Both Uses of
epitaph
in
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- Let them be well used; for they are the abstracts and brief chronicles of the time; after your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.†
Scene 2.2 *
- Then there's hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half a year: but, by'r lady, he must build churches then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with the hobby-horse, whose epitaph is 'For, O, for, O, the hobby-horse is forgot!'†
Scene 3.2
Definition:
-
(epitaph) a short text in memory of a dead person -- especially text written on a tombstone