Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 3-4

     Wow! A lot has happened in just these two scenes of Act 3 and the plot has progressed a lot. Let’s do a recap:

    In the beginning of scene 3, Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England and they agree to his orders. Then, Polonius says that he will eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude and hide in the bedroom. However, this plan failed miserably and maybe should have been thought out more. Something that turned out to be successful was Hamlet’s play, as Claudius begins to reflect on his wrongdoings and the murder of his brother. He acknowledges his sins and wants to be forgiven, however I am suspicious of his intentions. Does he truly feel guilty for his actions or is there a hidden motive? Claudius knows that confessing his sins will not be genuine because he will still reap the benefits of his crime, such as “my crown, my own ambition, and my queen”. Hamlet doesn’t believe that he should kill Claudius while he is praying because he would go to heaven, but rather while Claudius is committing an act of sin. I think Hamlet has an interesting point, but it also might be another reason for Hamlet to delay his father’s plan.

    Throughout scene 4, we see Hamlet’s increasing desire for revenge. With Hamlet’s mysterious and direct words, Gertrude begins to think that Hamlet might attempt to murder her. When Gertrude screams out for help, Polonius does the same. But then… Hamlet KILLS POLONIUS at once and shortly after calls him a “rash, intruding fool”!!! I pity Polonius a little bit, as I am sure that Hamlet intended to kill Claudius, but also his death could have been avoided. Moving on rather quickly from this sudden and shocking event, Hamlet shows the distinct differences between his father and Claudius to his mother. When he repeats “Have you eyes”, it shows his anger and rage towards his mother’s involvement with Claudius and seems like he is ranting about these issues to her. Hamlet talked very poorly about his mother’s sexuality, and this topic can be also traced back to his conversations with Ophelia, specifically when she rejected his love. Even though the Ghost told Hamlet to not inflict any harm onto Gertrude while seeking revenge, I think he definitely hurt her emotionally. 

    Here are some questions: Do you think that Gertrude knows about the murder Claudius committed? How does the play portray female characters? Why does Hamlet not care about the death of Polonius? Do you believe that Hamlet is becoming irrational?