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Characters
General information
Literary terms (irony)
Hamlet’s third of four great soliloquies
Claudius’ Soliloquy
Quotes (10 total)
Themes
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Late King Hamlet
Gertrude
Prince Hamlet
Claudius
Polonius
Ophelia
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Traveling Actors (Player Queen/Player King)
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Five Act Structure: Purpose of Act III
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Primary Setting:
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16th Century
How much time has gone by since the death of King
Hamlet?
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Castle of Elsinore; Denmark
Time Period:
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Continued conflict added to the argument
Clash of opposing forces
four months
How much time has gone by since the start of the play?
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two months
Literary Terms:
Aside
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Definition: when a character reveals thoughts while other
character’s are on stage; information is meant for the audience
to hear, not the other characters present.
Soliloquy
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Definition: when a character is alone on stage revealing
his/her inner thoughts to the audience through a lengthy
speech.
Literary Terms:
 Irony:
 Definition: when something happens that is the
opposite of what is meant or expected to happen.
 (Examples)
 Dramatic Irony
 Definition: When the audience or reader
knows or perceives something other
characters do not. (Examples)
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Third of four Great Soliloquies delivered by Hamlet:
“to be or not to be…” (to exist or not to exist;
questions life and the ease of death)
In the third soliloquy Hamlet discusses how dreams
enable us to tolerate longer to life’s pains; and how
death would be an easy escape from life’s problems.
Claudius’ soliloquy: Reveals he has killed his
brother, the Late King Hamlet. Also, he says he is not
fully remorseful for killing him because he enjoys all
the things he possesses due to his killing.
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Examples of Polonius meddling and how other
characters have been affected. (Act I-III)
Examples of Claudius being a hypocrite.
Act III Quotes ( total)
Polonius: …that with devotion’s visage/ And pious
action we do sugar o’er/ The devil himself. (theme of
deception/theme of appearance vs. reality)
Claudius: There’s something in his soul/ O’er which his
melancholy sits on brood, / And I do doubt the hatch
and the disclose/ Will be some danger;…
(foreshadowing)
Claudius: It shall be so./ Madness in great ones must not
unwatched go.
Act III Quotes (cont.):
Hamlet: Your majesty and we that have free souls
it touches us not./ Let the galled jade winch;
our withers are unwrung.
Hamlet: Let me be cruel not unnatural; I will speak
daggers to her, but use none.
Rosencrantz: Never alone/ Did the King sigh, but with a
general groan.
Act III Quotes (cont.):
Claudius: Pray can I not, / though inclination be as sharp
as will. (irony)
Claudius: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; /
Words without thoughts never to heaven go. (irony/
dramatic irony)
Ghost: This visitation/ Is but to whet thy almost blunted
purpose.
Hamlet: I must be cruel only to be kind. / Thus, bad
begins, and worse remains behind. (foreshadowing)
Themes:
“Seeing” clearly
Deception (Claudius sending Hamlet to England)
Corruption
Revenge
Appearance vs. Reality (Claudius being a hyprocrite)