Act Three: A Collective Bloglet

Scene One:

1. Scene one opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reporting back to Claudius and Gertrude after attempting to spy on Hamlet. Polonius still believes Hamlet is mad with love for his daughter Ophelia and devises a plan to prove it. Claudius and Polonius will hide while Ophelia is strategically reading her book where they know Hamlet will come. They will observe Hamlet’s actions to determine if love for Ophelia truly is the cause of his insanity. Hamlet walks into the room and does not notice Ophelia at first; he recites the famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. Ophelia and Hamlet begin to talk and Ophelia gives back “remembrances of his.” Hamlet becomes angry, denying giving her anything and ever loving her. He urges Ophelia to “get thee to a nunnery.” He again expresses his dislike for mankind and the dishonesty of women. Claudius, having seen this, realizes love has not caused Hamlet’s madness. Claudius fears Hamlet’s insanity may be dangerous for him and plots to send Hamlet to England. Polonius still believes Hamlet is mad with love and organizes another opportunity to spy on Hamlet this time involving Gertrude.  

3. Why does Polonius insist that Hamlet is mad with love for Ophelia? Why does Claudius wish to send Hamlet to England? Does Claudius feel threatened by Hamlet? Why would Hamlet deny his love for Ophelia?

5. Act one, scene three contains the famous “to be, or not to be” soliloquy. It is the most well known in the play, but I do not think it is the best one. For me, Hamlet’s first soliloquy is by far the best one we have encountered thus far in the play. Maybe it was the actor’s delivery in the movie, but I enjoyed it much more than “to be, or not to be.” I found the first soliloquy full of great lines like, “Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely.” No lines really stuck out to me in act three’s soliloquy.

Scene Three:

1.      In this scene, Claudius is badly shaken by the play Hamlet has put on and immediately wants him sent to England. Claudius is beginning to feel guilty for murdering his brother. He begins to pray, asking for forgiveness. However, he stops mid-prayer realizing he cannot possibly repent when he still will not give up what he has gained from the murdering Hamlet’s father. He is still king, and he is still married to Gertrude. Hamlet has slipped into the room silently with a dagger, plotting to kill Claudius. As he prepares to seek his revenge, Hamlet suddenly realizes he does not want to kill Claudius while he is praying, for his sole with go straight to heaven. He wants Claudius to suffer just like Claudius made his father suffer. Hamlet believes his father is in purgatory because he was unable to repent his sins before he died. Hamlet decides to murder Claudius when he is being lustful or drunk ensuring he will go straight to hell.

3.   Did Hamlet’s play cause Claudius to feel guilty? Does Claudius plan have Hamlet killed in England? How is it ironic that Hamlet did not kill Claudius because he thought he was praying?

4.   I enjoyed Hamlet’s line toward the end of scene three. He states: “When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed, at game a-swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in’t – then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes.” This line demonstrates Hamlet’s true hatred of Claudius. He wants to make Claudius suffer has his father did. It also reestablishes Hamlet’s intense disapproval of Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius. He often mentions then sinful incestuous bed which they share.