A method in one’s madness

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Grammarist

The expression a method in one’s madness dates back to the turn of the seventeenth century. We will examine the definition of the expression a method in one’s madness, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.

A method in one’s madness is a phrase used to assure someone that one’s actions have a purpose, though they may seem foolish or crazy. Sometimes it is not prudent or expedient to explain a plan in full. Telling someone “there is a method in my madness” is a way of asking him to trust you until the outcome becomes more apparent. The phrase is derived from the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, performed in 1602. The line is spoken by Lord Polonius: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.”

Examples

So, maybe there’s a method in the administration’s madness and a path to fair and free trade. (The Capital Press)

 “Other communities are having to utilize private security companies, and that’s why I think everyone looks at us as just hired security officers and they don’t realize there’s a method to the madness of the school resource officer,” Clendenney said. (The Citrus County Chronicle)
You might think I’m nuts for wanting to attract insects to my garden, but you’ll quickly discover there is a method to my madness. (The Spokesman-Review)
It’s a wonderful example of Giacometti’s method to his madness, one minute he’s telling Lord “You look like a thug” and “If a policeman saw this portrait he would arrest you” and the next he’s painting over the portrait only to start over again the next day. (The Victorian Advocate)