Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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R+G report to the king that they cannot
determine the cause of Hamlet’s behavior.
They report he stays aloof and won’t answer
questions in any direct manner.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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Lines 64-98—Hamlet’s most famous
soliloquy—To be or not to be…
In these lines, Hamlet ponders whether to
continue living or to die.
These lines emphasize most directly his
indecision and uncertainty.
Let’s examine specific lines of this soliloquy.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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Ophelia enters and she wants to return
gifts Hamlet has given her—
”remembrances of yours.”
He denies having given her anything
and then denies having loved her.
He then loses his composure and yells
at her, telling her to get to a nunnery
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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The nunnery reference suggests that
Hamlet is calling into question her
virtue (calling her a whore )
Nunnery was a euphemism for brothel.
“Get to a nunnery” is also interpreted a
good place for sinful woman to go to
bring improvements to her life.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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Claudius and Polonius have been
observing this conversation.
Hamlet leaves and Ophelia talks with
the king and Polonius.
She laments “his noble mind is
overthrown.”
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 1
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Lines 176-182--The king now doubts that
love is the cause of Hamlet’s madness.
He recognizes “There’s something in his
soul.” he does not know what it is, but he
is concerned.
Claudius resolves to send Hamlet to
England.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 2
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This scene contains the ‘play within a play’
that features a murder identical to that of
Hamlet’s father.
Hamlet asks Horatio to observe Claudius for
his response to confirm Hamlet’s suspicions.
Upon the staged murder, Claudius rises and
exits.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 2
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Upon the king’s exist, Hamlet is satisfied,
saying “I’ll take the ghost’s word for a
thousand pounds.” (312-13)
Horatio says that he noted the king, too.
Guildenstern reports that the king is ranting
with anger.
The scene ends with Hamlet saying that he
will go to his mother and “speak daggers.”
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 3
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The king affirms plans with R+G to
escort Hamlet to England.
Lines 40-76—The king articulates his
guilt for the first time.
Let us take a look at specific lines to
see with what he is concerned.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 3
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Hamlet enters and sees an opportunity
to kill the king.
He chooses not to do so for fear that
the king will go to heaven instead of
hell.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 4
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In this scene Hamlet has a hostile
exchange with his mom.
Before the exchange begins, Polonius
hides behind a curtain.
Lines 11-21—The exchange is indirect,
yet Hamlet is clearly not planning to be
polite.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 4
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Hamlet kill Polonius through the curtain,
mistaking him for the king.
Lines 47-48—The queen has no idea
why Hamlet begins to assail her with his
spoken daggers.
Lines 104-106—Hamlet essentially tells
his mother she is defiling herself in her
marriage bed.
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 4
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The ghost reappears to remind Hamlet
of his purpose (126-27) after Hamlet
appears to get misdirected with his
rants at the queen.
The queen questions Hamlet’s sanity
after he appears to be addressing thin
air (134-35).
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 4
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Lines 160-176—Hamlet tells her he is
healthy and not mad, and tells her that
she must repent.
Lines 209-10—Hamlet says he is “not in
madness / But mad in craft.”
Hamlet—Act 3, sc 4
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The scene closes with Hamlet saying he
must go to England with R+G
He says he trusts his two friends as he
would trust fanged snakes.
This suggests that Hamlet is onto
Claudius’s plot to get rid of him and
that Hamlet will subvert his plot.