I would have such a fellow Whipped for o’erdoing Termagant
The literal meaning of this allusion is that the fellow would be beaten up because of overdoing a Moslem God. Shakespeare is trying to convey a message that urges individuals to be natural and to be careful not to overdo things. Shakespeare is trying to elaborate on how things ought to be done. To do this, he makes use of this allusion which presents a sharp statement. Hence, by using the illusion ‘I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing termagant’, the action has been stopped and the plot of the play suspended. Hence, the illusion develops the theme of Hamlet by suspending the plot.
Source
http://digilander.libero.it/mgtund/theme.
It out herods Herod
The literal meaning of this illusion is to surpass in wickedness or violence. Herod was viewed as a stock bully and braggart in old religious drama and he was widely imitated. Therefore out-heroding Herod means to overdo something wicked or evil. Shakespeare was trying to bring out the message that overdoing things is inappropriate. Hence, this illusion has also been used to suspend the plot in the play, Hamlet.
Source
http://digilander.libero.it/mgtund/theme.
For O, For O, the hobbyhorse is forgot
Hobby horse is a toy horse used by a child when playing. Shakespeare means that the ages when hobbyhorses existed are long forgotten. Hamlet viewed as being mad and impious. At the beginning of the scene, he calls himself devils. Hamlet may be alluding that Polonius and Claudius are the ones who are evil and liars. The illusion is relevant to the theme of the play since it ascertains Hamlet’s supposed madness.
Source
http://www.britishtheatreguide.info.
