Act 3 Notes

 Can no longer pretend he cares for Hamlet  Wants to send him to England under the guise that Hamlet is dangerous to the state  Cannot pray/ feels guilt / affected by the play  Compares himself to Cain  Cannot part with the “effects for which [he] did murder” (the crown and Gertrude)  Redemption is not an option – resigns himself to play out these events as he must on earth “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”

 Cares whether Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have raised Hamlet’s spirits (not about their discoveries of his secrets)  She is a caring mother – wants to know how Hamlet received them  Irony and suppressed guilt: The play within the play  “The lady doth protest too much methinks”  The theatre has held a mirror up to Gertrude’s nature –  Reduced to anguish, guilt, then shock – “What should I do”  Virginal queen - redemption

 Reporting of Hamlet’s “crafty madness”  Sycophantic / obsequious – later parasitic references (sc. 3 – “to keep those many bodies safe that live and feed upon your majesty”)  Played like a Pipe:  Hamlet once again puts them in their place – they are no match for his intellect – in fact, their attempts are insulting to him  They will accompany Hamlet to England- predictions??

 Caught in the middle:  Must obey her father but cares for Hamlet  Bears Hamlet’s insults with grace – reflects on his former person (before his father’s death)  “O! woe is me”  Matches Hamlet pun for pun during the play within a play (defensive, callused, or very impressively rises above – she is oddly composed)  We do not see her in Act 3, sc. 3-4.

 Schemes, plots, spies, gossips –  Sycophantic – tries to win the king’s approval – further alienates Hamlet and Ophelia  Does not understand Hamlet’s lunacy – blames it on scorned love for lack of a better option  “I did enact Julius Caesar”  Polonius is a good actor, but not as good as he thinks – can’t fool Hamlet  Foreshadows his death  Cannot answer Hamlet’s riddles – believes he is safest to agree with him (the clouds)  His nosy interfering leads to his death: “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!”

 “To Be or Not To Be”  Meditative and weary  Has given up love and any hope for a future  Common plight of all people  Might be contemplating the choice b/t suffering and taking action against it  Possible that he is contemplating suicide – but considers it a bad option since we cannot know what lies ahead  Is it our moral duty to endure evil passively or is it our duty to right wrongs?

 Wounded by Love:  Ophelia has rejected him and lied to him  He only trusts Horatio at this point  All women to him are false (make-up) like chameleons – his conversation with Ophelia rings of his feelings toward Gertrude  The Stage: His Comfort Zone  Feels comfortable and happy directing the players – also realizes the gravity of what’s at stake - they must get it right  Mania – The play within a play  Hamlet is cruel, hysterical, manic – adrenaline

 Success:  Convinced of Claudius’ guilt  Silences Guildenstern: “Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me”  A new strain of willful cruelty replaces his gentle, reflective side  Saves Claudius from death – reserves him for hell  Conversation with mom: sexually explicit – holds the mirror up to her  Is redirected by the ghost  Tells Gertrude not to ignore her guilty conscience by telling herself that Hamlet’s mad

 Tells Gertrude to “throw away the worser part of it (her heart) and live the purer with the other half”  Tells her to stop sleeping with Claudius and not to divulge what Hamlet has said to her  “Marshal me to the knavery”  Take me to the villainy – suspects an attempt will be made on his life  “I will delve one yard below their mines, and blow them at the moon.” Is ready to take on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – and Claudius