Hamlet Review of Acts III-V PDF

**Review of** **Acts III-V of *Hamlet*** **Act III** **Key Events:** 1. **The \"To be or not to be\" soliloquy:** Hamlet contemplates existence, life, and death. He regrets that he is the one who is responsible for righting all the wrongs in the kingdom of Elsinore. Hamlet is caught...

**Review of** **Acts III-V of *Hamlet*** **Act III** **Key Events:** 1. **The \"To be or not to be\" soliloquy:** Hamlet contemplates existence, life, and death. He regrets that he is the one who is responsible for righting all the wrongs in the kingdom of Elsinore. Hamlet is caught between thought and action. 2. **Plan to discover reason for Hamlet's madness**: Claudius and Polonius decide to spy on Hamlet using Ophelia as bait to determine if his madness is due to his love for her. They hide while Ophelia, under their direction, tries to engage Hamlet in conversation 3. **The Nunnery Scene:** Ophelia, acting under her father's orders, returns Hamlet's love letters and gifts. Hamlet initially denies giving her anything, hinting at his growing detachment from reality. When he asks Ophelia where her father is, she lies to him and says that Polonius is at home. This is the ultimate betrayal that Hamlet feels from Ophelia. He accuses all women of and tells Ophelia, \"Get thee to a nunnery!\"---which could mean either a literal convent or a brothel (a pun Shakespeare often used). He argues that women, through marriage and childbirth, contribute to humanity's corruption. 4. **The Play Within a Play:** Hamlet stages *The Mousetrap*, a play which reenacts Hamlet's father's death, to expose Claudius. The play tells the story of a king who is poisoned in his sleep by his nephew, who then takes the throne and marries the queen. This closely parallels Hamlet's belief that Claudius murdered King Hamlet. Throughout the performance, Hamlet makes witty and suggestive remarks, often directed at Ophelia, Gertrude, and Claudius. He refers to the play as *The Mousetrap*, making it clear that he is trying to expose a criminal. When the scene of poisoning is enacted, Claudius suddenly stands up and leaves, appearing deeply shaken. Claudius's reaction confirms to Hamlet that he is guilty of his father's murder. 5. **Claudius's Confession:** Claudius delivers a soliloquy in which he privately confesses to murdering King Hamlet. This is the first time the audience hears him admit his guilt directly. However, despite his words, he is unable to truly repent, as he still enjoys the rewards of his crime---the crown, the queen, and power. Hamlet enters and sees Claudius kneeling in prayer. He decides not to kill Claudius, fearing that doing so while he is praying would send him to heaven. Ironically, Claudius's prayer is insincere, so Hamlet misses a real chance to avenge his father. 6. **The Closet Scene in Gertrude's Room:** Hamlet confronts his mother about her marriage to Claudius. This scene is crucial because it includes the murder of Polonius, the reappearance of the Ghost, and a psychological battle between Hamlet and Gertrude. Hamlet accuses his mother of betrayal. He kills Polonius, mistaking him for Claudius. The Ghost appears, reminding Hamlet to focus on revenge. **Act IV** **Key Events:** 1. **Claudius reaction to Polonius' murder**: After Hamlet kills Polonius in Gertrude's room, Claudius reacts with fear, calculation, and a sense of urgency. Instead of showing sorrow for Polonius, he focuses on protecting himself, realizing that Hamlet has become a direct threat to his life and rule. He sends Hamlet to England with orders for his execution. He is accompanied by his childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who will deliver the letters to the King of England. 2. **Ophelia's madness:** Since Ophelia was deeply obedient to her father, his sudden and violent death shatters her mental state. Hamlet has been sent to England, Laertes is in France, and the King and Queen are more concerned with the politics of the country. Ophelia has no one to comfort her. She is left completely isolated, causing her to break down mentally. Her use of flowers symbolizes the decay of innocence and the corruption around her. Her madness represents the destruction of innocence and the impact of loss, manipulation, and betrayal. 3. **Laertes' return:** Laertes\' return marks a major turning point in the play, as he becomes a foil to Hamlet---a son who immediately takes action to avenge his father's death, unlike Hamlet, who hesitates. Laertes storms the castle with an angry mob who demands that Laertes be made king. When Laertes sees Ophelia in her madness, he is shocked and devastated. Her condition further fuels his desire for revenge. His rage and desire for revenge make him an easy pawn for Claudius, leading to the deadly final duel. 4. **Hamlet escapes from the ship** with Pirates and returns to Denmark. Before he leaves the ship, he is able to exchange the execution of Hamlet letter which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have in their possession with a letter he writes declaring that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern should be put to death upon their arrival in England. When he returns, he sends a letter to Horatio, the King, and the Queen. 5. **The plot to kill Hamlet:** When the King learns that Hamlet has somehow escaped from the ship heading for England, he and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet. Laertes is skilled in fencing and will duel Hamlet. He will choose an unbated foil (no safety tip) and put poison on the sword that will kill someone with just a scratch. As a backup plan, the King will have a chalice of wine ready for Hamlet to drink from during the duel that will contain poison. 6. **Ophelia drowns**: Ophelia's death is one of the most tragic moments in *Hamlet*. After suffering the loss of her father, Hamlet's rejection, and her own descent into madness, she drowns in a brook while gathering flowers. However, it is unclear whether her death is accidental or suicide, adding to the mystery of her fate. **Act V** **Key Events:** 1. **Gravedigger Scene:** The gravediggers are digging a grave for Ophelia. This scene is one of comic relief as well as speculation about life and death. As the gravediggers pull skulls out of the public grave, Hamlet is given one that belonged to the court jester, Yorick. This causes Hamlet to speculate on the equality and inevitability of death. Hamlet and Horatio are unaware of the death of Ophelia, until the King, Queen, and Laertes arrive. Hamlet feels that Laertes is not sincere in jumping in the grave and claims his love is much greater. He and Laertes scuffle briefly. 2. **Final conversation between Horatio and Hamlet**: Hamlet tells Horatio about the upcoming death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He speculates about death and taking revenge on Claudius. When Osric comes in, he stresses all the good qualities of Laertes and how he is excellent at fencing. The King desires Laertes and Hamlet to spar with each other in a fencing match. Hamlet agrees to the proposal. Horatio thinks Hamlet will lose; he knows how skilled Laertes is with a foil. Hamlet claims to have been practicing since Laertes returned to France. He believes he can match Laertes in a competition. He accepts that this may be a battle to the death. 3. **The Duel:** Before the duel, Hamlet tries to make amends with Laertes. He blames his madness for his murder of Polonius. Laertes accepts his words, but still wants to fight for his honor. They choose their foils, and Laertes gets the one that does not have the safety tip. He and Hamlet fight, and Hamlet gets the first two points. The King offers Hamlet a poisoned drink, but he refuses. Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup as she toasts Hamlet. Laertes puts the poison on the tip of his sword and wounds Hamlet. As they continue to fight, Laertes drops his sword, and Hamlet retrieves it. He gives Laertes the sword he was using. Thus, Hamlet wounds Laertes with the envenomed sword. The Queen collapses, and although Claudius tries to cover up his deed, she announces that the drink was poisoned. Hamlets is now able to avenge his father and kill Claudius. He makes him drink from the poisoned cup. 4. **Tragic Conclusion:** As Hamlet begins to wane, Horatio picks up the poisoned cup to drink from it and end his own life, but Hamlet stops him because he wants Horatio to tell the story accurately. Fortinbras arrives and sees all the bodies. He claims the throne. The Ambassador from England arrives and announces that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Fortinbras honors the dead and says that Hamlet would have been a good king. The test is 55 questions in length -- identify speaker of quote, identify who the quote is describing, and multiple-choice comprehension questions. This review is general to remind you what happened. It is still important that you look back at your notes and know the significance of quotes by each character.