Hamlet Summary

Act III

This scene opens with Claudius, the King, asking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern if they have discovered the cause of Hamlet's madness. After admitting they did not find the cause, but were treated well by Hamlet, they inform the King and Queen that Hamlet is happy that there is going to be a play presented tomorrow and he hopes that Claudius and Gertrude will attend. Pleased that there is something that amuses Hamlet, they both decide to attend the play and they urge Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to try and stimulate his interest further.

Claudius asks Gertrude to leave so that he and Polonius can observe a clandestine meeting they set up between Hamlet and Ophelia. They tell Ophelia to pretend she is praying and they go and hide. Hamlet enters and gives a soliloquy on his thoughts about himself committing suicide. He sees Ophelia, and when she tries to return some gifts that he had given her, he claims he never gave her any. They have a discussion wherein Hamlet denies ever loving Ophelia and berating her and women in general for their trickery and pretentiousness.

When Hamlet leaves, Claudius and Polonius enter. Claudius is convinced that Hamlet's madness does not stem from his love for Ophelia, but that it is something else that is afflicting his soul. Claudius realizes that Hamlet's actions are a danger to those around him. He decides to send Hamlet to England, hoping a change of atmosphere will settle his heart. The scene ends with Claudius stating that Hamlet should be watched.

Hamlet gives some last minute instructions to the players and they proceed to get ready to perform the play. Hamlet confides in Horatio that he has a plan to test his uncle's guilt. He tells Horatio that he has asked the players to reenact the murder of Hamlet's father. By seeing Claudius' reaction to the murder, Hamlet will know for sure whether or not the ghost was telling the truth. Horatio agrees to watch the king's reaction.

The play, The Mousetrap, is introduced and gets underway. When the murder scene is enacted, Claudius calls for lights and storms out. Hamlet and Horatio discuss the king's reactions and both are convinced that Claudius killed the old king.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter, tell Hamlet the king is very upset and then they ask him why he has been so upset lately. Hamlet, tired of their meddling, confronts them and demands to know why they are trying all these games to get information from him. He tells them that he is too smart to be caught in their traps. Polonius enters and tells Hamlet that the Queen wishes to speak with him.

This scene gives insight into Claudius' thoughts and gives the audience proof regarding Hamlet's and the ghost's assertions that Claudius killed Hamlet's father.

The king, frightened, prepares to send Hamlet to England, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany him. Polonius enters and tells the King that Gertrude is going to talk to Hamlet and try and come to an understanding regarding his madness, while he (Polonius) hides and listens to the conversation. Polonius leaves and Claudius is left on stage.

In Claudius' soliloquy, he admits to killing his brother and starts to realize the difficulties he is in. He tries to atone for his sins by praying, but he finds that although he can say the words to ask for forgiveness, he doesn't believe what he is saying. Unbeknownst to Claudius, Hamlet enters while Claudius is at prayer. Although this seems like the perfect opportunity for Hamlet, a chance to kill Claudius after proving Claudius' guilt in the murder, Hamlet refuses to go ahead with the deed. He is afraid that because Claudius is praying, Claudius' sins will be forgiven. Because Hamlet doesn't want Claudius to have a chance to go to heaven, or to purgatory where Hamlet's father now resides, he leaves.

NOTE: It is ironic that when Hamlet has an opportunity to kill Claudius and get away with killing him, he hesitates because he doesn't want there to be a chance that Claudius wouldn't suffer in the afterlife. What Hamlet didn't know was that Claudius couldn't pray and if he had killed Claudius, he would have had his revenge. Another thing to note, if Hamlet kills Claudius now, the deaths that occur later in the play would not have happened.

Polonius hides behind a curtain as Hamlet enters into his mother's chamber. When the Queen is confronted by an angry and erratic Hamlet, she panics and screams for help. When Polonius hears her scream, he thinks Hamlet is trying to kill her and he yells out. Hamlet, who suspects that Claudius is hiding behind the curtain, draws his sword and stabs at the sound.

The Queen, horrified at what Hamlet has done, tries to chastise him, but Hamlet says his deed is nowhere as bad as killing a king and marrying the old king's wife. Hamlet goes on to explain to the Queen all that he believes she has done wrong, including wronging her old husband's memory. He tries to show her the differences between the old king and Claudius, attributing only good qualities to his father and negative qualities to Claudius.

Hamlet gets excited when confronted with Gertrude's misplaced love; he doesn't understand how she can forget her husband so easily. The ghost enters. The Queen thinks Hamlet is mad (crazy), because she cannot see the ghost Hamlet sees. The ghost reminds Hamlet that Hamlet is to leave the judgement of Gertrude to God and not to harm her. Hamlet tries to convince Gertrude that the ghost is real, but fails.

Hamlet tells Gertrude to forgo any romantic encounters with Claudius, to save herself, and tries to get her to help with the plans he is making for revenge on Claudius. He asks her to tell Claudius that she believes that Hamlet is of sound mind, that he is only pretending to be mad. He also warns her not to try and play the type of game he is playing. Hamlet, dragging Polonius' body behind him, leaves a very shaken Gertrude after reminding her that he must leave for England.