section b counter para

how may the confusion of the final act seem less shocking

when viewed as the culmination of instability that had characterised the play from much earlier on

what happens in act 3 scene 4

hamlet’s impulsive killing of polonius

what does hamlets killing of polonius demonstrate

how the culture of surveillance within elsinore can rapidly escalate into violence

richard vardy’s observation

that it’s fitting for a spymaster to be killed in the act of spying

what does richard vardy’s observation suggest

this moment reflects the political corruption of the court rather than mere accident

what does the play repeatedly reinforce

sense of unpredictability, most notably through hamlet’s unlikely escape during the pirate encounter

when was the pirate encounter

spoken of in act 4 scene 6

what does john mcrae describe the pirate encounter as

the wow moment of the whole play

what do these sudden reversals do

destabilise the narrative long before the final duel occurs

what has been already established by the time the poisoned blade appears in act 5 scene 2

a world governed by deception, espionage and abrupt violence

what does this world do

make the confusion of the ending feel like the inevitable collapse of a deeply corrupt court