What is the meaning of the phrase " Lady doth protests too much,methinks..."?

Answer 1

It means that when someone denies something too much and too often, they're usually lying. They've done whatever it is they're accused of and trying too hard to cover their tracks.

Answer 2

Almost all of the answers here are wrong. Protest had a different meaning in Shakespeare time. A protest was like a promise or solemn vow. "The lady doth protest to much, methinks." s Gertrude's opinion that the player queen makes too grand a promise not to remarry if her husband dies. Gertrude may or may not be aware that the character in the play within the play is meant to represent her.

Answer 3

Doth Protest Too Much

Answer 4

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RE:
What is the meaning of the phrase " Lady doth protests too much,methinks..."?

Answer 5

It's "The lady doth protest too much, methinks!" It's from Shakespeare's Hamlet (said by the Queen if I'm not mistaken).

Basically, it says that if someone denies something too much, it starts to sound as if that event actually occurred.

Example:
"Did you eat the last donut?"
"Who? ME?!? NO! Of course not! Why would you say such a thing? I wouldn't do that! Stop looking at me like that!"

Answer 6

The meaning of that particular phrase is that the lady is protesting something that the speaker to believes to be untrue. She in fact loves someone and the speaker is saying that she is protesting to much and making herself obvious. People use the phrase to say someone is denying something to much and making themselves obviously guilty. Almost hypocritical.

Answer 7

It means that if someone feels the need to protest so much after already saying that she did not do it, then she probably did it. After a while of hearing, I couldn't have done that or whatever, the person is often trying to convince themselves more than others.

Answer 8

The lady obviously is prentending to have an opinion which is totally the oppositeof what she actually feels. An example would be if you were attracted to someone but did not want anyone to know you would say how totally unfit of a person they were, and make a huge deal out of it

Answer 9

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

--From Hamlet (III, ii, 239)
[Jump to the quote in the text of the play]

Queen Gertrude speaks these famous words to her son, Prince Hamlet, while watching a play at court. Gertrude does not realize that Hamlet has staged this play to trap her and her new husband, King Claudius, whom Hamlet suspects of having murdered his father. She also does not realize that the lady who "doth protest too much" is actually herself, as the Player King and Queen represent King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. The former will be poisoned (in this play within the play) by the king's brother, as in reality (Hamlet suspects) Claudius killed King Hamlet. Gertrude's statement is in response to the play-Queen's repetitive statements of loyalty to and love of her first husband.

Answer 10

I have always believed that it meant that one is not telling the complete truth.

For instance, someone who is not being truthful sometimes has a tendency to repeat the made-up facts over and over again.

Or, if someones asks if you like her dress - and you secretly thinks it looks awful on her, you might exaggerate your praise for the dress and how nice it looks.

Answer 11

It's from Shakespeare, and it means, "the lady pretends to hate someone that she really loves."