Hamlet Act 3

3.1 & 3.2

1. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern report that Hamlet wants everyone to go to the play that is being put on. They also tell Polonius that Hamlet is confused, however he doesn't want anyone asking about why he is acting so crazy.

2. Claudius confirms what Polonius has guessed by admitting to killing Hamlet's father.

3. Claudius and Polonius plan to use Ophelia to see if Hamlet is crazy because of his love for her. They decide to hide in the bushes and watch while Ophelia forces Hamlet to react by returning his love letters.

4. Hamlet's soliloquy reflects his dark mood while he contemplates the idea of suicide. He tries to decide if it would be more worthy of his status if he committed suicide or to stick it out and fight the suffering of life.

5. Hamlet's main argument is that it isn't noble or worthy of his status to commit suicide. He believes people are afraid of death mainly because they don't know what will happen next.

6. Hamlet is hurt by Ophelia's rejection of him and that is why he is cruel. Even though his place doesn't allow him to be in love with her, there is the suggestion of some deeper feelings. The real reason he is so cruel to her though is because of his sense of betrayal. He feels that Ophelia has lied to him when he finds out about Claudius and Polonius hiding and spying on their conversation.

7. Hamlet barely disguises his threat to kill Claudius.

8. King Claudius wants to send Hamlet to England to get rid of his bad thoughts as well as collect their debts to Denmark.

9. Hamlet recruits Horatio to trap Claudius because of his trustworthiness and his ability to see the truth in a situation. Hamlet sees that Horatio bases his decisions on facts and doesn't take sides and that appeals to him.

10. Hamlet asks Horatio to watch Claudius during the play and see if he shows a guilty reaction. Claudius' reaction to the play decides who the ghost is: the king or a spirit of evil.

11. In the play-within-a-play, there is a King and a Queen talking to each other. They confess their undying love for each other and the King prophesies his own death. When the Queen leaves the King for his nap, the nephew comes in and puts poison in the King's ear. He then marries the Queen.

12. Hamlet calls the play the "Mouse-trap" because of its ultimate purpose of trapping Claudius (who is viewed by Hamlet as being like a rodent) into admitting his involvement in the murder of the King.

13. Claudius is surprised by the play and demands to be taken from the building. His shock over being called out for his part in the murder makes him act even more suspiciously.

14. Hamlet compares himself to and instrument, such as a pipe. He uses this to show how Gildenstern is trying to manipulate him, as well as showing that he can't be played.

15. Hamlet admonishes himself because he plans to kill Claudius, while he only plans to speak cruelly to his mother.



1. The play scene is a turning point because Claudius' actions confirm that he was the one who killed the King.

2. EXPOSITION: The reader is introduced to many of the main character roles in the story. We are also introduced to the inner workings and conflicting emotions within the castle (through the marriage). Some history of Denmark is given, and we are introduced to the ghost and shown that he will only talk to Hamlet.

INCITING EVENT: Hamlet goes with the ghost by himself and is told the story of his father's murder. He is told to take revenge for his father's death. This is the beginning of Hamlet's plot to destroy Claudius and begins his acting crazy.

RISING ACTION: Hamlet throws himself into the role of acting mad and people start to wonder about him. The actors come and the mouse-trap play is put on. Claudius shows his guil by demanding to be taken out of the building. Claudius and Polonius manipulate Ophelia and Hamlet says he doesn't love her anymore. Claudius goes off by himself to pray over his guilt and Hamlet comes across him, but chooses not to kill him.

3.3 & 3.4

1. After seeing the play, Claudius plans to send the three men to England to do work for him. However, he is probably planning to have the men murdered because he now knows that Hamlet is aware of his part in the murder of Old Hamlet.

2. Polonius plans to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude and listen to what he is telling her.

3. a.) This is the first time we see Claudius portrayed as feeling guilty for murdering Old Hamlet.

b.) Claudius is found praying by Hamlet, and he decides not to kill him and avenge his father at this moment.

c.) The reader is shown how Claudius feels bad, but he doesn't seem to want to give up any of the benefits that he has gained from the murder of his brother, such as his marriage to the queen.

4. It is ironic that Hamlet finds Claudius praying because this shows some kind of repentance from the murder. Before, the reader was led to believe that Claudius wasn't able to repent because he didn't feel any guilt over his actions. This makes him seem more human. It is also ironic because his guilt is basically what saves him from Hamlet's anger.

5. Hamlet finds similarities between his father and his uncle in death. He feels that it would be unjust if Claudius went to Heaven because he was killed while he was praying, rather than being cursed to roam the earth like the spirit of the King. Hamlet would rather wait to kill his uncle until he is doing something bad and will therefore be cursed just like Old Hamlet.

Scene 4:

1. Polonius tells the queen to really yell at Hamlet. He tells her that it is best if she doesn't worry about her son's feelings, but rather tells him the truth about how much trouble he has caused to Claudius.

2. Hamlet views people to spy and tell lies as rats. He uses this line as he kills Polonius to underline the significance of lies in this play, as well as show the reader how much he can't stand the idea of deception.

3. It is odd that Hamlet seems to be putting some of the blame for the murder on his mother. It is pretty likely that he is still holding a grudge for his mother marrying his uncle so soon after his father's death. Hamlet is also trying to find out if the Queen knew about the murder at all.

4. Gertrude isn't quite sure what Hamlet is talking about, but she does know that she had to re-establish her role as the mother figure. She thinks that Hamlet should be more obedient as her son and is letting him know that he doesn't have the right to talk to her in such a cruel manner.

5. Hamlet compares his father to the great Greek gods, such as Jove and Mars. This suggests that he is superior to all people and is loved/worshiped by many. Hamlet's comparison of Claudius to a rotten ear of corn shows just how little he thinks of him, as well as shows the huge degree of difference that there is between Claudius and Old Hamlet.

6. In Hamlet's eyes, his father was a much better man than his uncle. This comparison plays into the theme of the fall of mankind because Claudius' "rot" and his role in incest is what seems to be causing the downfall of Denmark.

7. It is very disturbing that Hamlet describes in such detail the sex life between his mother and his uncle. Most people prefer not to talk about the sex life of their parents, but in this case, Hamlet talks about it in such a way that shows how repulsed he is by the whole idea of the incest that is a result of his mother's marriage.

8. The ghost stops Hamlet's ranting and raving by reminding him to remain focused on the goal of revenge. Apparently Hamlet has forgotted the ghost's earlier warning that Gertrude has nothing to do with the matter between him and Claudius. The ghost has to stop him before he forgets his mission.

9. At this point, Hamlet's speeches are coming to reflect the madness that is taking him over. He has started to criticize, but the things he is disapproving of are things that he is doing himself. "Repent what's past, avoid what is to come" (ln. 152). The irony here is that Hamlet doesn't feel bad at all about killing Polonius and he is looking forward to murdering his uncle, rather than trying to avoid it. "Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg" (ln. 156). If Hamlet thinks he is at all virtuous at this point, then he has definitely gone crazy. His participation in revenge and murder only makes him just as bad as his uncle and helps the evil spirit of the ghost to accomplish the corruption that it wanted to begin.

10. In the first act, the ghost seems to want to stimulate Hamlet to do something other than study acting. It seems that the ghost plants the idea of revenge to get him to actually make something of himself. In the third act, however, the ghost becomes less of a stimulant to the learning process of acting and more of an evil spirit come to make Hamlet want to kill or be killed, thus reflecting his madness.