1. Hamlet
Act III, Scene 1

2. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Claudius that they have not learned the cause of Hamlet’s madness. They add that Hamlet has expressed excitement about a group of traveling actors and has asked the troupe to perform a play at court. The king agrees to attend the performance.
A short time later, Polonius and Claudius prepare to spy on the “chance” meeting they have arranged between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet enters and, before noticing Ophelia, delivers the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.

3. Catching sight of Ophelia, Hamlet assumes his pretense of madness
Catching sight of Ophelia, Hamlet assumes his pretense of madness. After denying feelings of love for Ophelia, he launches into a tirade against women’s lust and duplicity. After Hamlet exits, Ophelia laments Hamlet’s insanity and his bitter rejection of her. When Claudius and Polonius reenter, the king reveals that he is not entirely convinced that Hamlet is mad, and he suggests that Hamlet be sent to England.
Polonius, eager to show that Hamlet’s madness is caused by neglected love, asks to eavesdrop on a private conversation between Hamlet and his mother after the players’ performance. Claudius agrees as the scene ends.

4. Act III, Scene 2
Hamlet learns from Polonius that the king and queen will attend the play-within-a-play, and he directs the players on how they should perform. Horatio enters, and Hamlet praises him as a true friend.
He reveals that one scene of the play-within-a-play will present a striking parallel to the circumstances of Old Hamlet’s death, and he urges Horatio to watch Claudius closely for any signs of guilt the king may betray.
The king and queen enter with members of the court, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and other players. Hamlet refuses to sit with his mother but rather reclines at Ophelia’s feet where, following some ribald banter, he bursts out in grief when Ophelia reminds him four months have passed since his father’s death.
Ribald- referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way.

5. The players preface the play-within-a-play with a dumb show
The players preface the play-within-a-play with a dumb show. A Player Queen and Player King lovingly embrace. She then leaves him lying asleep on a bank of flowers. Another man enters, removes the Player King’s crown, and pours poison into the sleeping king’s ear. The murderer then woos the Player Queen with gifts.
The players then reenact the plot with dialogue. The queen protests her undying love to the King, swearing that she would never remarry if he should die and leave her a widow. The King lies down to sleep. Hamlet tells Claudius that the title of the play is The Mousetrap and that it dramatizes the murder in Vienna of the Duke Gonzago by his nephew Lucianus.

6. The play continues, with Lucianus pouring the poison in Gonzago’s ears
The play continues, with Lucianus pouring the poison in Gonzago’s ears. At this point, Claudius rises and departs suddenly, calling for lights. All but Hamlet and Horatio also leave.
Hamlet, in a fever of excitement, triumphantly tells Horatio that Claudius has plainly revealed his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter to tell Hamlet that Claudius is fearfully angry and that Gertrude has sent for Hamlet, a request that is reinforced by Polonius. Left alone, Hamlet contemplates his anger at his mother in a short soliloquy. He resolves to reproach her sharply in their upcoming interview but to do her no violence.

7. Act III, Scene 3
Shaken by the play-within-a-play, Claudius tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he cannot afford to delay Hamlet’s departure for England. The courtiers sycophantically (using flattery to get what they want) comment on the importance of the king’s safety.
Polonius enters and tells the king that he will hide behind the curtain in Gertrude’s chamber to spy on Hamlet. After Polonius exits, Claudius soliloquizes on his guilt. He knows he cannot truly pray for forgiveness because he is unwilling to relinquish the fruits of his crime: his murdered brother’s throne and wife. Even so, he forces himself to kneel to beg Heaven’s forgiveness.

8. Hamlet enters and sees Claudius at his prayers
Hamlet enters and sees Claudius at his prayers. At first he resolves to kill the king. Then, he realizes that by killing the king while he is a t prayer, Claudius’s soul will go to Heaven and Hamlet and the Ghost will be cheated of true revenge. As Hamlet leaves, Claudius rises, sadly remarking that he has been unable to repent.