Hamlet Act 3

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Hamlet

Act I

Act II

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Hamlet Act 3

Hamlet Act III Summary

By Dorothy Cao

Summary For Scene 1

Main Character: Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius, and Claudius
Event: Claudius and Polonius call Ophelia to investigate the truth of Hamlet's madness since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fail to find it. Hamlet, in this moment, is questioning whether to commit suicide or not. He expresses his point of view toward life, and considers death is not frightening, but its uncertainly does and that is what people afraid

of: “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause: / there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life … ” (Act III, Scene 1) When Ophelia comes with her camouflage, Hamlet gives her a chance to disclose her self: “Ha, ha! Are you honest…Are you fair?” (Act III, Scene 1) However, Ophelia fails. Hamlet is infuriated since all of his beloved women, Gertrude and Ophelia, try to lie on him. He rejects Ophelia's request of retrieving their love vehemently and berates women's frailty and dependency on men: “Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? / I am myself indifferent honest; /but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me…”(Act III, Scene 1) Meanwhile, Claudius suspects Hamlet's madness and afraid he will embroil in a dangerous situation because of Hamlet's madness. He prepares to send Hamlet to England and asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's escort.

Scene 2 and 3

Hamlet is preparing a play that describe how a nephew of the king murderer the king and get both the Queen and the crown, this is similar to Claudius's situation. Hamlet uses it to examine the truth of his father's death. In the play, Claudius's reaction to the play make Hamlet ensures Claudius is the murderer of his father, King Hamlet. When Claudius steps out to calm himself down from the excruciating depression of the play, Hamlet follows him and tries to kill Claudius by this perfect moment. However, Claudius is confessing his crime and repenting for his brother's death. Hamlet, in this paramount moment, doesn't think it is a perfect moment to kill Claudius. Because the God will forgive a person's crime and send him to heaven when the person is confessing and immersing in repentance of what he have done before he dies. Hamlet, of course, doesn't want to send Claudius to heaven. He will find a moment that Claudius is enjoying in luxury or having sex with women, but sure not this moment when he is pray, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; and now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;

and so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: a villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven. O, / this is hire and salary, not revenge… When he is drunk asleep, / or in his rage, / or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; / at gaming, swearing, / or about some act that has no relish of salvation in't; / then trip him, / that his heels may kick at heaven, / and that his soul may be as damn'd and black as hell, / whereto it goes.” (Act III, Scene 3)

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Famous quotes

"To be, or not to be: that is the question" by Hamlet (Act III, Scene 1)

"The lady doth protest too much, me thinks.” by Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2)

“Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.” by Hamlet (Act III, Scene 1)

"Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?" by Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2)

"I will speak daggers to her, but use none." by Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2)

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To Be or Not To Be

By Hang Chun Ke, Jeffrey Aikens, Hang Cheng Zheng

Interpretation and analysis of Hamlet's to be or not to be soliloquy

Original Text Interpretation

To be, or not to be: that is the question:	Hamlet's concern is to act on it or not.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer	It harms people mentally and psychologically.
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,	Both sides of dagger are harmful.
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?	Either to use your arms to resist troubles or to end your life by committing suicide.
To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks	Sleeping is the temporary death. When you are sleeping you lose your feeling, includes your pain.
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd	The heartaches and thousand of natural troubles attack the flesh. This is an end for everybody.
To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;	To sleep is the best way to relieve your stresses and perhaps to dream.
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come	The dreams found in the sleep of death.
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,	After, we leave our bodies.
Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life;	We must pause for a while. The dreams may tell us the reasons why we are suffering.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,	For who would bear the whips and scorns of life.
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,	It is tyrant's brutality, the arrogant man's arrogance, the agony of rejected love, the law's delay.
The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes,	The insolence of authority, and the insults hurled daily at the downtrodden.
When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,	As man could free himself of all of this with a mere dagger.
To grunt and sweat under a weary life	People are grunting and sweating with exhaustion.
But that the dread of something after death,	There are more lies beyond death.
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?	People who are dead went to another place, but they never come back and let we know how is there. Maybe there is worse than as the place we are lived.
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;	Our cowards are made by our conscience.
And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought	Our natural colors are drained by the prospect of it. Thinking and considering the consequences of action.
And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry,	After consideration, action has become less forceful. Things of gravity and importance lose their momentum.
And lose the name of action.--Soft you now!	The more you think the more your action is being soft. Finally, you lost your action
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons	Ah, it's the beautiful Ophelia, my prayers.
Be all my sins remember'd	Nymph, remember to pray for my sins.

Analysis:

Hamlet's soliloquy shows and expresses the imperfection of the world. He was not only expressed his own feeling of agony, but also expressed the pangs of all human beings. The soliloquy cools down my enmity and stops to blame my fortune and life. Also, I understood how to tolerate others. All bad things happened was due to the weakness of human beings. The nature of human beings is unchangeable.

However, don't be so upset because we all the right of choice, which can not be taken away by anyone even the god. We can choose to against the sea of troubles as Hamlet said in his soliloquy. Conquer people who have the intention to ruin our happiness and life. Although, life is covered by pangs we still have to continue it. We are going to seek happiness and take utterly control our life.

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To be or not to be Interpretation

To live or to die is what Hamlet expressed in his speech. He delivers seamless examples of the horrors of life and depicts death as a shade of fear that has been cast over many humans. What comes after death? The “undiscovered country” as it is referred to poses a daunting question that sends shocks of countless fear into the lives of many. It is this fear and lack of knowledge that generates a feeling in Hamlet that we as humans are all cowards.

Text Interpretation
To be or not to be-that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousands natural shocks that flesh is heir to-‘tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.	Hamlet expresses a choice between living and dying. Would it be better to take action on current situations in his life and suffer the consequences or to die and leave all his troubles behind? But in many cases death solves nothing.
To die, to sleep-to sleep, perchance to dream.	A painless death as if you died in your sleep.
Ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.	Many people wrestle with the idea of the after life for when the time comes for a soul to live the prison of mortal flesh what will be its fate.
There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life.	Nothing in this world is promise except death. So many people cherish life and put up with the misery and everything that comes with it because they don't know what to expect after death.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th' unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin?	Hamlet expresses the many difficulties of life to pose a question as to who would bare this injustice when they can simply end their life with a dagger.
Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?	The fear of the unknown is what imprisons many people in this misery Hamlet calls a weary life. But he challenges this as to say people should fear what is certain (life) and pursue what is unknown (death).
Thus conscience does make cowards (of us all,) and thus the native hue of resolution is (sicklied) o'er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pitch and moment with this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action.	Due to the fact that humans are able to think. The thought of the unknown sends many people into a state of fear which in Hamlet's eyes makes us all cowards.
Soft you now, the fair Ophelia.	Hamlet tells Ophelia to quiet her voice.
Nymph, in thy orisons be all my sins remembered.	Hamlet feels by repenting in his prayer that this should be a representation of his goodness.

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My Interpretation of Hamlet's “to be or not to be” soliloquy

In this soliloquy, Hamlet sinks into a fierce self-reflection. He asks himself a question that should he continue to live miserably or to end his sorrows and suffers by committing suicide. He tries to seek reasons for his decision and contemplates suicide. But his fear of “the dread after death” has indeed made coward of him.

To be or not to be that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And, by opposing, end them.

To die, to sleep

No more and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep

To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

Th ' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office, and the spurns

That patient merit of th ' unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered country from whose bourn

No traveler returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pitch and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of action.

Soft you now!

The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons

Be all my sins remember'd.

Hamlet's question is to live or to die? To suffer torture from outrageous fortune, or to take actions to fight against the troubles and end them.

To die, and sleep no more. But die in dreamless sleep to end the heartache and all pangs. Let the way of all flesh and a final settlement of all maters be devoutly wished. But in the sleep of death dreams may come. When we have untangled ourselves from the flesh, and detached ourselves from the turmoil of human affairs, we must have a pause. And there's the respect that makes us put up with unhappiness for such a long time.

The tyrant's oppression, the haughty man's contumely, the pangs of unrequited love, the injustice of law, the insolence of authority, and the disdainful rejects. Who would bear all these whips and scorns in his life when he would settle his own account with an unsheathed dagger?

Death is an undiscovered country where no traveler returns. The dread of something after death makes our wills paralyzed, and makes us rather stay to bear the pangs and burdens than go to an unknown place contains full of uncertainties and fears.

Conscience does make people cowards. Our natural courage is daunted by our thought. And because of our thoughts, our determination become unstable , and eventually lost the action.

Haml et was distracted by Ophelia who was saying her prayer. Hamlet (in his heart) genuinely beseeches the beautiful and innocent Ophelia to pray for him.

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Questions based on Act III, Scene 1

by Hang Cheng Zheng

1. In this scene, Hamlet's actions are viewed form several angles. Is he acting from a grand plan? Yes? No? Why? Discuss.

“Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them…” From Hamlet's soliloquy, it is not difficult to see that he was having a plan. But he was still hesitating from whether he should take the action. He asks himself that should he continue to live miserably or to end his sorrows and suffers by ending his own life. But his fear of “the dread after death” has eventually stopped him from committing suicide.

2. What changes in attitude toward Hamlet and his behavior have developed? Why?

Originally, Claudius doubted Hamlet's lunacy was real. He thought it might be caused by Hamlet's love toward Ophelia. After he heard Hamlet's conversation with her, Claudius changed his opinion: “Love? His affections do not that way tend;” Claudius decided that Hamlet's behavior was not because of love, but it was an act and he was a threat to him. Claudius was aware of the dangers and he was so threatened the he told the king in England to kill Hamlet.

3. What are the full implications in Claudius's closing line: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go”? Does Claudius actually believe that Hamlet is mad? Discuss.

Claudius had never stopped suspecting Hamlet's madness. He thought Hamlet's actions should be watched. He ordered Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to spy on Hamlet. He and Polonius disguised to be inconspicuous, and observed Hamlet's behavior in his “encounter” with Ophelia.

4. How does Claudius display his shrewd intellect in this scene?

After scouted Hamlet's behavior and words toward Ophelia, Claudius was aware of the danger that Hamlet might bring to him in the future. To prevent this potential threat, he decided to send Hamlet away.

5. What reasons must Hamlet have had in his renunciation of Ophelia? How might he have been trying to protect her?

Hamlet could only love Ophelia in his heart, and his real feeling was never allowed to be showed.

He maintained his madness in front of everyone include Ophelia because he didn't want her to get involved into the trouble of revenging his uncle. He more than once told Ophelia to go to “a nunnery” where he thought should be a safe place for her. And that would also prevent her from getting married with another man.

6. What future events is the audience now anticipating?

Form Claudius's closing line, and his previous words, it is predictable that Claudius was going to take some further action toward Hamlet, such as sending Hamlet to England and continues to keep his eyes on Hamlet.

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Act III, Scene 1

1. In this scene, Hamlet's actions are viewed form several angles. Is he acting from a grand plan? Yes? No? Why? Discuss.

2. What changes in attitude toward Hamlet and his behavior have developed? Why?

3. What are the full implications in Claudius's closing line: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go”? Does Claudius actually believe that Hamlet is mad? Discuss.

4. How does Claudius display his shrewd intellect in this scene?

5. What reasons must Hamlet have had in his renunciation of Ophelia? How might he have been trying to protect her?

Hamlet could only love Ophelia in his heart, and his real feeling was never allowed to be showed.

6. What future events is the audience now anticipating?

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Creative Writing

By Dorothy Cao

This is an attorney closing argument establish Hamlet's sanity when Hamlet is putting on trial for murder of Polonius and Claudius and he is pleading insanity.

Hamlet is not insane. He clearly understands what he is doing. Because of vengeance for his murdered father, he pretends insanity in order to avert Claudius's suspicion and also make Hamlet investigates the truth of King Hamlet's death conveniently. Hamlet also uses his madness as an excuse to express his anger toward Claudius, Gertrude, and Ophelia. Even though Hamlet performs a great show of feigning insanity, he exposes his indubitable sanity throughout his dialogues with the people around him.

When he talking with people, Hamlet disguises insanity too perfectly and each "silly" word comes from his mouth seems as an attempt that is contemplated many times in Hamlet's mind. When King Claudius summons Polonius to scrutinize Hamlet's madness, Hamlet tricks Lord Polonius by putting satire into his insanity: "You cannot,/ sir,/ take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal:/ except my life,/ except my life,/ except my life." (Act II, Scene 2) Even Polonius, in his conversation with Hamlet, thinks there is sanity in Hamlet's insanity: "Though this be madness, / yet there is method in 't... How pregnant sometimes his replies are!" (Act II, Scene 2) Even Hamlet is consummate for being insane, his cumulative revulsion toward Gertrude and Claudius is manifested and Hamlet expresses his sarcastic manner toward their remarriage in his insanity. "I tell you ,/ must show fairly outward,/ should more appear like entertainment than yours./ You are welcome:/ but my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived." (Act II, Scene 2)

In the conversation with Rosencrantz, Hamlet shows his total sanity toward Rosencrantz's situation in front of Claudius, which is a piece of sponge that "keeps them, like an ape,/ in the corner of his jaw;/ first mouthed,/ to be last swallowed: when he needs what you have gleaned,/ it is but squeezing you,/ and,/ sponge,/ you shall be dry again." (Act IV, Scene 2) Although Rosencrantz considers Hamlet's utterance as gibberish, Hamlet discovers and spreads his educated and logical thinking throughout the conversation. Hamlet uses his insanity as a camouflage of his own goal since everybody concerns his utterance as nonsense. In the conversation with Guildenstern, Hamlet uses his madness as a tool to revile Guildenstern's approach of spying Hamlet: "You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops;/ you would pluck out the heart of my mystery;/ you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass:/ and there is much music, excellent voice,/ in this little organ;/ yet cannot you make it speak./ 'Sblood,/ 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."

In conclusion, Hamlet is not insane. His murder of Lord Polonius and King Claudius is committed by his clear and clever mind. His insanity is one of his ancillary tact to help him prepare a perfect revenge for his father. In his insanity, Hamlet exhibits another concealed personality. The behaviors during Hamlet's insanity are prohibited before Hamlet is not insane. Maybe the insane Hamlet is the personality that Hamlet wants to act for a long time; it is also another Hamlet which is blasphemous and robust.

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Illustrations

Act III, Scene I, To Be or Not To Be by Hang Cheng Zheng

Act III, Scene2, Hamlet Flute by Jeffrey Aikens

Act III, Scene 1, To be or Not to be by Dorothy Cao

Act III, Scene I, To be or Not To be by Hang Chun Ke

Act Three, Scene One, To Be or Not To Be by Jeffrey Aikens

Act III, Scene I, To Be or Not To Be by Hang Cheng Zheng

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Three Sons

by Jeffrey Aikens

…what would you undertakeTo show yourself your father's son in deed in More than a words?

In J. Paris's "Three Sons in Hamlet" in The Atlantic , June 1959 the revenge for the death of the fathers of Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras in many ways has made them “brothers”. This chasm that has been placed in their lives is the motivation for them to fulfill their destinies and become as triumphant and revengeful as their misfortunes guaranteed it. J Paris describes the “brothers” as “three different aspects of one type” as to say Hamlet represents thought and his opposite Laertes represents action and Fortinbras “in whom the halves are reunited and in whom these contradictions are triumphantly summed up.” If you take the words of Claudius, “...what would you undertake to show yourself indeed your father's son more than in words?” this is just a reflection of J. Paris's thoughts and is the question that is placed in front of these characters that can only be answered by their actions. Hamlet the symbolism of thought has for too long set back and done nothing to requite his father's death but later gains inspiration from one of his “brothers” Fortinbras, “Rightly to be great is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor's at the stake. How I stand, then, that have a father killed, a mother stained, excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep, while to my shame I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men that for a fantasy graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon the numbers cannot try the cause.” From this speech we see new a Hamlet, “O, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!” but past actions doesn't go unnoticed by Hamlet killing Polonius he sparked the arrival and rage of Laertes. According to J. Paris he makes reference to this, “Thus Hamlet makes alongside of him another Hamlet; he kills Polonius, Laertes' father, and here is Laertes in the same situation that he is in vis-à-vis Claudius. There are two fathers to avenge…” This is why Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras coincide with each other because they face the same obstacles but just like a new Hamlet, Laertes was willing to avenge his father's death even if that meant killing Hamlet, “…I'll anoint my sword. I bought unction of a mountebank so mortal that, but dip a knife in it, where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, collected from all simples that have virtue under the moon, can save the thing from death that is but scratched withal. I'll touch my point with this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, it may be death.” Three people locked in the same fate with many paths to guide them. They know what the outcome of their situation has to be but getting there is a battle upon it's self.

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Bibliography

These images sources were used for Hamlet Illustration

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/46/460274.jpg

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/129363/2/Marvin.jpg

http://www.mavrickdreams.co.uk/images/small/music.jpg

http://discount-wallcovering.com/images/youth%20&%20sports/RAP039.jpg

http://www.sts-online.org/images/hamlet.jpg

http://encoretheatremagazine.blogspot.com/Mark%20Rylance,%20Hamlet,%20RSC%201988.jpg

http://www.metalsmiths.com/skull2a.html

http://www.pcc.cc.ks.us/StudentPublication/indivdual%20sites/MattE/man%20face.jpg

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