method in madness

A specific, rational purpose in what one is doing or planning, even though it may appear crazy or absurd to another person. The phrase originated in Shakespeare's Hamlet: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it." You may have method in your madness, but these radical changes to the business could still prove catastrophic. I know you don't understand my motivation for this decision, but after the dust settles you'll see that there is a method in my madness.

A specific, rational purpose in what one is doing or planning, even though it may seem crazy or absurd to another person. Originated in Shakespeare's Hamlet: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it." He may seem scattered and disorganized, but I guarantee there's a method in his madness.

Fig. a purpose in what one is doing, even though it seems to be crazy. (*Typically: be ~; have ~.) What I'm doing may look strange, but there is method in my madness. Wait until she finishes; then you'll see that she has method in her madness.

There is an underlying purpose in crazy behavior. Shakespeare was hardly the first person to make this observation, but his statement of it in Hamlet (2.2) gave rise to the modern locution (“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t”). It was probably already a cliché by the time G. K. Chesterton played on it (The Fad of the Fisherman, 1922): “There nearly always is method in madness. It’s what drives men mad, being methodical!”