Meaning

Though this be madness, yet there is method in it

The meaning of the phrase

Methos in one's madness suggests reason behind apparent folly or disorder.

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Though this be madness, yet there is method in it’?

This line derives from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 1602:

LORD POLONIUS [Aside]:
Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t. Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

The colloquial version is ‘there’s method in his madness’.

Cited as a source

Referenced by 1 trusted source for this phrase

Backlink data verified June 2026 via Ahrefs (live index). These sources cite Phrase Finder as a reference for the meaning and origin of this expression.