamlet. ]

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Shakespeare Trivia

There's a famous quote that's misattributed to Shakespeare. Barbra Streisand recited to the DNC, "Beware the Leader," but it wasn't written by Shakespeare.

Trivia Question: Do you know the name of the author who wrote the quote Barbra Streisand was kind enough to share with the world?

Answer: I, Constant, am the author of the quote. [Click for Details].

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Handy Online Search of All Shakespeare Works Ref