What did Uncle Willie mean?

 

The line "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." is spoken by Queen Gertrude in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. It is a line that is often used to express skepticism about someone's sincerity, especially when they are making strong denials.

In the context of the play, Gertrude is speaking about the Player Queen, who has just vowed to her husband that she will never remarry if he dies. Gertrude's line suggests that she does not believe the Player Queen's protestations, and that she suspects that she will remarry quickly if her husband dies.

The line is also used in everyday speech to express suspicion about someone's motives or intentions. For example, if someone is repeatedly denying that they are interested in a job, someone might say "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." to suggest that they are actually very interested in the job.

The line is a powerful and versatile one that can be used in many different contexts. It is a reminder that we should not always take people at their word, and that we should be skeptical of strong denials.