Hamlet Act 3

Act III

Sc. i

1. Polonius and Claudius send Ophelia to talk to Hamlet to see how he responds to her. They wanted to find out if Hamlet truly was mad because of his love for Ophelia.
2. Hamlet asks whether it is better to live or not to live. Should people suffer with what is going on around them or should they fight? He says that the only reason he and other people are not committing suicide is because they are scared of what might happen to them after death.
3. The king’s view has changed. He does not believe that the madness was caused by his love for Ophelia
4. “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” The king says this because he is not truly sure if Hamlet is mad because of Ophelia or not. He realizes that Hamlet is clever and could be up to something. He could think that Hamlet knew that Polonius and he were spying on him with Ophelia.

Sc. ii

1. Hamlet tells the players not to do too many hand movements. He tells them to speak clearly and not to upstage because it takes the eyes of the audience on the actor upstaging. He also says to make sure that the words fit the actions and the action fit the words.
2. Hamlet asks Horatio to look for any signs of guilt from the king during the play.
3. Hamlet thinks that Horatio is a great, honest, and truthful friend.
4. A dumbshow is a brief, silent form of a play. This play showed a loving king and queen. His nephew pours poison in the king’s ear and kills him while sleeping.
5. The king reacted upset. He cried out for light and stopped the play immediately.
6. This does not prove that the King killed Old King Hamlet because the king could have been upset. He is king and it could possible happen to him so he could be worried after the play.

Sc. iii

1. Polonius suggests that the Queen tell Hamlet that she is sick of his pranks and that Claudius is very upset with him, as well as his father. She must tell ask him what is going on.
2. Hamlet is not sure whether his mother is guilty or not.
3. Hamlet did not know who was behind the arras. He thought that it was the king.
4. The Queen acts terrified of her own son. I do not believe she is guilty because she did not have any reaction from the play. Also she was confused when he was talking about the murder of the king.
5. The ghost appears to give advice to his son. He asks Hamlet to talk to her, not to yell at her. The ghost hits very often that the Queen is innocent in his death.
6. Hamlet does not feel sorry for killing Polonius.
7. The climax is when Hamlet tells his mother about the suspicions of going to England, and Claudius plotting against him.
8. The plot has become more complicated because now Hamlet is a murderer. Also, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are going to be going to England with him. They carry a note saying for the English to kill Hamlet.

Act IV

Sc. i

1. The Kind is angry at Hamlet for killing Polonius. He tries to find out how he should punish Hamlet for killing Polonius.
2. The Quyeen is upset that her son has killed Polonius. She says that her son weeps for what he has done.
3. The King claims that Hamlet has to go to England to bring tribute money, or taxes, back to Denmark (Denmark controls England). The real reason is for the English to kill Hamlet.

Sc. ii

1. Hamlet is simply mocking everyone.
2. When Hamlet talks about the sponge, he is talking about Rosencrantz. Rosencrantz takes pride and feels important when he is working for the king, but once the king does not need him anymore he will be a nobody.

Act V

Sc. i

1. This scene serves as comic relief.
2. The people believed that she drowned herself in her own defense, meaning she drowned herself to help not cause any harm to herself or others. She received a Christian burial because she did not willfully take away her own life.
3. Hamlet was 30 years old.
4. Hamlet learned that Ophelia died when they had the ceremony for her and were putting her into her grave.
5. He asks the question to see what else happens in the ceremony.
6. Laertes jumps into the grave to hold his sister one last time and to show his grief for her death. He is losing one of the two most important people in his life. This keeps with Laertes’ character because he loves his sister dearly and hates the world for what has happened to his family.
7. Hamlet confesses his love for Ophelia. Hamlet starts to fight with Laertes in the grave. he claims that he loves Ophelia more that 40,000 brothers He says that he would do anything for Ophelia, more than Laertes would do. They were then separated and taken out of the grave.