The key to understanding the meaning of this line is the word "method." In this case, it should be taken to mean "purpose" or "artfulness." Read this way, what Polonius is saying is more like "although this is madness, there's a purpose (or a plan, or artfulness) in it. So what he's suggesting is that Hamlet really isn't crazy but is only pretending.
As it turns out, we know he is right. Hamlet is not truly crazy but is only acting like he is crazy so as to fool his mother and uncle.
We’ll help your grades soar
Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now.
- 30,000+ book summaries
- 20% study tools discount
- Ad-free content
- PDF downloads
- 300,000+ answers
- 5-star customer support
Already a member? Log in here.
Are you a teacher? Sign up now