Act 3 Scene 4

The scene begins in Gertrude's private room as Polonius tells Gertrude that she should criticize Hamlet's behavior. He then hides behind a curtain as Hamlet enters the room. Hamlet begins to criticize Gertrude so much that she fears for her life and causes Polonius to call for help. In an impulsive move, Hamlet stabs the curtain behind which Polonius is hiding (Oh, I am slain!). Gertrude calls Hamlet's deed a rash and bloody one, but Hamlet says that its almost as bad as killing a king and marrying his brother. He then proceeds to call Polonius a meddling fool and does not lament his death. Hamlet resumes criticizing his mother and questions how she could ever marry Claudius after being the wife of his father. He again compares his father to Claudius, good against bad. He criticizes Gertrude for not seeing the obvious differences between the two, as well as her inability to control her sexual impulses. Gertrude begs Hamlet to stop, but Hamlet is distracted as the Ghost reappears. Hamlet can see the Ghost, but Gertrude can not. The Ghost reminds Hamlet of his mission to kill Claudius and not hurt his mother, and he urges Hamlet to comfort her. Hamlet obeys, and wonders why Gertrude can not see the Ghost. He tries to show it to her, but she can't see it, and before long, the Ghost is gone. As Gertrude claims that Hamlet is mad, he counters that he is not so, and he urges her to repent for her sin of marrying Claudius. He wants her to be abstinent. He warns her not to tell Claudius that he is faking his madness, and he seems to threaten her. Hamlet has figured out that R&G are supposed to take him away to England, but he promises to kill them both before they can.

We get to see some more of Gertrude in this scene, and it seems as if she knows that she has committed a sin by marrying and sleeping with Claudius, but she hates hearing her son remind her of that. She is unwilling to admit her wrongs, and she can't believe that her son would berate her so. Her unwillingness to admit her sins may be tied to her inability to see the Ghost. Because she will not admit that she was wrong, the Ghost refuses to show itself to her. It must be able to appear to only those it chooses, because both the guards and Horatio could see it at the beginning of the play.

I get a little creeped out by Hamlet's obsession with his mother's sexuality in this scene. He seems fixated on the fact that Gertrude has been sleeping with Claudius, and he keeps imploring that she be abstinent. If a director wanted to really take advantage of Hamlet's Oedipal complex - this would be the scene to do it.

Act 3 Scene 3

As the scene opens, Claudius tells R&G that they need to prepare to accompany Hamlet to England. He no longer trusts Hamlet's madness and obviously sees him as a threat. R&G say that they will gladly do whatever it takes to keep denmark safe, for if ht eKing goes down, the country goes down with him.  Polonius enters and says that he will spy on Gertrude and Hamlet together. Claudius is left alone, and he has a soliloquy in which he reveals his guilt for murdering his brother. He didn't expect to feel so guilty, and he can only hope for divine mercy. He tries to pray. Hamlet enters, intent on killing Claudius, but he refrains from doing so because he feels that, because Claudius is praying, he will go directly to heaven. He remembers how his father was killed and sent to purgatory before he could repent his sins, and Hamlet wants to subject Claudius to the same torture that his father's ghost endures. Hamlet leaves to go to his mother, and Claudius is left unscathed.

Claudius - why did you originally set out to kill your brother? Did you want Gertrude, the power of a King, or both? Why did you feel, before you committed the murder, that you would not feel guilty after it had been executed? Also, what do you want to find out by sending Polonius to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude?

I think that this may be the scene in the play in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show where their true intentions lie. They feel as if Hamlet has denounced their friendship, so they might as well go ahead and fulfill the King's orders. However, they may simply have the well-being of the kingdom as their first priority. After all, they do acknowledge that if something were to happen to Claudius, then the country of denmark would be thrown into disarray.

Act 3 Scene 2

The scene opens with Hamlet, instructing the actors on how to portray the play with passion. He mentions how theatre is meant to act as a mirror for humanity, and how he can’t stand it when actors do a bad job. The actors leave and Horatio enters. Hamlet compliments Horatio on his ability to not let his passion and emotions get the better of him, and Hamlet reveals that he has told Horatio of the nature of his father’s death. He asks Horatio to take note of Claudius as the play proceeds. The nobility enter, and Hamlet resumes his mad disposition. He makes fun of Polonius, refuses to sit next to his mother, and torments Ophelia with a bunch of sexual innuendo. The players perform a show that mimics Claudius’s murder of King Hamlet. After one of the characters is killed by means of poison being poured in his ear, Claudius freaks out and orders that the play be stopped. Everyone exits except for Horatio and Hamlet, and Hamlet rejoices at the success of his plan. R&G re-enter, and they tell Hamlet that both Claudius and Hamlet’s mother are upset by the play performance. They say that Gertrude wants to see Hamlet in her room before he goes to bed, and Hamlet agrees. He then accuses R&G of trying to manipulate him as they would a musical instrument. He claims that they do not have to power to do so, and when Polonius enters to again relay Gertrude’s message, Hamlet makes him say the imaginary shapes that he suggests are in the clouds. After that, everyone exits except for Hamlet, and he says that he will not hurt his mother when he goes to visit her. He promises to revile her verbally, but will cause her no physical harm.

The significance in this scene lies in the fact that Hamlet (in his mind) now has irrevocable proof that Claudius killed his father. He knows now that the ghost was right, and he can proceed with his plans to kill Claudius. He no longer has to base his reasons for killing Claudius on the words of a ghost that may not have been his father’s spirit.

I really like Hamlet’s comment on how the purpose of acting is to hold “the mirror up to nature; to show virtue to her own feature, scorn her own image” (3.2.18-19). As an actress, I completely agree with this statement and the fact that theatre’s purpose is to portray the issues the go on in modern society. I think that this is another example of Shakespeare’s way of implementing his own thoughts into his work. The fact that one of his most famous characters loves the purpose of theatre in society is not simply a coincidence. Theatre’s importance to society is mirrored through the play’s importance to the plot. Just as Claudius is prompted to act after seeing the play, people in society are prompted to act and feel emotion after viewing a play or movie.

Act 3 Scene 1

The scene opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's report on Hamlet's odd behavior. They report that he was acting crazy, but he seemed to be unusually excited about the arrival of the actors. Claudius notes this and tells the two to encourage Hamlet's theatrical interest. R&G leave as Claudius and Polonius plot to spy on Hamlet as he encounters Ophelia in the hallway as if by accident. Ophelia goes along with them, and Claudius has an aside where he reveals his guilty conscience to the audience. The two men hide, and Hamlet enters, delivering his famous "To Be or Not to Be" speech. In this speech, he ponders why humans don't simply commit suicide when life is too terrible to bear. He says that it is because we don't know what happens after death, and because we are scared of what we don't know, we are too cowardly to kill ourselves. Out thoughts keep us from acting on our impulses. Hamlet then encounters Ophelia and proceeds to rebuke her cruelly by claiming that he never loved her, questioning her virginity, and demanding that she go to a nunnery. He asks her where her father is, and she lies, saying that he is at home. As Hamlet leaves in a rage, Ophelia laments his descent into madness, mourning the ideal prince that she once knew. Polonius and Claudius re-enter, and Polonius is still convinced of Hamlet's love for Ophelia. Claudius is not convinced, however, and he decides that it would be best to send Hamlet to England, for "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go" (3.1.183).

I have some questions for the characters in this scene, but mostly (surprise!) Polonius and Claudius. Claudius, why do you want to spy on Hamlet? I mean, I know he's been acting crazy, but do you fear his disorder? Because you killed your brother and everything has been okay up to this point (no one has discovered you), are you afraid that Hamlet's disorder will disrupt the plan that has been going perfectly up to this point? If he hasn't shown any violence toward you up to this point, why do you want to spy on him? Also, Polonius, why are you so determined to prove that Hamlet's madness has to do with his love for Ophelia? What would it mean for you if that were true?

I have to say that I love the way that Kenneth Branagh played this scene in the movie. He played Hamlet in a way that I totally agree with. He's obviously in love with Ophelia, but he has to "break up" with her in order to protect her from the craziness that is about to envelop his life. However he realizes that they are being spied on towards the middle of their conversation, and he is extremely upset and hurt when Ophelia lies about where her father is. He then proceeds to act violently toward her as he searches recklessly for Claudius and Polonius. In the end, he leaves Ophelia crumpled on the floor, but leaves her regretfully, ultimately saddened by the way things have turned out. I love this portrayal because it is one of the first times where I can relate to Hamlet. I can understand his love for Ophelia and it makes total sense to me that he would feel hurt and betrayed by her. Also, its nice to see a glimpse of the person he was before the death of his father, one who was able to fall in love and let his guard down with at least one person.

Act 2 Scene 2

As one of the longest scenes in Shakespeare, its safe to say that Act 2 Scene 2 is jam packed with action. the scene starts off with Claudius and Gertrude welcoming Hamlet's old college friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hereon referred to as R & G). They have been recruited to spy on Hamlet and discover the true reason behind his supposed madness, and Gertrude promises to reward them heavily if they do so. Polonius then enters and tells the King and Queen of Hamlet's bizarre interaction with Ophelia, and Polonius and Claudius agree to set up a meeting between the two and spy on them as it takes place. Claudius and Gertrude exit, and a conversation takes place between Polonius and Hamlet as Hamlet enters while reading a book. This is the first time we see Hamlet after he has assumed his mad demeanor, and he mocks Polonius while at the same time seeming to insult Ophelia as well. However, because he is so transfixed with Hamlet's strange behavior, Polonius doesn't seem to notice. Polonius exits and R&G enter and begin to converse with Hamlet. They exchange greetings and sexual innuendos, and Hamlet becomes serious as he comments on how he sees Denmark as a prison. He suspects that R&G have been sent by his "uncle-father and aunt-mother," and demands to hear why they have arrived to Elsinor (2.2.344-345). They admit that they were sent for to discover the root of Hamlet's melancholy, and Hamlet begin to explain how the beauty of the world means nothing to him. He is soon interrupted by the arrival of traveling players, and he insists that they perform a scene of the Trojan War. A player begins to recount the story of how Hecuba was distraught by the slaughter of her husband Priam, and he begins to cry. While Polonius (who re-entered a bit after the players) mocks the player, Hamlet is deeply affected, maybe even touched. He asks the player to perform a murder scene the next night at dinner with a speech that he wrote especially for Claudius, and he plans to see if Claudius grows uncomfortable. If he becomes distraught, Hamlet will know that he committed murder. After everyone leaves, Hamlet speaks of his own self-loathing, wondering whether or not he is a coward and wonders what he would have done if he were the player acting out the scene of Priam's murder.

The significance of this scene, I believe, lies within Hamlet's fascination with the players. He is fixated upon their ability to portray reality, and in his final speech he reveals how he wishes he could do so as well. This makes me think that Hamlet is struggling to show self-restraint as he plans how to avenge his father, and it pains him greatly to see the world go on as if nothing has happened. I also enjoy Shakespeare's shout out to the importance of acting and an actor's ability to connect with powerful stories. The great affect that they have on Hamlet mirror the affect that drama has on society. :-)

As an actor, I would LOVE to play Hamlet when he's talking crazy to Polonius. I believe that there is great room for humor and tension, and it could be played so that the audience never knows exactly what's about to happen. Hamlet is acting crazy, and he is utterly unpredictable. I love it when he says to  Guildenstern that he is "mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, [he knows] a hawk from a handsaw" (2.2.347-348). I believe that he dipped into his normal pensive habits while talking to his friends, but this is the line where he snaps back into pretending to be crazy. The line implies, however, that he still has an idea of what's really going on. Hamlet would be struck silent and would be in awe of the player's story. He's obviously deeply touched in his last soliloquy, and his reactions to the storytelling would portray this.

Act 2 Scene 1

This scene begins in the middle of a conversation between Polonius and Reynaldo. Polonius is telling Reynaldo to follow Laertes to Paris and see what he is up to. However, he wants Reynaldo to spread lies about Laertes to his fellow college classmates in order to do so. Polonius hopes that by spreading insane lies about Laertes, his classmates will either confirm or deny that Laertes has done what Reynaldo claims. Reynaldo obeys Polonius, leaves, and Ophelia enters soon after. She tells her father that Hamlet came into her room unannounced and acted very strangely. Polonius immediately assumes that Hamlet has done so because he is mad that Ophelia will not communicate with him. Polonius then leaves to tell Claudius of what Hamlet has done.

Ok Polonius, I have some questions for you, because you really start to annoy me in this scene. First of all, what is your reason for wanting to spy on Laertes? What has he done to deserve your suspicion? You need to just leave him alone. Also, aren't you being hypocritical when you laughingly say to Reynaldo that spreading scandalous rumors about your son won't harm your family's name? You made it obvious when you talked to Ophelia in Act 1 that you care greatly about your family's name and reputation. When you speak to Ophelia in this scene, why do you immediately assume that Hamlet is mad because Ophelia won't talk to him? Is it because you truly believe that the have something serious between them? Also, why do you immediately assume that Hamlet's behavior is an indication that he wants Ophelia? You're so suspicious of him all of the time...I'm guessing that you don't especially like Hamlet. AND you also want to report Hamlet's behavior immediately to Claudius...why? You just seem so neurotic and quick to act before thinking things through in this scene. Truthfully, Polonius, you're just being annoying.

I think that the significance of this scene lies within Polonius's behavior toward his children. I have a feeling that his suspicion of them (especially when it comes to their sex lives) isn't going to turn out well.

Act 1 Scene 5

In the final scene of Act 1, the Ghost tells Hamlet that he is indeed the spirit of his dead father, and that he was killed by this brother Claudius. He tells Hamlet that he can not pass on until he is freed from the sins he committed on Earth, and he tells Hamlet to take revenge on Claudius but to spare Gertrude in the process. The Ghost leaves, and Hamlet quickly decides not to tell Marcellus and Horatio what has happened. When the two show up, Hamlet makes them swear that they will not tell about what they have seen that night and also not to act knowingly if Hamlet were to start acting strange.

I think that Hamlet would be fun to play in this scene. As the Ghost tells him of what has happened to his father, he could be taken aback and take the news very seriously. There could be a hint of morbid excitement underlying the seriousness, however, because Hamlet now has reason to harm him hated uncle. When Marcellus and Horatio arrive, I see Hamlet doing a complete 180 in order to cover up his true intentions. He could be excited, almost giddy to see the two, especially when he says "Oh wonderful!" (1.5.119) Hamlet's different behavior could be what completely confuses Horatio, lending to a bit of humor amidst the previous discovery.

The significance of this scene lies within Hamlet's discovery of his Uncle's treachery. He knows now that his father was killed, and based on his previous behavior, Hamlet is going to do whatever it takes to get revenge.

Act 1 Scene 4

In this short scene, Marcellus and Horatio are taking Hamlet to see the Ghost. As they wait outside, Hamlet comments on how Claudius is celebrating his coronation by drinking and comments on how this disgusts him. He starts talking about how one fault can destroy a man, but he is suddenly interrupted by the ghost's appearance. The ghost beckons to Hamlet, and he follows. Marcellus and Horatio try to convince him not to follow, but Hamlet threatens to kill anyone who gets in his way. Hamlet leaves, and Marcellus and Horatio follow.

Horatio, how do you feel about Hamlet? Do you respect him or are you concerned for his well being. Why is Claudius making such a big raucous deal about his coronation? Isn't that a bit strange... Also, Hamlet, why are you so determined to follow this ghost? You must believe it is your father, but is it really worth threatening death to anyone who gets in your way? What would it mean to you if the ghost was your father? What would you do if it weren't?

As Hamlet pursues the Ghost, Horatio says that "He waxes desperate with imagination." This line makes me wonder if Horatio is still unconvinced of the Ghost's existence. With this line, Horatio seems as if he is the only one who isn't fully convinced of the ghost and the terror he holds over others. It makes Horatio seem like one of the only constant and sane characters in the show so far. He seems like one of the characters that will survive this tragedy.

Act 1 Scene 3

In this scene, Laertes is about to leave but he stops to give his sister, Ophelia, some advice about her supposed relationship with Hamlet. He tells her not to trust Hamlet, and that he won't be able to choose his own wife when the time comes. He'll have to marry what is best for the state. Laertes also mentions that because Ophelia is a woman, she faces the danger of being taken advantage of. Ophelia tells Laertes to take his own advice. Polonius then shows up and gives parting wisdom to Laertes. After Laertes leaves, Ophelia tells her father of her relationship with Hamlet and defends its true intentions. Polonius warns Ophelia that she is disillusioned and that Hamlet only has one thing on his mind. He then forbids her from seeing him, and Ophelia agrees.

It seems that Laertes and Ophelia have a good relationship with each other. Laertes seems to be the older brother, as he gives advice to Ophelia. However, Ophelia must know Laertes well enough to tell him to take his own advice. This cheekiness from Ophelia lends to the idea that the two get along relatively well - or else I'm not sure if she'd rebuke him like that. It could easily be played the other way around, however, and the two may not be able to stand each other. Shakespeare leaves room for many different possibilities.

Ophelia interests me. I'm not 100% sure if I like her or not. If I were to play Ophelia on stage, I'd make her comfortable and confident around her brother, but a bit sheepish around her father. I imagine Ophelia to be "Daddy's Little Girl," and that Hamlet is probably the first boy who has ever paid attention to her. She is unexperienced with relationships, so she probably wouldn't know if Hamlet was using her or not. She decides to obey her father though...for now.

Act 1 Scene 2

HAMLET:Oh! If only my all too human flesh would melt and turn into dew, 
And if only God had not forbidden suicide!
Oh God! Oh God! This world and everything in it seems so pointless!
Ugh! Only vile and rank things grow in gardens that have been unweeded...
But that it should come to this!

He's been dead for two months - not even two months!
He was an incredible king, and he was so loving to my mother that he would command the wind not to blow too roughly on her face if he could...
Good God! Must I remember?
She would hang onto my father as if he only ever fueled her hunger for him, she loved him so much, yet within a month-

I can't even think about it. Women are the epitome of weakness. 
She only mourned my father for a measly little month before she grew tired of it. 
Oh God! I'm so disgusted! A beast with no brains would have mourned longer, and then she goes and marries my uncle!! My father's brother!
Well he's nothing compared to my father, just as I am nothing compared to Hercules. 

A MONTH!!
As soon as the salt of the last pathetic little tears she cried dried, she remarried. 
She flung herself all too quickly into the incestuous sheets of my uncle's bed. 

This is not good, and it will never come to any good. 

But wait! I need to control my true emotions, for I need to hold my tongue. Someone's coming. 

-----------------------
Throughout his first soliloquy, it is obvious that Hamlet is distraught by his father's death and is equally disgusted with his mother's decision to remarry so quickly - to his uncle, no less. 

Hamlet's innermost thoughts are primarily signaled by his constant interruption of himself. He fervently declares phrases such as "Oh God!" numerous times, signaling that it pains him even to think about what has happened. He can barely even utter a coherent sentence, he's so upset. 

Hamlet's respect for his father and grief at his death is evident through the tone of sadness and despair that permeate the sections of the soliloquy that talk about him. He can barely talk about his father, and he misses him so much that he would rather kill himself than live in the messed-up world that he left behind. 

Hamlet's disgust with his mother is just as evident. By comparing his mother to a beast with no brains, it is obvious that he thinks little of her now, even if he had respected her beforehand. 

Act 1 Scene 1

The beginning of the play starts begins as Bernardo takes over the shift of a fellow guard at midnight. The two greet each other tersely, and it is obvious that they are both anxious and jumpy for one reason or another. Bernardo is joined by a fellow guard, Marcellus, and their scholarly companion Horatio. We find out that Bernardo and Marcellus are jumpy die to the fact that they've seen a ghost twice over the past two nights, and he bears a striking resemblance to the recently dead King Hamlet of Denmark. Horatio has not believed their claims, and the two guards are intent on proving him wrong. The ghost inevitably appears, and all three of the men are taken aback, and Horatio claims that he is filled with "fear and wonder." Horatio, being the more scholarly of the three, tries to make sense of the ghost's presence, but all he can conclude is that it is a bad omen for event to come. As Horatio talks, we learn that there is the threat of foreign attack on Denmark, again explaining the tense atmosphere at the beginning of the scene.

This scene is crucial because it sets up central themes of tension and suspicion, and the ghost lets the audience/reader know that something is horribly wring within the castle. 

As an actor, I would love the chance to portray Horatio in this scene, because I feel that his demeanor and discovery of the ghost could lend some humor to an otherwise foreboding scene. Horatio, being a scholar who may think a little highly of himself, enters as through he would rather be in his warm bed than on a guard's patrol on a chilly night. He doesn't believe in ghosts, and he just wants Bernardo and Marcellus to shut up about the one that they think they saw. He's bored, annoyed, and a bit cocky until the ghost shows up, and his pride is hurt when the ghost refuses to talk to him. He can't help but wonder what the ghost's presence signifies, however, and he manages to connect the current upheaval in the castle and country to the ghost's appearance. Now he's intrigued, and he believes that his friend Hamlet may have an idea as to why the ghost of his dead father is lurking around the castle at night...

This Will Be My Hamlet Blog...

This will be my blog as I read the play...well, Hamlet. Enjoy.