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All Site ContentHamletAct 3Scene 2
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"No, nor mine"
Allusion
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 89-94

An explanation of a proverbial allusion in Act 3, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Hamlet.

[Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and other Lords.]

Claudius   

How fares our cousin Hamlet?     

Hamlet

Excellent, i'faith, of the chameleon's dish; I eat the
air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.    

Claudius

I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet. These 
words are not mine.    

Hamlet

No, nor mine. [To Polonius] Now, my lord, 

This exchange alludes to the proverb, “While the word is in your mouth, it is your own; when it is once spoken, it is another’s.” In other words, once Hamlet speaks his crazy-talk, the words are no longer his own.