“Hamlet” – Act III, scenes 2 & 3 –
1.What job does Hamlet give Horatio
during the play?
Watch Claudius and assess his behavior
2.What strange behavior does Hamlet
show towards Ophelia? Why do you
think he is doing this?
Shows erotic puns…Mad? Cruel?
Misogynistic (Disrespect of
women…sexist)?
3.How does Claudius act when the
murderer in the play pours the poison
into the sleeping king’s ear?
Very uncomfortable and guilty as he exits
4.Why does Hamlet continue to act
“Mad”?
He wants to get Claudius to act/show the
depth of his emotion which might point to
him as the murderer
5.Who does Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern say wishes to speak to
Hamlet? How does he vow to respond?
His mother, Queen Gertrude – “I will
speak daggers to her, but use none.” – He
agrees, but will not show emotion.
Analysis
6. In your opinion, does Claudius react to
his killing of the King, or to the play he
sees, or…is there another angle you
wish to confront?
Checking to see if Hamlet is really “mad”
7.How does Hamlet actually seem to
control his own behavior in this scene?
Why might he seem mad?
His chance to catch Claudius and maybe
get revenge
8.How do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
feel about Hamlet’s behavior? What
does Claudius suggest?
Strange/erratic…His madness is
dangerous…Claudius says take Hamlet to
ENG – relax
9.What are Hamlet’s intentions when he
sees Claudius praying? What does he
wind up doing? Why? When does he
actually wish to kill Claudius?
To Kill Claudius, but…if he kills him while
he is praying, Claudius will go to heaven –
Kill him when he is sinning.
Act 3, scene 3
1.What does Claudius’s prayer hint at?
Are we sure? Why/Not?
Admits to killing King
Hamlet…Yes…Gives a confessions
2.Why does Hamlet wish to damn
Claudius’s soul rather than kill him
while he is praying?
Knows his father was killed wo/ confession
– concerned about his soul…so why should
he allow Claudius a confession so he can
go to heaven.
3.Do you think Hamlet uses the idea not
to kill Claudius while he is praying as
an avoidance of some other
issue…Explain your answer.
Maybe Hamlet doesn’t want to kill
Claudius himself – “To be or not to be”
“Hamlet” – Act III, Scene 4
1. Discuss Polonius’s plan when
Gertrude and Hamlet meet. How does
Polonius say Gertrude should act?
Hide and eavesdrop – Gertrude was
going to chastise him for his recent
behavior. She also wanted to prove his
“madness” was based on love for
Ophelia which could never be.
2. How does Hamlet retort when
Gertrude tells him he has offended his
father? What is Hamlet’s approach,
then, towards Gertrude? How does
she and Polonius react?
He retorts – She offended him by
marrying his brother. Immediately,
she cries out, Polonius enters.
3. Discuss what happens as Hamlet
states, “How, now, a rat!” (line 22).
He thinks the “rat” is Claudius…But
it is Polonius, who he immediately
kills.
4. Gertrude calls Hamlet’s action “rash
and bloody” - How does he reply?
Then briefly state their exchange.
Almost as much as killing a king and
marrying his brother…He assures her
she heard correctly.
5. How does Hamlet react when he sees
the dead Polonius?
Not worried about it…Says
“Goodbye” and calls him “an
intruding fool”
6. What does Hamlet show his mother
and what question does he ask her?
What is Gertrude’s reaction?
Pictures of the king and Claudius and
then Hamlet immediately tells her
how much better the king was…She
shows regretfulness
7. What is the significance of the
appearance of the ghost to Hamlet?
To Gertrude?
She really thinks he’s crazy
now…Now, he must seek revenge.
8. What 3 things does Hamlet try to
convince Gertrude of?
1 – He is only acting “mad” (crazy)
2 – Urges her to leave Claudius
3 – Don’t reveal that I’m only acting
“mad”
9. What does Hamlet say about
Polonius’s corpse?
Hamlet expects punishment bc/ he
knows Polonius be killed was wrong
… antithesis – it was an accident
10. Why is Hamlet suspicious of
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
He thinks they are loyal to Claudius
although they are his old college
buddies.
Analysis
11. What is Hamlet’s motive when he
confronts his mother?
Tries to prove that she knows
Claudius murdered King Hamlet, his
father. Wants her to ask for
forgiveness.
12. Why would Hamlet be so demanding
to his mother about not sleeping with
Claudius?
Unconscious sexual desire for
Gertrude, like in “Oedipus Rex”
13. Go thru Gertrude’s myriad of
emotions in this scene. How is this a
further indoctrination into the theme of
misogyny?
(1) She is accused and then is
afraid of his “madness” … (2)
Shock and upset at the death of
Polonius … (3) Fears Hamlet’s
anger … (4) Fears the ghost –
Shows how she is dominated
emotionally by men in power.
14. What links Gertrude to Ophelia, in a
thematic sense?
Afraid of Hamlet. Submissive and
have to depend on men.
15. Discuss Hamlet’s tragic flaw as it
relates to how he murdered Polonius.
Impulsive/he can’t combine thoughts
and actions and act on them.
16. Give the irony about Hamlet seeking
revenge.
If he gets revenge, it will be an
accident…ex. Killing Polonius.
17. Spiritually, what does the murdering
of Polonius signal to Hamlet?
God will use him as a tool of
vengeance for accidently killing
Polonius…Hamlet is then damnable
for murder.