"Antic" and "Antique" Across Shakespeare
When Hamlet declares he will "put an antic disposition on," he draws on a word with rich and unstable meanings across Shakespeare's work. Sometimes antic means a grotesque buffoon; sometimes it describes bizarre or fantastical behaviour; sometimes, spelled antique, it simply means old or venerable. The boundary between these senses is porous — and Shakespeare exploits that ambiguity.
This page collects every significant use of antic and antique across the plays, arranged chronologically. Hamlet's line is highlighted in gold. Use the filters to explore by genre, word form, or play.