Act 3 Study Questions

Act 3

Scene 1:

1. What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Polonius?

There is something definitely off about him. He admitted to the two men that he is confused and that there is something going on with him but he refused to talk about it and tell them.

2. How does Claudius react when Polonius says, "…with devotion's visage, And pious action we do sugar o'er/ The devil himself"?

Well Polonius is saying that Ophilia should sit there and read the bible, and often times people pretend to be devoted to god to cover up there sins and secrets and the king realizes he is doing the same thing except he is doing it with his words. This makes him feel really guilty.

3. What plan do Polonius, Claudius and Ophelia now put into action?

Polonius and Claudius are going to hide and use Ophelia as a decoy so they can spy on Hamlet.

4. What is the nature of Hamlet's soliloquy, lines 57-91?

It is very dark and depressing. He is contemplating whether it is better to be alive or dead. Because in death you get to escape all the commotion and hardships in life and it is like one never ending dream.

5. What is Hamlet's main argument against suicide?

You don’t know what really lies in the afterlife so he doesn’t know if it will be good dreams, nightmares, hell, heaven or even nothing. That variable is what makes it so hard for hamlet to decide which is better, life or death.

6. Why does Hamlet treat Ophelia as cruelly as he does? What has changed him?

Well he is trying to act crazy because of seeing his father’s ghost first of all. But he also finds out that her father is lurking and spying on him and he feels betrayed by Ophelia so he lashes out against her.

7. What thinly veiled threat to Claudius does Hamlet voice, after he becomes of his hidden presence? (lines 148-150)

He says that he is going to kill him, that everyone will live except for him.

8. At the end of this scene, what does the King decide to do with Hamlet?

He wants to send him to England. Unfortunately he really doesn’t have a reason to send him away. Aside from Hamlet acting crazy he really hasn’t done anything wrong.

Scene 2:

9. What qualities in Horatio cause Hamlet to enlist his assistance?

He takes everything life hands him and really just takes advantage of it and appreciates everything that happens in his life, both good and bad. He also manages to keep his composure in all situations and with all matters. He also doesn’t let his emotions get in the way of his thinking and he has a good control over them.

10. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do?

He asks him to watch the play and watch King Claudius’s reaction to the scene because what he is about to see is going to be very close to what happened in real life. And if Claudius reacts like he is guilty then he will know the ghost was right and that Claudius did kill his father and that the ghost is most likely his father, not an evil demon.

11. Summarize what happens in the play-within-a-play.

The play is called “the mouse trap.” The king and queen show off their love for each other. Then the Queen leaves to King asleep in bed and a man comes in and pours poison in his ear. That was like a pre-play thing. And then they do a fuller longer play. And we find out that the man who kills the king is the kings nephew. So this is telling Claudius that Hamlet knows about what he has done to his father and that he is going to get revenge and kill him.

12. Why, in line 233, does Hamlet refer to the play-within-a-play as "The Mouse-trap"?

Because he knew that if it were true that Claudius killed his father he would have to react and if he reacted it would be in front of everyone and he would have to explain him self to them and to Hamlet.

13. What is the King's reaction to the play?

Claudius stands up and starts yelling and crying out for light. And then he runs out of the room and all the people follow him.

14. In lines 354-363, to what object does Hamlet compare himself? Why?

He compares himself to an instrument that he people play. And he is saying that Guildenstern can’t play instrument just like he can’t play Hamlet because Hamlet isn’t a fool or someone who can easily be played.

15. As Hamlet goes to his mother at the end of this scene, what does he admonish himself to do?

He is saying that he hates his mother very much but he isn’t going to kill her. He talks about Nero, a roman guy who killed his mother, and how he cant bring himself to do that.