Hamlet
Act 3 - Scene Notes
Scene 1
This scene is filled with irony, as it develops both the plot and theme of the play. It is revealed that Claudius
has begun to consider Hamlet a formidable threat, suspecting that the Prince might suspect his villainy. He
skillfully attempts to disguise his fear and pretends to have a genuine concern about his nephew's well being.
Ironically, Hamlet, who has begun to doubt the ghost's reliability, is less sure about Claudius' villainy, while
Claudius grows more worried about his exposure. No one seems to be sure what is real and what is
appearance.
Hamlet's most famous speech takes place in this scene as he ponders the value of suicide. The essence of his
soliloquy is that it is cowardly to live cautiously and risk nothing, but brave to court death and take action. He
believes his own hesitation comes from a fear of the consequences; yet he is miserable and filled with guilt
and shame over his failure to act in killing either Claudius or himself. His subsequent encounter with Ophelia in
the nunnery scene is painfully sweet. He is overcome with her beauty and his affection for her, but frustrated
by the fact that he cannot communicate his love to her because of his feigned madness. The obedient Ophelia,
doing her father's bidding, returns Hamlet's gifts; in return, he treats her cruelly. Whether Hamlet is genuinely
striking out at her or merely acting his part is not clear, but his responses contain calculated meanness. Many
critics believe that Hamlet realizes that Polonius and Claudius have a part in Ophelia's actions; as a result, his
cruelty is a result of his sense of betrayal.
It is important to note that there is double meaning in the word "nunnery" when Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to
one. In Elizabethan times, a nunnery often referred to a brothel. Such a meaning would be consistent with
Hamlet's attack on Ophelia's character. On the other hand, there is the very real suggestion that Hamlet, still
deeply in love with the innocent Ophelia, wants to protect her and send her away from the evil world of
Denmark. Once again the theme of appearance vs. reality comes into play.
Finally, the plot begins to move rapidly toward its dramatic climax in this scene. Claudius, wanting to free
himself of Hamlet's threat, resolves to send him to England on the pretense of finding a cure for him there.
The egotistical Polonius is still, however, convinced he can find out the real reason for Hamlet's madness and
begs the king to allow Gertrude to question her son. Claudius probably agrees to Polonius' plan because he
wishes to put on an appearance of being genuinely concerned about the Prince's well being; in reality he is
consumed with thoughts of his own survival.
Scene 2
This highly charged, emotional scene contains the first climax of the play. The play-within-a-play, a common
occurrence in Shakespearean drama, tests the King's conscience and confirms Hamlet's suspicions of his
villainy. It is a turning point of the plot, for Hamlet now knows conclusively that the ghost has spoken the
truth, forcing him to finally act decisively. In his soliloquy, he proves that his earlier indecision has been
transformed into passionate emotion and immediate desire for revenge. Unfortunately, Hamlet has waited so
long to take action that he has allowed Claudius time to plan his own drama.
Besides dramatically furthering the plot of Hamlet, the play-within-a-play also presents a metaphor for the
theatre and develops the theme of appearance vs. reality. The fictional drama being presented before the
King is a parallel to the past reality of the King and will serve to shape the future reality of the King and several
other characters. Hamlet, as director of this great masquerade on stage, cautions the players not to
exaggerate their expressions and emotions, stating that only uncivilized "groundlings" are impressed by
excessive melodrama. He tells them that the aim of art is to hold "the mirror up to nature," saying, in essence,
that the representation of action should be a realistic reflection of life, with moderation as the keynote.
Hamlet's advice to the players is important, for it reveals his state of mind before the presentation of the play.
Hamlet has been striving to achieve a balance between reason and passion, as seen in his soliloquies in Acts II
and III; before the players, he cautions for moderation and against excessive passion, indicating that Hamlet's
own mind has finally reached a reasoned balance. It is important to remember that when the players first
arrived in Act II, Scene 2, Hamlet had asked them to give a passionate presentation of the killing of Priam by
Pyrrhus. Now he specifically instructs the players to "beget a temperance" in the "whirlwind of passion" in
order to give it "smoothness."
The fact that Hamlet confides his plans for the play to Horatio reveals his strong admiration and respect for his
friend. In fact, he comments that Horatio's sense of equanimity makes him an admirable judge of things. As a
result, Hamlet asks him to act as an independent witness of Claudius' reaction to the play. Hamlet tells Horatio
that "both our judgements join / In censure of his seeming."
Before the play begins, Hamlet indulges in again poking fun at Polonius; but when it is time for the drama to
begin, the suspense quickly builds. Hamlet rejects his mother's invitation to sit beside her and instead chooses
to sit beside Ophelia in order to observe the reactions of the King and Queen during the drama. The Prince,
still pretending to be mad, indulges in some word play with Ophelia and asks her whether he may lie in her lap.
When Ophelia refuses, Hamlet says that he had only meant to lay his head upon her lap and hadn't meant
"country matters" (a euphemism for sexual intercourse). When Ophelia says that she thinks nothing about
such an act, Hamlet suggests that she is so chaste that she has "no thing" between her legs. Hamlet's punning
is painfully cruel and serves to reveal his own tormented state.
The inner play is preceded by a meaningful pantomime that foreshadows the action and theme of the actual
play. In the mime, Duke Gonzago is killed by having poison poured in his ear; shortly after his death, his wife
goes off with the murderer. Since it is a pantomime, the meaning is not fully clear, but provides Hamlet with
an opportunity to observe Claudius before the King really realizes what is unfolding. When the actual play
begins and Claudius fully understands its meaning, he is unable to contain his guilt; he is brought to his feet,
stops the play, and flees the scene. Hamlet now knows the truth for certain; his excuse for inaction is gone.
This scene, in typical Shakespearean fashion, develops the plot in rapid strokes. Only when Hamlet is left alone
does the pace momentarily slow to allow for the self-reflection that is integral to his character development.
His determination to act is given in a soliloquy, and he appropriately plans his momentous deeds for the hour
of midnight. Hamlet, thirsty for revenge, declares, "Now could I drink hot blood, / And so much bitter business
as the day / Would quake to look on."
Scene 3
This scene is crucial for many reasons. It humanizes Claudius to a small degree, showing that he is remorseful
and afraid. Acknowledging the horror of his actions, he falls to his knees and again tries to pray. When Hamlet,
now filled with a balance of reason and passion, enters the room to murder Claudius, he hesitates. Seeing the
man in prayer, he does not want to kill him and send his soul to heaven, negating his revenge. Many critics
have chastised Hamlet for still another delay.
In many ways, Hamlet's choice not to kill Claudius at this juncture represents the most significant moment of
the tragedy. If Hamlet had acted as planned, the needless deaths of Ophelia, Polonius, Gertrude, and Laertes
could have been avoided. Indeed, Hamlet himself might have lived. Ironically, the play, however, would have
lost its high sense of tragedy, and Hamlet would have been less a tragic hero by stabbing Claudius from behind
as he knelt in prayer.
Scene 4
Hamlet enters his mother's closet in a state of frenzied excitement and rage. He believes she has been an
accomplice in the murder of the late King, if only by abandoning his memory too soon. His anger and disgust
are increased when Gertrude, following Polonius' advice, lets Hamlet know that "his pranks have been too
broad to bear with" and begins to upbraid him for his behavior toward Claudius. Hamlet's passion rises to a
feverish pitch, and he turns on Gertrude with anger. His words act like daggers that shatter Gertrude's peace
of mind and make her realize her failure to live up to the ideals of fidelity and constancy. The picture that
Hamlet shows Gertrude of her soul is unbearable for her. She misinterprets the situation and, believing that
she is in physical danger of being assaulted, cries out for help. Her cries for help are echoed by Polonius, who is
hiding behind the arras. Hamlet, thinking the hidden observer is Claudius, runs his sword through the arras in a
fit of passion, killing Polonius. At this stage, it becomes clear Gertrude is innocent of direct involvement in King
Hamlet's death; she is totally stunned by Hamlet's words and repeats them in confusion. Polonius is not so
innocent; instead he is a victim of his own despicable character. From the beginning of the play, he has been a
busybody who spies on others. Ironically, his spying leads to his death.
The killing of Polonius is a complication for Hamlet, for he has now become a murderer without a just cause.
Even though he has innocent blood on his hands, he is unable to repent, justifying his action by saying the
Polonius was a meddling fool. Still the Prince fears that he is no longer God's minister, but a scourge destined
for damnation. It is fairly certain at this point that Hamlet will have to pay for his misdeed, for unjustifiable
murder cannot go unpunished, and Laertes is certain to want revenge for his dead father. Hamlet's careful
deliberation and planning have been undone in a quick moment of passion.
Hamlet's criticism of his mother has the desired effect, and she cries out in anguish as she recognizes the
foulness of her sin; but she refuses to abandon her current husband in spite of her son's demands. When he
chastises her further, she begs Hamlet to stop and admits the existence of the "black and grained spots" in her
soul. But Hamlet's passion is furiously aroused, and his words to his mother grow increasingly bitter and sharp.
At this point, the Ghost of the late King appears to remind Hamlet of his promise not to harm Gertrude and to
hasten him towards revenge against Claudius before it is too late. Gertrude cannot see the ghost to whom
Hamlet speaks and decides that her son is really mad.
Hamlet's interview with his mother has been the focus of elaborate critical and psychological commentary.
The Freudian approach, which attributes Hamlet's delay in killing Claudius to his inability to resolve his oedipal
feelings for his mother, holds that Hamlet's conduct in this scene is due to the fundamental instincts of
jealousy and sexual affection for his mother. There is, indeed, a strong undercurrent of sexual imagery in the
scene, and the language is charged with passion. In contrast, the traditional Shakespearean critics view Hamlet
as a moral idealist who rightly castigates Gertrude in an effort to save her soul from damnation. They claim
that he does not unduly exaggerate her guilt, nor does he try to unburden himself by laying the blame on her.