Scene 1 of act 3 begins with the King, Queen, Polonius and others discussing Hamlet's madness, with the King wondering why he transformed from his "days of quiet" to "turbulent and dangerous lunacy". The King and Polonius decide that they will spy on Hamlet, essential using Ophelia as bait, as they believe that the reason why Hamlet may be acting like a lunatic is becasue he is in love with Ophelia - "we may of their encounter frankly judge, and gather by him, as he is behaved, If't be th'affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for". This is a very tragic element as, like in act 2, if Hamlet generally is mad, then Ophelia is being exposed to strong dangers, but if he is putting this act on, then he may get himself into trouble that isn't worth being in. This is follwed by Hamlet's next soliloquy, where he ponders if it "nobler in the mind to suffer the the slings and arrows...Or to take arms against a sea of troubles..". If the lunacy is in fact in act, which this statement I find suggests, then I think he is pondering weather it is worth putting on this act, as it seems he is dealing with so much pressure by doing so. This is tragic because he is now between a rock and hard place. He later goes on to say "conscience does make cowards of us all" - what I interpret by this is that he is now wondering if he has made the right decision by waiting so long to find a piece of evidence to use against the King in order to bring him down. He is question weather it would have been better to make a snap movement and kill him instantly a long time ago, as the ghost of his Farther told him to do.
Hamlet is then confronted with Ophelia, where he claims to deny his love for her that was suggested earlier in the play, telling her to "get thee to a nunnery" aka a whore-house. The reason why he may have told her this is so that she can become disassociated from him and his lunacy, so it could have been in his intentions to protect her. Also, we get the impression that Hamlet is aware that the King is spying on him, where he says "I have heard of your painting too" which could suggest that he knows they are simply hiding behind a wall. The most important thing to draw attention however, is that Hamlet has convinced the King that he does not love Ophelia, so that this not the reason for his madness and possibly places Ophelia out of danger from him - we cannot heelp but wonder if this was deliberate or not. Polonius then suggests to the King that they should observe Hamlet's behavior during the play which is exactly what Hamlet will be doing to the King at the same time. The tragic thing here is the element of distrust - because they are all observing each other, we know that trust is rapidly fading away. After that, Polonius says that he will spy on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother, thinking that he will be more honest with her as he loves her. If he finds him to mad after all, he says that he must be sent away - "To England send him". Once again, tragedy could possibly be created by putting his mother into a similar situation as Ophelia, exposing her to a possibly lunatic, or Hamelt will create more trouble for himself by acting falsely and frightening those around him.
In scene 2, Hamlet is addressing the actors about the scene he has told them to insert - a scene that will replicate the killing of his farther by his uncle ("Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you") . Hamlet then asks Horatio to spy on the King's reactions with him, possibly so that if Hamlet tonight does gain evidence of the King murdering his farther, he will have another witness to back him, making him seem less of a lunatic - "we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming". At the end of this scene, Hamlet learns that his mother wishes to speak with him. He says that he will "speak daggers to her, but use none" meaning that he will argue with her, but not in a violent matter, which gives is the impression that he will not be as mental as he was in front of Ophelia.
In scene 3, Polonius hides himself when observing the conversation between Hamlet and the Queen ("Behind the arras I'll convey myself"). However, as soon as Polonius leaves, the King delivers a soliloquy, where he admits that he committed "A brother's murder." Hamlet enters and hears what he has to say. However, at this precise moment, where Hamlet has the evidence and opportunity to finally avenge his farther, he does not do so. The strongest point as to why he doesn't do it here is because Claudius was praying to God, and Hamlet does not want to man who killed his farther in heaven, surrounded by peace saying that it would be "hire and salary" rather than revenge. The tragic element here relates back to one of first arguments of throughout the play - is Hamlet simply just a wuss? He is in a position of power, able to kill the man his farther told him to kill, and yet he still does not do so, finding yet another excuse and letting the King escape.
In scene 4, Polonius is spying the conversation between Hamlet and his mother (He hides behinds the arras). As soon as Hamlet arrives, we know that is going to be presenting an angry manner, but at first, I cannot help but notice his quick wit - his mother says "you answer with an idle tongue" to which he responds "you question with a wicked tongue". Although really this is the beginning of a truly tragic and disgusting rant, I notice how comically this could be displayed on stage. The Queen becomes quickly overwhelmed by what Hamlet says and screams for help, which prompts Polinus to spring into action ("What, ho! Help!"). Almost without hesitation, Hamlet strikes him dead without even check too see who it is. This could be for two possible reason: one is that he has become so frustrated that so many people are spying on him that he overreacts and just decides to kill the next person who might be doing this, without care for who it is. The other reason is that he thinks it is Claudius, and now that Claudius not praying, Hamlet can finally send him to hell. unlike the previous scene. The key tragic aspect, however, is that Hamlet has killed the wrong person and has now become a murderer. Even more tragically, he does not seem to care that much.
To continue the grim reality that Hamlet has placed himself in, he next becomes very angry with his mother, sharing his opinion about her marrying Claudia with her. He uses grim, disgusting descriptions, such as "rank sweat" and "stewed in corruption" as if he is trying to make his mother realize how vile she has been. The interesting thing here, though, is that the ghost of his farther, who told Hamlet to kill Claudius in the first place, used very similar descriptions at the start of the play. Even more interestingly, the ghost now appears, saying that he has appeared because of the "almost blunted purpose" as if he knew that Hamlet killed the wrong person, and needs to remind him of the original task that he set out for him. However, the tragic question weather Hamlet is mad or not once again occurs here - He is very aware that ghost of his farther has appeared, yet when he asking his mother if she knows that he is here, she says that she hears "nothing but ourselves". Eventually, Hamlet admits that he is "not in madness, but madness in craft" meaning that he is assuring his Mother that is does not have any sort of mental illness, but his actions make it seem like he does. He acknowledges that, because of what has just happened, he must now be sent away to England. At first this seems tragic as it is if Hamlet is giving up and letting the (essentially) authorities take him away - it is like the demise of a hero. Suddenly, however, Hamlet reveals that this is not quite the end just yet - "But I will delve one yard below their mines and blow them at the moon" suggest that he has a plan to escape. Hamlet is much furthering the mystery that surrounds his character, but I can't help but ponder yet again weather this will be worth anything - he still hasn't killed Claudius, which is something that the ghost had told him to do quite a while ago (the Ghost even had to re-appear recently to remind him to get on with it!) and now it seems that all hope has failed as he being sent away. Or has it...
Hamlet is then confronted with Ophelia, where he claims to deny his love for her that was suggested earlier in the play, telling her to "get thee to a nunnery" aka a whore-house. The reason why he may have told her this is so that she can become disassociated from him and his lunacy, so it could have been in his intentions to protect her. Also, we get the impression that Hamlet is aware that the King is spying on him, where he says "I have heard of your painting too" which could suggest that he knows they are simply hiding behind a wall. The most important thing to draw attention however, is that Hamlet has convinced the King that he does not love Ophelia, so that this not the reason for his madness and possibly places Ophelia out of danger from him - we cannot heelp but wonder if this was deliberate or not. Polonius then suggests to the King that they should observe Hamlet's behavior during the play which is exactly what Hamlet will be doing to the King at the same time. The tragic thing here is the element of distrust - because they are all observing each other, we know that trust is rapidly fading away. After that, Polonius says that he will spy on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother, thinking that he will be more honest with her as he loves her. If he finds him to mad after all, he says that he must be sent away - "To England send him". Once again, tragedy could possibly be created by putting his mother into a similar situation as Ophelia, exposing her to a possibly lunatic, or Hamelt will create more trouble for himself by acting falsely and frightening those around him.
In scene 2, Hamlet is addressing the actors about the scene he has told them to insert - a scene that will replicate the killing of his farther by his uncle ("Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you") . Hamlet then asks Horatio to spy on the King's reactions with him, possibly so that if Hamlet tonight does gain evidence of the King murdering his farther, he will have another witness to back him, making him seem less of a lunatic - "we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming". At the end of this scene, Hamlet learns that his mother wishes to speak with him. He says that he will "speak daggers to her, but use none" meaning that he will argue with her, but not in a violent matter, which gives is the impression that he will not be as mental as he was in front of Ophelia.
In scene 3, Polonius hides himself when observing the conversation between Hamlet and the Queen ("Behind the arras I'll convey myself"). However, as soon as Polonius leaves, the King delivers a soliloquy, where he admits that he committed "A brother's murder." Hamlet enters and hears what he has to say. However, at this precise moment, where Hamlet has the evidence and opportunity to finally avenge his farther, he does not do so. The strongest point as to why he doesn't do it here is because Claudius was praying to God, and Hamlet does not want to man who killed his farther in heaven, surrounded by peace saying that it would be "hire and salary" rather than revenge. The tragic element here relates back to one of first arguments of throughout the play - is Hamlet simply just a wuss? He is in a position of power, able to kill the man his farther told him to kill, and yet he still does not do so, finding yet another excuse and letting the King escape.
In scene 4, Polonius is spying the conversation between Hamlet and his mother (He hides behinds the arras). As soon as Hamlet arrives, we know that is going to be presenting an angry manner, but at first, I cannot help but notice his quick wit - his mother says "you answer with an idle tongue" to which he responds "you question with a wicked tongue". Although really this is the beginning of a truly tragic and disgusting rant, I notice how comically this could be displayed on stage. The Queen becomes quickly overwhelmed by what Hamlet says and screams for help, which prompts Polinus to spring into action ("What, ho! Help!"). Almost without hesitation, Hamlet strikes him dead without even check too see who it is. This could be for two possible reason: one is that he has become so frustrated that so many people are spying on him that he overreacts and just decides to kill the next person who might be doing this, without care for who it is. The other reason is that he thinks it is Claudius, and now that Claudius not praying, Hamlet can finally send him to hell. unlike the previous scene. The key tragic aspect, however, is that Hamlet has killed the wrong person and has now become a murderer. Even more tragically, he does not seem to care that much.
To continue the grim reality that Hamlet has placed himself in, he next becomes very angry with his mother, sharing his opinion about her marrying Claudia with her. He uses grim, disgusting descriptions, such as "rank sweat" and "stewed in corruption" as if he is trying to make his mother realize how vile she has been. The interesting thing here, though, is that the ghost of his farther, who told Hamlet to kill Claudius in the first place, used very similar descriptions at the start of the play. Even more interestingly, the ghost now appears, saying that he has appeared because of the "almost blunted purpose" as if he knew that Hamlet killed the wrong person, and needs to remind him of the original task that he set out for him. However, the tragic question weather Hamlet is mad or not once again occurs here - He is very aware that ghost of his farther has appeared, yet when he asking his mother if she knows that he is here, she says that she hears "nothing but ourselves". Eventually, Hamlet admits that he is "not in madness, but madness in craft" meaning that he is assuring his Mother that is does not have any sort of mental illness, but his actions make it seem like he does. He acknowledges that, because of what has just happened, he must now be sent away to England. At first this seems tragic as it is if Hamlet is giving up and letting the (essentially) authorities take him away - it is like the demise of a hero. Suddenly, however, Hamlet reveals that this is not quite the end just yet - "But I will delve one yard below their mines and blow them at the moon" suggest that he has a plan to escape. Hamlet is much furthering the mystery that surrounds his character, but I can't help but ponder yet again weather this will be worth anything - he still hasn't killed Claudius, which is something that the ghost had told him to do quite a while ago (the Ghost even had to re-appear recently to remind him to get on with it!) and now it seems that all hope has failed as he being sent away. Or has it...
Again, excellent points. I like the way you keep the tragic element in clear focus. Your point about H. being sent to England being seens as a tragic demise is a good one. So, Hamlet appears to be giving up? Of courswe, we later learn that he has been very brave to escape.
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