Editor's Choice
What does the quote "Suit the action to the word" from Shakespeare's Hamlet mean?
Quick answer:
The phrase "Suit the action to the word" from Shakespeare's Hamlet is a directive from Hamlet to the actors he's invited to the castle to reenact his father's death. Hamlet implores them to act naturally, to make their actions match their words and vice versa, without exceeding the bounds of natural behavior. This advice, while reflecting Hamlet's personal theater philosophy, also serves his plot to gauge King Claudius's guilt through his reaction to the play.
Hamlet speaks these words in act 3, scene 2 to the players he invites to the castle to reenact his father's death in front of Claudius.
The full sentence is as follows:
Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.
He is saying that he wants the players to act naturally. In his opinion, which is very likely to be the opinion of Shakespeare himself, their goal as actors are to show the audience the reality of their world. Or as Hamlet states
to hold, as ’twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.
If they don't achieve this, Hamlet...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
says it will just make the "unskillful laugh" and the "judicious" (the theatre lover) disappointed.
While these statements are no doubt Hamlet's personal beliefs, he does have other reasons for saying it. At the point of one of the characters murdering a king, he wants Horatio to check Claudius's expression for signs of recognition and guilt.