Perchance means “by chance” and is an old-fashioned or literary way to say “maybe.” Perchance comes from the Old French phrase par cheance, which means — you guessed it — "by chance." Perchance thinking of a French poet such as Baudelaire will help you remember the definition.

What does Hamlet mean in his soliloquy when he says to sleep perchance to dream ay there's the rub?

A The phrase is Shakespeare's. It comes from Hamlet's famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy: To die — to sleep. To sleep — perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub! ... By rub, Hamlet means a difficulty, obstacle or objection — in this case to his committing suicide.

What does Hamlet mean when he says to die to sleep to sleep perchance to dream?

The literal meaning of this quote is that death is a better choice to end the sufferings of one's life. ... Since dreams emphasize tenuousness and uncertainty, and convey a sense of ignorance about the future, Prince Hamlet longs for dreamless sleep, as it would be much better to free him from his worries upon his death.