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Quotation record · reviewed 2026-08-09

“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well.”

Circulates under William Shakespeare

Editorial status

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Hamlet addresses Horatio after ‘I knew him’, so the compact version changes the grammar and removes the context that follows. Use the act and scene rather than the shortened poster line.

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy …

Earliest traceable appearance in this record: 1603, Hamlet, act 5, scene 1.

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