Act IV, scene III is very hard to interpret because there could be so many ways that one person could take it. I think that Hamlet is "mad" to an extent but that more of it is a show that he puts on and is using some of these characters as his puppets. His mockery and wit seem to go over all of their heads and he is completely amused by that. Hamlet's character is much more wise than one is lead to believe and in this scene I think he shows part of his mastery.
We start off with the King sending people to find both Hamlet and the body of Polonius. He cannot prosecute Hamlet under the law because "He's loved of the distracted multitude" (4.3, 4) He also must figure out a way for the trip to England to appear useful, trusted and must take careful consideration on how it is done. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are closing in on Hamlet's and we can hear them shouting "Hamlet! Lord Hamlet." Once they find him they tell him that they want to take the body to the chapel. Hamlet replies, "Do not believe it," and when Rosencrantz asks "Believe what?" Hamlet answers, "That I can keep your counsel and not mine own" (4.2, 12) This is a little odd and seems to come across as saying that Hamlet can keep their secret but he does not feel that they will keep his. His secret is where he has hidden Polonius, but what's their secret? After this, Hamlet insults Rosencrantz. He tells him that "that soaks up the King's countenance...when he needs what you have...squeezing you, sponge, you shall be dry again." (4.2, 15-21 basically he is a "sponge," and that although he's now soaking up the King's favors, when the King is done with him, he'll squeeze him dry. Rosencrantz replies that he doesn't understand, but he's probably lying, because Hamlet's message is quite clear. Hamlet has been insulting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ever since he found out that they were working for the King, and Rosencrantz figures that it is just best to let Hamlet say what he says and leave it at that.
Finally, Hamlet appears to calm down, saying "bring me to him," but he's just fooling. He suddenly turns and runs, saying "Hide fox, and all after," as if they were children playing hide-and-seek.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are foils to Hamlet. The two are introduced as friends to Hamlet. But also they are like messengers for the king. Hamlet learns of their treachery to him, there dual loyalty to he and the king. This is introduced in his conversation with the queen where he says, “My two-school fellows, whom I will trust as adders fanged”. They obey whatever the King’s orders not thinking of what there outcome is in the bigger picture. The men are foolish in this way, not thinking about what is really hap...
Prince Hamlet is an authoritative figure in Denmark. Although he is no the king, he is adored by the population and respected by the nobility. Because of this he can get away with more than the average person. In this way he hides behind his title when he carries out some of his actions. He knows that nothing can be done to harm him because he is a prince. He uses this when he kills Polonius. There is also another more concrete hidden there.
Though the reader realizes Hamlet's extreme anger and brooding throughout the entire play, he has no actual confrontation with another character until the aforementioned lines in Act III Scene I. One may notice the Prince's biting tone aimed at Claudius, Polonius or even Gertrude, but until his "Get the to a nunnery!" speech, no outbursts of pure rage in the presence of others can be found. This harshness in relation to Ophelia may be one of Hamlet's first moments of "action." The Prince seems reluctant to act upon any of his emotions toward anyone, though he often does give off an aura of discontentment and sorrow over his father's death. However, in these specific lines the audience sees Hamlet take an active stance in purging this young lady's once p...
Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet’s thoughts by showing a huge difference in the communicated thoughts employed in the back to back scenes. In Scene 3, Hamlet concluded the scene with intense feelings of anger and motivation to kill, although he was reluctant to act when he had the opportunity to take down Claudius. Shifting over to Scene 4, Hamlet is much calmer while speaking to Gertrude, but maintains a sense of cruelty and judgment within the words he uses to criticize and compare himself to his mother. In both scenes, Hamlet displays an enormous amount of respect for his father by reminding himself and others of what they have done to wrong the previous
he is putting on an act. (I, v). Hamlet also tells his mother that he is
Hamlet is a character that we love to read about and analyze. His character is so realistic, and he is so romantic and idealistic that it is hard not to like him. He is the typical young scholar facing the harsh reality of the real world. In this play, Hamlet has come to a time in his life where he has to see things as they really are. Hamlet is an initiation story. Mordecai Marcus states "some initiations take their protagonists across a threshold of maturity and understanding but leave them enmeshed in a struggle for certainty"(234). And this is what happens to Hamlet.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, false friends of Hamlet who succumb to Claudius' corruptness, serve as a distinct contrast to the loyal friendship that Horatio shares with Hamlet. Voltimand is used to contrast Polonius' often comic verbosity. While Polonius dresses up all his speeches with the language of the court, Voltimand is able to give his entire report on Fortinbras in a matter of seconds. The most powerful foil in the play is between Laertes and Hamlet. Upon hearing of the death of his father, Laertes becomes enraged, and seeks immediate vengeance; he does not delay, and acts instantaneously.
After this scene Hamlet acts insane and he often criticizes his mother for remarrying and even insults her, but gets away with his actions because at this point those around him are starting to believe there is something wrong with Hamlet. He is not crazy but if he were truly crazy then he would not internally realize that he is mad, a crazy person usually doesn 't realize they are going crazy, but it is others who realize because of his or her actions. In Hamlet 's case, Hamlet knows he is "crazy" and his acting is beneficial for him because he is able to talk freely without having to hold anything back. If Hamlet were truly insane it would have caused him his own death, because usually when an individual is insane they are unaware of what they are saying and their actions are usually always made hastily, a quality that Hamlet does not seem to
Hamlet is without a doubt one of the most complex pieces to interpret for many different scholars and people. The question of the truth behind his madness has become a debate among anyone who lays eyes on the play. In fact, madness becomes a large role within the play that will cause many situations as well as effect them. I believe Hamlet unintentionally went mad attempting to act as a mad man.
Another reason why Hamlet is not mad is in the way he escaped his awaited execution in England. Hamlet knew that he was to be sent to England to be killed on the orders of Claudius. But once he saw a chance of escape on the pirate ship, he took this opportunity to board the ship, which made him escape death, thus prolonging his life a little longer. If Hamlet were actually mad, it would be doubtful that he would know of Claudius’ plans,...
Following the performance of “The Mousetrap”, Hamlet is summoned to his mother's chamber. Upon arguing with Gertrude over the intentions of his play, and his reasons for wanting to distress the king so openly, Hamlet kills Polonius. “How now? A rat? Dead for a ducat, dead (III.iv.27-28)! Perhaps Hamlet did not know whom he was killing. “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! / I took thee for thy better”(III.iv.38-39)! Perhaps Hamlet thought he was killing the king.
Though this first soliloquy occurs rather promptly in the play, there are still a lot of proceedings that lead up to it. Hamlet comes back from school to find all is not well in the state of Denmark. His father has died a mysterious death, and his mother has already remarried his father’s brother. In royal times it was customary to mourn the death of royalty for a year, yet his mother only waited two months to remarry. She not only waited two months, but she was committing what Hamlet and others considered incest. This anomalous marriage paired with the recent meeting whit his mother and stepfather, where Hamlet is embar...
Act four places a special emphasis on Hamlet's intelligence. In scene two, Hamlet is very insolent and rude towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with such phrases as, "That I can keep your counsel and not, mine own. Beside, to be demanded of a sponge, what replication should be made by the son of a king" (IV, ii, 12-14)? The reference to the sponge reflects the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are easily ordered by the king and do not have minds of their own. Hamlet does not like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern since they are servants of the Claudius, Hamlet's mortal enemy. The reader does not like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern either which causes the reader to side with Hamlet.
After attaining knowledge about the perspective, and reading Hamlet of course, one can begin to make important connections using details from the play. In the actual play, one of the principle arguments is whether Hamlet is truly mad or not. To analyze this for validity, one would have to look at the linguistics of the play and the situations that play out within it. There is concrete evidence, as well as implied detail, which leads one to believe that Hamlet is only acting as if he were mad in order to carry out his plan to avenge the death of the late King Hamlet. One of the first examples of this evidence shows itself when Hamlet warns Horatio of what he’s planning, and in effect, not to blow his cover.
In addition to revealing Hamlet's plot to catch the king in his guilt, this soliloquy uncovers the very essence of Hamlet's true conflict. Characters such as Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Claudius are all hiding behind a mask of fallacy. Yet they appear to others as exactly what they are not. Hamlet, in his soliloquy, coincides with the idea of appearance differentiating from what is actually the truth. Hamlet portrays himself to be something far worse than he really is.