HAMLET
Act Three
ACT THREE SCENE I: KEY POINTS
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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report back to Claudius on
Hamlet’s behaviour but say they have discovered very
little about the cause of his ‘madness’.
Both Claudius and Polonius are shown to be unscrupulous
and devious characters. Neither have any concern over
spying and eavesdropping on private matters. They
happily use Ophelia as “bait” and make plans to use
Gertrude in the same way.
Claudius reveals he is feeling guilt over his terrible crime.
Hamlet’s troubled mind prompts him to reflect on life,
death and suicide. He wonders why people put up with
life’s suffering and misery.
ACT THREE SCENE I: KEY POINTS
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Hamlet is a thinking rather than a man of action – he
thinks and discusses and philosophises. His inability to
reflect comes from his tendency to reflect and over-think.
Hamlet’s meeting with Ophelia is often referred to as ‘The
Nunnery Scene’. Why does Hamlet treat Ophelia in such a
cruel manner?
Is he angry at her for returning his gifts and refusing to see
him?
 Does he know he is being watched by Polonius and Claudius?
 Is Hamlet’s view of marriage and women coloured by his disgust
at Gertrude’s behaviour?
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Ophelia is deeply upset by Hamlet’s cruel treatment of her.
She grieves the change in Hamlet. He once admired by all,
especially her, she cannot make sense of the angry and
bitter man he has become.
Hamlet
Mental Anguish:
Hamlet continues to think
about suicide. He wonders
whether it is better to be alive
or dead: “To be, or not to be,
that is the question”. He sees
life as being full of difficulties
and trials and wonders why we
both. The same attitude is
present when he tells Ophelia
to go to a nunnery – what is the
point of getting married or
having children? He doesn’t
see the point in anything.
Acting Insane?:
When Hamlet meets Ophelia in this
scene he seems to deliberately alter
his behaviour. Only moments before
he spoke of suicide and life in a
calm, rational manner but with
Ophelia his speech becomes
disjointed and disconnected. He
denies ever giving her gifts, which
he obviously did and repeatedly
switches from saying he never loved
her to saying he once did.
It’s important to realise the Hamlet
doesn’t act like someone who has
completely lost their mind. As
Claudius puts it “what he spake,
though it lacked form a little, / Was
not like a madness”
Negative Feelings Towards Women:
Though Hamlet is pretending to be mad during his meeting with
Ophelia, his speech reveals a genuine anger and bitterness towards
women and marriage and, in particular, a disgust of female sexuality:
 He considers women deliberately deceptive and manipulative: “God
hath given you one face and you make yourselves another”
 He says women are a corrupting force and make “monsters” out of
men.
 He repeatedly tells Ophelia to take herself to a nunnery and damns
her if she decides to marry.
 He calls for no more marriages to take place and hints at his wish to
destroy his mother’s marriage: “Those that are married still, all but
one shall live”
It is hard to know if Hamlet has always held this opinions on women or
marriage of if they stem from his recent anger and bitterness towards his
mother and her re-marriage.
Hamlet
A Meddling
Schemer:
Polonius is delighted
that Claudius has
agreed to his plan to
spy on Hamlet and
Ophelia. He takes
charge of the situation
and is still totally
convinced of his opinion
that Hamlet’s madness
stems from “neglected
love”. He immediately
calls for more spying,
suggesting an
engineered meeting
between Hamlet and
Gertrude after the play.
An Uncaring Father:
Polonius is more than capable of
telling his children what to do but it is
questionable how much he actually
cares for them. He displays a clear
lack of care for Ophelia in this scene.
He selfishly uses her problems with
Hamlet as a means to prove his own
theory. Ophelia is used like a prop and
instructed where to walk and what to
do. Despite the awful things Hamlet
says to her and how clearly distraught
she is, he offers her no emotional
support. She has served her purpose
to him and he moves on to his next
scheme with little or no thought on the
amount of grief he has caused her.
POLONIUS
Innocent and Trusting
Ophelia once again appears as an innocent daughter, going
along with her father’s plan. For Ophelia however, the
meeting with Hamlet is deeply personal and emotional. She is
devastated by the prince’s strange and cruel behaviour.
Clearly distraught afterwards, Polonius offers her no
emotional support. All eyes are on Hamlet and nobody seems
to be watching out for this unfortunate innocent girl.
Love for Hamlet:
Ophelia’s response to Hamlet’s wild and angry behaviour
shows how deeply she feels for the prince. She is devastated
to see how Hamlet has changed so dramatically from a noble,
much-admired youth to a ranting bitter man: “Oh woe is me
/ T’have seen what I have seen” She is the only character to
express such heartfelt concern for Hamlet.
Ophelia
A Shrewd Politician:
He sees Hamlet’s seemingly
deranged behaviour as a
threat to his rule. In this
scene he becomes even more
convinced that this ‘madness’
will have dire consequences
for his regime. Claudius hopes
Hamlet’s enthusiasm for the
players is a return to his
normal form but he continues
in his effort to discover the
source of Hamlet’s behaviour.
He reveals his decisiveness
and ruthlessness when he
declares if he cannot get to
the bottom of the mystery
Hamlet will be sent to
England.
Feeling Guilt:
In this scene he gives the first
indication of the intense guilt he
feels for the crime he has
committed. Claudius is not a one
dimensional villain but a killer
with a conscience, someone
tormented with guilt for the
murder of his brother.
CLAUDIUS
Questions
1. What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Claudius about
Hamlet at the start of the scene?
2. How does Claudius reveal to the audience that he has a
conscience?
3. Rewrite Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy using modern
English.
4. Is Hamlet fair in his treatment of Ophelia? Give reasons for
your answer.
5. Imagine you are the director of Hamlet. How would you handle
the spying element of this scene? Should Claudius and Polonius
be visible to the audience? Do you think Hamlet is aware he is
being spied on? Give reasons for your choices.
ACT THREE SCENE II: KEY POINTS
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Hamlet speaks with the players who are about to perform – he
has given them lines to be inserted into the play and directs them
on how they should be delivered.
When the crowd gathers for the performance Hamlet resumes his
act of madness, joking in a crude way with Ophelia.
The play that the players perform has the desired effect on
Claudius and, disturbed from watching a murder so closely
resembling the way he murdered his brother, he walks out.
The play is stopped and Hamlet is left utterly convinced of
Claudius’ guilt. He is in a violent mood and now finally seems
ready to avenge his father’s death. First, however, he must visit
the queen in her bedroom.
Feeling Guilt:
The fact that Claudius walked
out of the performance
convinces Hamlet of his guilt.
The play had exactly the
effect the prince intended.
Seeing an enactment of the
crime he has committed
deeply disturbs Claudius.
However, even though we
have heard a confession of his
guilt, nobody else but Hamlet
and Horatio know of his
crime. A member of the court
could easily think that
Claudius simply took offence
at the nature of the
performance and left in
protest.
A Shrewd Politician:
Although it reveals his guilt to
Hamlet, the king’s decision to
walk out also demonstrates his
political shrewdness. A less
composed person might have
reacted emotionally or
impulsively and confronted
Hamlet in public. Claudius
silently leaves the room to
consider how best to act.
Though he has reason to be
shaken, he gives nobody but
Hamlet cause to be suspicious.
CLAUDIUS
Hamlet
A Ruthless Streak:
Hamlet is now certain that the
Ghost spoke the truth and that
Claudius is guilty of murder. At
the end of the scene, he speaks in
a dark and violent manner,
suggesting he could “drink hot
blood”. This is the first time
Hamlet has seemed in the right
frame of mind to avenge his
father’s death. The prince is also
conscious of this but must visit his
mother before he can act. He
can’t afford to lose the violent
anger that will allow him to kill
Claudius but he cannot allow his
anger to be directed against his
mother.
Acting Insane?:
Hamlet again continues to act mad
in front of the king and court. As the
audience arrives he tells Horatio it
is time to “be idle” once more.
 He responds to Claudius’
greeting with what seems like
gibberish
 He makes a similar response
when Polonius tells him he once
played Caesar in a play
 He makes several comments
about Ophelia’s sexuality that
are both highly inappropriate
and strange
 He pretends not to know how
long it has been since his father’s
death.
 He carries on the same
performance with Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern.
Negative Feelings Towards
Women:
Though more playful than when he met her
in the Nunnery scene, Hamlet continues to
talk to Ophelia in a very unpleasant
manner. His joking is crass and offensive,
and again reveals the prince’s negative
attitude towards women. He treats Ophelia
as is she was a prostitute, though she has
done nothing to earn this treatment. We can
only imagine how hurtful these words must
be to Ophelia, the woman that he once
swore to love.
Hamlet
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are
behaving more like the king’s
servants and less like Hamlet’s longtime friends. In this scene they are
sent to tell Hamlet that the king and
queen are angered and upset by his
behaviour and that the queen wishes
to speak to him.
• Hamlet accuses them of
speaking falsely and
playing games,
dismissing their excuse
that they are acting out
of concern for him. He
berates them for
presuming to think they
could get him to reveal
his inner thoughts. They
are no longer Hamlet’s
friends and from this
point he treats them
with suspicion.
HORATIO
Hamlet’s Loyal Friend
Horatio seems to be the one person Hamlet completely trusts.
We discover in this scene that he has told Horatio what the
Ghost said to him. He has also confided in Horatio his plan to
discover whether Claudius is really guilty of murder and asks
him to observe the king throughout the performance.
Hamlet lavishes praise on his trusted friend. Unlike Hamlet
himself, Horatio is not at the mercy of his changing emotions
and he idealises him for that fact.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Hamlet is now convinced he has
objective proof of Claudius’ guilt
and his fears about the Ghost are
dispelled. From now on, the issue
of whether Hamlet shows
justifiable hesitancy and delay in
killing Claudius will become more
intense. Should Hamlet kill
Claudius immediately or does
have good grounds for waiting?
ACT 3 SCENE II SCENE KEY QUOTES
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Gertrude: “The lady doth protest too much”
Hamlet: “Do you think I am easier to be played on
than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will,
though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon
me”
Hamlet: “Now could I drink hot blood”
Hamlet: “Let me be cruel, not unnatural:
I will speak daggers to her, but use none”
ACT THREE SCENE III: KEY POINTS
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Claudius has gone to his chamber after witnessing
Hamlet’s play. Clearly unsettled he now sees Hamlet
as a serious threat and decides to send him to
England.
Polonius goes to Gertrude’s chamber to spy on Hamlet
while he talks to his mother.
Hamlet’s play has pricked Claudius’ conscience and his
guilt is laid bare in The Prayer Scene as he agonises
over his crime. He describes the intense guilt he feels
for murdering his brother. He attempts to pray for
forgiveness but recognises his failure to make peace
with God.
ACT THREE SCENE III: KEY POINTS
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In a moment of dramatic irony Hamlet believes that
Claudius is praying and so decides not to kill him,
despite the perfect opportunity. He does not want to
send him straight to heaven, however, he doesn’t
realise that Claudius is unable to pray.
While this scene encourages some sympathy for
Claudius, it is a low moment for Hamlet. Hamlet’s
desire to see Claudius eternally damned seems
particularly cruel against the backdrop of Claudius’
agonising inability to pray.
Claudius
A Shrewd Politician:
Claudius once again demonstrates his
good political judgement . He already
regarded Hamlet’s ‘madness’ a threat
to his regime, now he is certain he
must control the threat that Hamlet
represents.
He behaves in a decisive manner,
acting immediately on his plan to
send Hamlet to England. He knows
that Hamlet is too popular with the
people to have him executed. The next
best thing is to remove him from
Denmark.
Claudius
Feeling Guilt:
Though he has mentioned it before, it is in this
scene we get a complete understanding of the
intensity of Claudius’s guilt. He seems disgusted
by the terrible act he has committed: “Oh my
offence is rank, it smells to heaven” He wants
to pray for forgiveness but he fears there is no
mercy strong enough to absolve him. He knows
he definitely cannot be forgiven while he still
holds the rewards of his crime: the throne and
Gertrude. It is important to note that in spite of
the guilt he feels, at no point does he even
consider giving either of these up.
A Ruthless Streak:
Hamlet’s decision not to murder Claudius
reveals the ruthless side of his personality.
His father was murdered in cold blood,
without the opportunity to confess his sins
and is now tormented in purgatory as a
result. If Hamlet kills Claudius while he is
praying (which Hamlet believes he is) then
his soul will go straight to heaven. He wants
Claudius not only to die but to suffer in the
next life.
Hamlet
However, some believe that this decision
doesn’t display ruthlessness but rather
softness. Does Hamlet simply lack the
necessary ruthlessness to finish the job
when he gets the perfect opportunity?
ACT 3 SCENE III SCENE: KEY QUOTES
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Claudius: “Oh my offence is rank: it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t –
A brother’s murder. Pray can I not”
Hamlet: “And that his soul may be as damned and black
As hell whereto it goes”
Claudius: “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below
Words without thoughts never to heaven go”
ACT THREE SCENE IV: KEY POINTS
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Polonius has himself concealed in Gertrude’s chamber.
Mistaking him for Claudius, Hamlet kills him when he
realises he is hiding behind the screen. It is interesting to
note that Hamlet is capable of action when he doesn’t
pause to consider his actions.
Hamlet expresses little remorse for murdering Polonius.
He speaks dismissively of him and contemptuously drags
his body offstage at the end of the scene.
Hamlet tells his mother how angry he is at her for
marrying Claudius, a terrible, sinful act. He rages at her,
saying he cannot understand how she could marry a
parasite, murderer and thief like Claudius.
ACT THREE SCENE IV: KEY POINTS
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The Ghost appears to remind Hamlet of the task at hand.
Gertrude, unable to see the Ghost, fears Hamlet has gone
completely mad.
Hamlet assures her he has only been pretending to be
mad but asks her not to share this information with
Claudius. He also begs her to stop sharing a bed with
Claudius.
Polonius
Self important:
His self-importance is once more evident
in this scene. He appears confident in his
plan to spy on Hamlet. As usual, he is
utterly convinced that he knows best,
telling Gertrude what she should say to
her own son when he arrives.
A Meddling Schemer:
Polonius’ scheming tendencies are clear as he puts into action his plan to
spy on Hamlet again. He once again meddles in affairs that have nothing
to do with him. He needlessly involves himself in the business of the royal
family and dies as a direct result of this. It is difficult not to agree with
Hamlet that he is a “wretched, rash, intruding fool”.
Hamlet
Negative Feelings Towards Women:
Hamlet displays a disgust with female
Anger and Bitterness:
sexuality:
From the start of the play Hamlet has
 He declares that it’s impossible for an
been filled with rage over his mother’s
older woman to feel love for another
remarriage. There are three reasons for
man: “You cannot call it love … at
this: he felt it came too soon after his
your age”
father’s death; that Claudius doesn’t
 He says that women of Gertrude’s age
compare to Hamlet Senior; and that the
feel little passion or sexual desire.
marriage is incestuous.
 He describes her marriage bed as a
In this scene Hamlet gets a chance to
sewer of lust and corruption.
fully express that anger and bitterness
 He presents her sexual relations with
towards his mother. He violently rants at
Claudius as being sinful and corrupt.
Gertrude, saying how her actions have
Though he finds Gertrude’s sexual
stolen the soul from the institution of
behaviour as disgusting and sinful, he
marriage an d that she has made even
cannot avoid dwelling on it and
heaven blush.
describing it in some detail. He is both
More than just anger, he is baffled by
repelled and fascinated by his mother’s
her actions, asking her repeatedly
sexuality. Hamlet’s unease with female
“Have you eyes?”. Hamlet also vents
sexuality was also evident in Act 1 Scene
his anger at Claudius in this scene
III where he continually urged Ophelia to
describing him as a thief who has stolen
avoid sexuality by going to a nunnery.
the empire.
A Ruthless Streak:
Hamlet
The death of Polonius provides further
evidence of Hamlet’s ruthless streak. He
assumes Claudius is spying on him from
behind the screen – yet doesn’t bother to
lift it to check before driving his sword
through the screen. Hamlet claims to regret
killing Polonuis: “I do repent”. His regret,
however, seems quite insincere given the
way he taunts the corpse. He refers to
Polonius as a “fool” and spends only a
moment contemplating his death. If he has
a regret it seems to be that it wasn’t
Claudius he killed. His steely side is also
made clear in his plans to deal with R&G
clinically after their betrayal. He seems to
admit that he will take pleasure in dealing
them back in kind: For ‘tis the sport to have
the engineer / Hoist with his own petar’”
Gertrude
Maternal Feeling:
In this scene it is clear that
Gertrude loves her son. During the
Ghost’s visit she fears for his sanity,
desperately urging him to calm
himself: “O gentle son … sprinkle
cool patience”. She promises not to
betray Hamlet’s secret that he has
been feigning madness. She is torn
between loyalty to her husband and
to her son, yet in the end loyalty to
her son appears to win out.
Guilt for Marrying Claudius:
Though she initially claims she
doesn’t know what sin she has
committed, it is clear by the end of
the scene that Gertrude does feel
guilt about her remarriage. Three
times she begs Hamlet to “speak no
more”. She reveals the deep guilt
this decision has caused her, saying
her very soul is marked by “black
and grained spots” that cannot be
washed away.
Did She Suspect Claudius Killed The King?:
Hamlet refers to Claudius as a murderer and accuses him of stealing the
kingdom. Notably, Gertrude never asks him to elaborate on these
accusations. She doesn’t express astonishment or horror at the charges –
she doesn’t even defend her husband against them. This lack of response
could be because she is in a high stress situation. It is possible she wants to
avoid aggravating Hamlet further. It is also possible she is not fully taking
in what Hamlet is saying. Yet it could be possible that she already
suspected Claudius and so this information is not shocking.
ACT 3 SCENE IV SCENE: KEY QUOTES
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Gertrude: “O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!”
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Hamlet: “O shame! Where is thy blush?”
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Gertrude: “O Hamlet, speak no more.
Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul
And there I see such black and grained spots
As will not leave their tinct.”
Hamlet: “In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty.”