Scene I: A room in the castle

[Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern]

https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/hamlet/act-3-scene-1

• King asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern what they have learned about Hamlet’s lunacy.

  • Rosencrantz says he is distracted, but reveals nothing

  • Guildenstern says his insanity is sly and evades questions.

  • Hamlet is clearly forcing himself to act civil but still answers their questions extensively (he was happy when he heard that the players were coming).

  • King wants Hamlet focused on the players/amusements.

[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave]

• King asks Queen to leave so that he and Polonius can spy on Hamlet when he encounters Ophelia (and gauge his reaction).

• Appearance vs. Reality: Polonius telling Ophelia to pretend to be reading a book to hide her true intentions (person covering up their bad deeds with a seemingly strong devotion to God).

  • Upon hearing this, the King’s conscious is hit as he feels the weight of his burdening guilt.

• Hamlet enters and says his soliloquy (suicide, overthinking turned anxiety, afterlife, etc.)

• He sees Ophelia and she comes to return his gifts to her.

• He is offended and begins to rapidly blow up at her: calling her a whore, insulting women as cheaters, saying he never loved her.

  • Goes as far as to think about banning marriages.

  • Appearance vs. Reality: Hamlet describes women as being seductive but playing ignorance to their “tricks” (“God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another”)

[Hamlet leaves]

• Ophelia is very upset/crying. She believes his harshness is due to his madness and she despairs at having seen what a different person he is.

[King and Polonius enter]

• King believes love is not the cause of Hamlet’s insanity, and instead believes that he should go to England as a tribute because he is dangerous.

• Polonius still believes that love is the cause of Hamlet’s madness (he suggests Hamlet talk to his mother so that she may give him peace of mind).

  • Polonius will spy on them once again

[Exit]

Scene II: A hall in the same

[Enter Hamlet and Players]

• Hamlet advises them to not overact - he wants them to be realistic

[Players exit and Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern enter]

• Hamlet tells them to get the players ready/hasten them

[Horatio enters as the others leave]

• Hamlet compliments his honesty and loyalty and says he keeps him close ot his heart. He also advises him of his plans to expose the King and tells Horatio to pay close attention to his reaction.

  • They will then come together to discuss whether Hamlet/the Ghost had been wrong/lying to them.

• Hamlet makes light conversation with the King as everyone reenters.

  • Talks with Polonius and rejects his mother’s offer to sit with her in favour of Ophelia.

  • Talks with Ophelia - his father’s been dead for 4 months and Hamlet comments how the memories of a great man outlive him by 6 months.

[Play starts reenacting Old King Hamlet’s death and Gertrude’s remarriage to Claudius]

• Ophelia asks what the play means and Hamlet makes crude jokes about mischief.

• The Player King and Queen enter to revel about their love and seemingly eternal love.

  • The King metions the mortality of love and its ambitions, but the Queen persists saying how she loves him (and how fear and love are intertwined).

  • Queen states how she kills her first husband if she were to remarry.

  • King mentions his illness + Queen refuses to remarry.

  • King says how fate and love are two different things like how rich people and poor people’s friends are two different things.

  • Queen curses herself to a horrible fate if she were to remarry.

  • The King goes to rest while the Queen hopes that no twist of fate splits them.

• Real King asks what the play is about/the plot

  • Hamlet downplays it by saying its just mischievious (The Mouse-trap, with Gonzago and Baptista, and Lucianus) and that since they have clear consciences (proding at the King), they will be fine.

• Hamlet calls for Lucianus to go on with the play (the revenge part)

  • Lucianus poisons the King’s ear.

• Hamlet narrates and the King rises to leave in outrage.

• Hamlet calls the King a weeping deer and comments how if his life turned horribly, could he find a job among actors. Horatio agrees.

• Hamlet and Horatio both note the King’s reaction.

  • Hamlet calls for recorders to play their music as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter.

• Guildenstern informs Hamlet that the King has retired in rage - Hamlet notes that him speaking to the King would likely put the King in a bigger rage.

  • He mentions that in her upset, the Queen has requested to see Hamlet.

  • Hamlet deflects by mentioning his madness.

  • Rosencrantz tells Hamlet that he has shocked her - and when Hamlet asks for details of her “admiration”, he says she wants him to speak with her in her room before he goes to bed.

  • Hamlet deflects and Rosencrantz breaks control by stating how Hamlet once loved him.

• Rosencrantz pleads with Hamlet to tell him the source of his afflictions and how not sharing it with his friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern barres him from liberty).

• Hamlet asks Guildenstern to play the recorder - to which he cannot.

• Hamlet makes a point by saying Guildenstern cannot play an instrument and yet believes he can play Hamlet to speak.

• Polonius enters to tell Hamlet that his mother requests him - hamlets lays a few jabs and calls Polonius a weasel.

[Polonius, Guildenstern, and Rosencrantz leave]

• Hamlet states how he will be cruel to his mother, but not inhumane. He will criticize her and guilt-trip her.

Scene III: Gertrude’s room

[Enter King, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern]

• King tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Hamlet is being sent to England with them because his madness is a threat.

  • Guildenstern says how they will protect the nation from Hamlet

  • Rosencrantz adds by stating how Hamlet’s (or Kings in general) detriment will impact the masses and not just bring himself to downfall.

• King tells them to quickly prepare for the trip and they leave.

[Enter Polonius]

• Polonius tells the King that he will spy on Hamlet and his mother to give an “objective” opinion on the matter and report back to him.

[King’s soliloquy]

• His crime can be smelled in heaven - references Cain and Abel.

• He thinks his crime is beyond redemption but still begs for mercy.

• He talks of the concept of prayer and how he can repent and still keep his gains: His crown, the object of his ambition, and his queen.

• He tries to repent all the same and kneels.

[Hamlet’s soliloquy]

• He sees the King kneeling and believes that him killing the King would send Claudius to heaven because he is repenting and Hamlet himself will be damned to hell.

  • He then plans to catch the King while doing something sinful and kill him then so that he will be cursed to go to hell.

  • Stalling before he kills the King?

• Hamlet goes to meet his mother.

[King rises]

• He knew Hamlet was listening and so he delivered a prayer but his thoughts remained on Earth (focused on Hamlet).

Scene IV: The Queen’s Room

• Polonius suggests that the Queen be blunt with him - that his pranks have gone on for far too long and that she has protected him from the consequences. (Again, Polonius is commanding the Queen)

• Polonius goes to hide behind the tapestry as Hamlet arrives.

• Hamlet jabs at each of the Queen’s comments.

  • Says he wish he were not her son.

  • He grabs her and sits her down forcefully (she believes he will murder her).

• Gertrude calls for help and Polonius answers - Hamlet stabs him through the tapestry, thinking it was Claudius.

• Gertrude is in shock and horror - Hamlet parallels what he had done with Gertrude’s remarrying.

• Hamlet sees that it was Polonius and insults him. He tells Polonius’ corpse that he should not have intruded.

• Gertrude is confused on why Hamlet is so aggressive towards her.

• Hamlet tells her that she has corrupted the concept of marriage with Claudius. He tells her that Heaven is angry with her deeds.

• He pulls a picture of Old King Hamlet and Claudius and compares the two:

  • He reveres Old King Hamlet and calls Claudius a mildewed ear of corn - he bashes the Queen for marrying him. (It is clear that Hamlet sees him as far inferior to his father).

  • He cannot believe the downgrade the Queen has gotten and believes she has lost her mind/senses.

  • “How could you betray my father?” In a nutshell.

• The Queen feels very guilty as Hamlet shows her what she had done.

• Hamlet continues to insult the King and admonish her choice cruelly even as she begs him to stop.

[Enter Ghost]

• Hamlet is shocked - the Queen cannot see the Ghost (believes Hamlet is crazy).

• The Ghost has come to resharpen his dulled sense of revenge - and come to tell Hamlet to let her suffer no more.

• Hamlet asks her how she is doing and she is confused at who Hamlet is talking to (the Ghost) and how he looks crazy.

  • Hamlet refers to the Ghost and tells the Ghost to not look at him like that unless he wants tears instead of blood.

• Queen and Hamlet go back and forth on whether the Ghost exists.

[Exit Ghost]

• The Queen believes he is mad and that everything is a manifestation of his mind.

• Hamlet says he is very sane and tells her not to use his “madness” as a way to deflect her crimes.

  • He tells her to repent so that she can avoid furthur damnation/corruption and that he must be honest with her to save her.

  • The Queen feels broken-hearted.

• He tells her to have virtue and not sleep with Claudius tonight.

• He references Polonius’ death as him being Heaven’s executioner and judge - he will suffer the consequences of it after.

• Hamlet also tells his mother not to be swayed by Claudius, and not to tell him that he is sane.

• Gertrude says she would rather die than reveal what he had said (she is sworn to secrecy).

• Hamlet also mentions his trip to England (and how he does not trust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern).

  • He plans on taking on their trickery by killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

  • He also mocks Polonius one last time (foolish, liar → serious in death).

  • Hamlet drags Polonius’ body out and bids his mother goodnight.