Hamlet, while talking with the various theatre troupes in the castle, is devising his own plan of action for revenge against Claudius. He gives a piece of advice to the actors about how they should say what they mean and mean what they say -- in modern terms. Integral to how people communicate in society, Hamlet provides a piece of advice for interacting with one another by not lying when one talks. The “word” and “action” portion of the quote are also references to how Hamlet cannot reconcile the words and actions done against his family; he despises how he cannot fix his own situation. His advice to the actors is centered around how people lack ability to act in accordance with what they say, something Hamlet seeks to remedy when he gives