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Polonius adds that Claudius and Gertrude are invited to attend, and Claudius says he will. Claudius asks Gertrude to leave, and explains that he and Polonius have arranged to eavesdrop on Hamlet when Hamlet thinks he's alone with Ophelia, to ascertain whether Hamlet truly loves Ophelia, as a test of whether Polonius is right.

Claudius says he's summoned Hamlet "closely," i. Claudius expressed his summons to Hamlet that way to be sure Hamlet wouldn't bring anyone else with him, whose presence might inhibit Hamlet from expressing himself frankly to Ophelia. Gertrude tells Claudius she'll obey since there's no time to argue the point and she speaks briefly and kindly to Ophelia.

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Gertrude then pretends to leave, but hides behind an arras to listen, when the others aren't looking. We know this fact from the Second Quarto corrected printing, which shows Gertrude's exit after the end of Ophelia's "noble mind" speech, much later in the Scene, and also from common sense about people, which tells us Gertrude wants to listen to what her son says, of course. Polonius gives Ophelia a book, and tells her to walk near an arras, pretending to read. The show of that familiar activity is supposed to reassure Hamlet, and lead him to approach her and speak to her.

Polonius remembers what Ophelia told him about Hamlet saying nothing to her, when Hamlet rushed into her room and stared at her. It wouldn't do here, for Hamlet to say nothing, as there would be nothing for Claudius to hear in that event. Thus, Polonius provides Ophelia with the book as a conversation starter. Polonius supposes that if Hamlet can't think of anything else to say, to begin the conversation, he'll ask Ophelia what she's reading, the same as Polonius asked Hamlet what he was reading, during their earlier "fishmonger" dialogue in Scene 7.

The book is an academic book that Polonius thinks would interest a university scholar like Hamlet, and give him something to talk about. The book is not a Bible or a prayer book. Polonius makes an offhand remark, which accidentally catches Claudius's conscience, proving that Claudius does indeed have a conscience, meaning Hamlet's idea about a play to catch Claudius's conscience could be successful. Polonius's remark is incidental to this Scene, in that way, and carries no implication of Ophelia being engaged in devotions.

They hear Hamlet's approach, and Claudius and Polonius hide behind the arras near Ophelia. Hamlet, as he enters, doesn't see Claudius, and he takes it, as anybody naturally would, that Claudius isn't there yet. Hamlet does see Ophelia, but doesn't approach her, as he ponders the situation. Waiting for Claudius, Hamlet says his "To be or not to be" speech not a soliloquy on the point of whether he can, and should, kill Claudius when Claudius arrives alone. Is "Hamlet's Revenge" to be, or not to be, when Claudius arrives, alone, in a minute or two, is the question Hamlet is asking in his speech.

Hamlet is not thinking of killing himself, he is thinking of killing Claudius, and achieving his revenge. The conventional wisdom that Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech is a contemplation of suicide is patently absurd. Hamlet is expecting to meet Claudius here, but he's thinking of killing himself? He's pondering killing Claudius, of course. Hamlet has arranged for the play performance, to test Claudius, but if he can talk himself into killing Claudius here, based only on the Ghost's word, he won't need to worry about the play.

Hamlet wants Ophelia to leave, as he certainly can't kill Claudius with her as a witness against him. Hamlet keeps his distance from Ophelia as he says the "to be or not to be" speech. Hamlet is both waiting for Claudius, and hoping Ophelia will finish what she's reading, and leave.

To Ophelia, as Hamlet stays at a distance, it appears that Hamlet doesn't want to talk to her. After waiting for some time, Hamlet decides that Claudius isn't going to arrive for their meeting, and Hamlet then does approach Ophelia. Ophelia greets Hamlet in a strangely formal way, as if they were in the midst of a crowd at a formal gathering. Her greeting informs Hamlet that somebody must be behind the arras, listening, since she would never greet him in such a formal way if they were alone together.

Hamlet easily guesses Polonius must be behind the arras, since Hamlet knows Polonius is so snoopy and so dominating of his daughter. Hamlet further surmises that Claudius may be behind the arras, as well, since he's supposed to be in the room at this time, according to his summons.

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But Hamlet naturally asks himself, why would they be hiding behind the arras? Ophelia proceeds as she was persuaded by Polonius, and offers Hamlet the return of his remembrances. She tosses in a saying about "rich gifts" as part of her improvised dialogue for her "show" for Hamlet, sure that Polonius will approve of her reciting a saying, since Polonius habitually recites sayings. Hamlet doesn't understand she's only speaking a saying for her father to hear, and Hamlet thinks she means it. He thinks she's returning his "poor gifts" as she calls them, because she's getting "rich gifts" from somebody else.

Who could that be? Hamlet thinks that Ophelia has gone over to Claudius, to be his courtesan, the typical reason a rich, immoral, married man would take an interest in a pretty, young girl. Hamlet takes it that Ophelia is returning his "poor gifts" because she's getting valuable gifts from Claudius. Hamlet further concludes that Claudius has set this up so that Claudius can listen, laugh at Hamlet, and relish Hamlet's humiliation as Ophelia dumps him. Hamlet becomes murderously angry, not at Ophelia, whom he takes to be a foolish victim, but at Claudius and Polonius.

Hamlet does take his remembrances back, to Ophelia's disappointment. She has no idea of what he has concluded about the situation, and about her. Hamlet, under his mistaken conclusion, that Ophelia has become a courtesan for Claudius, tries to explain to her about how beauty can corrupt honesty. He also tries to warn her that men are not virtuous, so she mustn't believe everything they tell her. He supposes, now, Ophelia is such a fool she requires basic instruction on those points. Hamlet confusingly says both that he did love her, once, and that he didn't. Hamlet tells Ophelia, several times, to go to a nunnery which has made "Nunnery Scene" a key phrase for this Scene.

He speaks of his own faults, and hers, and says he forbids any more marriage. He says, with both Claudius and Gertrude hearing it, that a married person shall die, and he storms out. Ophelia is devastated, with no idea why Hamlet said what he said, or behaved as he did, and she thinks Hamlet has lost his mind.

She speaks her "noble mind" speech to express her despair, and saying she's seen enough, sinks to the floor, covering her eyes. Gertrude exits, from behind her arras, unseen by the others. Claudius and Polonius emerge from behind the arras closest to Ophelia, after waiting long enough to be certain Hamlet is gone which is what gives time for Ophelia's speech. They heard how Hamlet sounded, as if he were ready to kill somebody, and neither of them was ready to volunteer to be his victim. Claudius says it didn't sound like love to him, the way Hamlet spoke, but he perceives danger. Inspired by the diplomatic mission to Norway, Claudius says he'll send Hamlet on a mission to England.

Polonius has not given up yet, and rationalizes that there's still love involved. He speaks to Ophelia, oblivious to her despair.

Polonius then suggests that, after the play, he could eavesdrop on Hamlet talking to Gertrude, and Claudius says that's agreeable. In the Banquet Hall, that night, Hamlet speaks to the Players about how to perform the play. He offers general advice that they should make the play performance look natural. He adds that the Players should restrain their clowns which is high irony from Shakespeare in advance of Hamlet's own clownish behavior that will occur during the performance.

Hamlet speaks to Horatio, asking him to help keep an eye on Claudius, and Horatio promises he will. Hamlet speaks briefly to Claudius, Polonius, and Gertrude, declines an invitation to sit beside Gertrude since he couldn't watch Claudius from there, and sits beside Ophelia. He makes indecent remarks when he does so.

Hamlet speaks that way to try to catch Ophelia's conscience about her being Claudius's courtesan, but since she is really no such thing, he only sounds mad to her and to the others who hear him. Hamlet speaks of how long his father has been dead, and Ophelia says "twice," a word which has been so badly misinterpreted over the years. Ophelia's "twice" is an involuntary product of her lisp, as she tries to say "two. Shakespeare included Ophelia's "twice" in this Scene for wordplay on King Hamlet's death happening "twice," first in reality and now in representation in the 'Mousetrap' play.

A dumb show starts off the Players' performance. It is performed allegorically, as "Serpent in the Garden. The King then lies down to take a nap, and the Queen leaves. A villain slithers in, costumed as a serpent, and imitating one.

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The serpent villain takes the King's crown, and poisons him. The Queen returns, finds the King dead, and laments as his body is borne away. The serpent villain woos the Queen with gifts, and she changes her affection, to him. Hamlet has arranged the dumb show with its "Serpent in the Garden" symbolism following the facts of King Hamlet's death occurring in an orchard, and the Ghost calling Claudius a serpent.

Claudius does not recognize himself as a serpent, and to the extent he associates the play performance with events at Elsinore, he sees the dumb show as representing the official coroner's verdict in the death of his brother. This is the answer to the old question of why the dumb show doesn't catch Claudius's conscience. Claudius doesn't recognize himself as the serpent. Ophelia asks what the dumb show meant, and Hamlet answers obscurely.

He is not going to tell her about his intent of revenge against Claudius. A brief prologue is recited, and the play begins. A King and Queen enter. The King speaks of their thirty-year marriage. The Queen expresses fear about the King's health, that he is very sick, and she expresses great love for him. The King says he's dying, and he hopes she'll find another husband to love.

She denies she'll ever remarry. The King expresses doubt of that, and supposes she'll forget her promise, with time. The Queen says if she does remarry she hopes she'll suffer for it. The King says he needs to sleep, asks her to leave him to his nap, and she does so. The scene ends, and the King and Queen players exit. The play dialogue is in rhymed couplets, in sestets. However, two of the Queen's speeches are eight lines. Those are where Hamlet made his changes to the play dialogue, in the part recited by the Lad. Hamlet did not respect the play's sestets. In confirmation, that those are the changes Hamlet made to the dialogue, Hamlet speaks up during those two speeches, because he's so excited by a professional actor reciting his lines onstage, and so eager for success, he can't keep still.

During the interlude, Claudius asks the name of the play, and Hamlet says "The Mousetrap" which is why this Scene can be called the Mousetrap Scene. Hamlet goes on to speak of the source of the play, that it is based on a real murder, of a person named Gonzago. Hamlet still gives no thought to where Claudius may have gotten the idea for how to poison his brother. The villain of the play enters, in a solo scene.

The King and Queen were introduced in the first scene, and the villain is now introduced in this second scene. The villain speaks of poison he has prepared. Hamlet still can't keep quiet, and he again speaks of the Gonzago story, upon which the play is based, but still with no thought of where Claudius might have gotten his idea about how to commit fratricide. Claudius abruptly rises and leaves. She says she'll wait in her room, the Queen's Room, in the expectation Hamlet will agree to talk to her. Gertrude leaves for her room, accompanied by Claudius, to wait for the others to return with Hamlet's reply.

Claudius having left, Hamlet talks to Horatio, and mocks Claudius. Hamlet preens himself, while mentioning feathers, and says only half jokingly that he's earned a share in a company of players. Hamlet now has the idea he could be a player. Hamlet draws Guildenstern aside for a "recorder lesson," which is Hamlet's attempt to instruct G, via an object lesson, about what he can do, and what he can't. The recorder lesson is further on the point that G should be his own man, play his own tune, and not be just a sidekick for Rosencrantz or a tool for Claudius. Polonius arrives, and says Gertrude wants to talk to Hamlet.

Hamlet puts Polonius through the "cloud talk" passage, in which Hamlet insults Polonius as a stupid beast of burden, a polecat, and as fat as a whale, Polonius understanding none of it. Hamlet dismisses Horatio and the Players, who leave. Hamlet recites his "witching time of night" soliloquy, and then exits, on his way to the Royal Apartments. Interscene 9 - Polonius again takes the longer way, staying indoors, since at his age he's worried about catching a chill from the night air. Hamlet trails only a minute or so behind the others, as he leaves to go to the Royal Apartments, where the King and Queen rooms are.

He also takes the shortcut across the Castle courtyard. In doing so, he gets ahead of Polonius, who doesn't see him. While they're all in Gertrude's room, Hamlet arrives and finds the King's Room empty. He steps inside, and hides behind an arras, to wait for Claudius, to kill him. From the start of the next Scene, the Prayer Scene, Hamlet will be present in Claudius's room, hiding. He'll hear everything said in that Scene, except Claudius's brief speech in closing. The above is how he got there.

This is how hamlet will know of the trip to England, as he'll mention toward the end of the Closet Scene, Scene Hamlet will also hear Polonius say that he'll hide in Gertrude's room to eavesdrop. This point, of Hamlet being present from the beginning of Scene 10, has been missed in earlier commentary, in other sources, because of a failure to appreciate the technical nature of the stage directions in the Second Quarto.

Most commentators on Hamlet have had only literature backgrounds, which has left them unprepared to address, or even notice, the technical nature of the Q2 stage directions. Essentially, the stage directions in Q2, when they use a character's proper name, primarily mark an actor being in his speaking position onstage, to perform the playscript, since the Q2 publication is only the playscript, very nearly. The stage directions in Q2 are not director's notes about an actor's physical presence onstage.

Thus, in Q2, an actor can be onstage without having yet received his entry; he'll get his playscript entry when he has lines. There's more to the Q2 stage directions, since, as mentioned, they're technical, but that's the immediate point for understanding Hamlet's presence at the beginning of Scene Hamlet hears everything that's said in the room, up to his exit.

The others have no idea he's there. Polonius says he'll go to Gertrude's room to eavesdrop. Hamlet hears Polonius say it. Claudius, taking it for granted he's alone in the room, thinks out loud, and expresses at some length his worry over his guilt in the death of his brother. He wonders how he can be forgiven, to someday reach Heaven, and whether prayer could do any good. Hamlet is listening, and, with great irony, Claudius accidentally catches Hamlet's conscience, because what Claudius says would apply to Hamlet.

If Hamlet murders Claudius, in direct violation of the Commandments, how could he be forgiven? Claudius kneels and prays, silently. Hamlet emerges from hiding, behind Claudius, and draws his sword. Hamlet doesn't admit that Claudius caught his conscience. Since Hamlet so despises Claudius, he gives him credit for nothing. Hamlet rationalizes to himself, aside, that if he kills Claudius during prayer he may be sending Claudius to Heaven, which is not good enough to qualify as true revenge.

Hamlet sheaths his sword, and leaves to talk to Gertrude. Claudius finishes his prayer, and rises. He feels no different, and so he believes his prayer went unheard. He has no idea it saved his life. There is a vastly unappreciated irony, that Shakespeare showed a Miracle of Prayer, where a prayer from a woeful sinner immediately saves his life, and then the poor, ignorant sinner says he doesn't think prayer did him any good. Whatever one's views on religion may be, it's a delicious achievement in stagecraft.

Claudius exits, in terms of the playscript, as the Scene ends. In silent action, he goes to his desk, to finish the paperwork for the diplomatic mission to England. Interscene 10 - Polonius has gone to Gertrude's room, preparing to eavesdrop on Hamlet's conversation with her. Hamlet has left Claudius's room, and is approaching. They hear Hamlet approaching, Polonius hides behind an arras, and Hamlet enters. Gertrude tries to warn Hamlet that Claudius was threatening to lock him up, but in the process she calls Claudius Hamlet's father, which annoys Hamlet.

Hamlet, knowing Polonius is in the room, draws his sword, to poke at the arrases, find Polonius, and chase him out of the room, so Hamlet can have a truly private talk with his mother. Gertrude is unaware Hamlet knows Polonius is present, so she thinks Hamlet has drawn his sword against her. This is why she asks, "how now? As Hamlet holds the sword up at her, and says he doesn't like it she's his mother, Gertrude becomes alarmed. She remembers what she heard in the earlier Nunnery Scene, when Hamlet said that a married person would die, and she suddenly worries that Hamlet meant her.

She starts for the door to summon guards to restrain Hamlet. Hamlet stops her and makes her sit down. Then, speaking poetically, he says in an obscure way that he will set up a mirror in front of her, in which she can see her soul, and the condition of it. He means that he will paint her a picture in words, so it will be like she's looking at her soul in a mirror.

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While saying that, Hamlet points to Gertrude's wardrobe mirror, in an attempt to illustrate what he means. Gertrude, the Queen of the nation, has a large wardrobe mirror to check her appearance every day before she goes out; this is not mere vanity, since she's the Queen it's part of her job to look good in public. Gertrude, not following Hamlet's figurative speech, takes him literally.

She takes it that Hamlet has madly said he's going to move her mirror over in front of her, then slice her open with the sword he's holding, and make her look at her internal organs in the mirror. Frightened, she jumps up from the chair, throws it at him to protect herself, and screams for help, as loud as she can yell.

Hamlet, knowing he intends no threat to her with the sword, does not realize why she reacts that way, and takes it she's 'madly' resistant to hearing him criticize Claudius. Polonius, from behind the arras, hears Gertrude scream for help, and he also yells for help. His exact words, "What ho! A long, detailed explanation is required, which can be found on the Scene 11 page, but essentially, Polonius accidentally yells the magical incantation which summons the Ghost. That is why the Ghost will appear, later in this Scene; he was accidentally summoned by Polonius. Hamlet now knows which arras Polonius is hiding behind.

In his speech, Hamlet yells the word "rat" to insult Polonius, and the word "dead" to scare Polonius, then lunges and jabs at the arras with his sword. Hamlet is intending that Polonius should hear him, and then see the point of the sword come through the arras, so that it will frighten Polonius out of ever eavesdropping on him again. Hamlet is intending only to scare Polonius. Hamlet steps back and looks at the arras. Gertrude looks at the arras.

Polonius totters out from behind the arras, to a few feet to the side of downstage center, and collapses, dead.

Gertrude steps forward - Hamlet is now behind her - looks down at Polonius, and exclaims, "what hast thou done? Hamlet, behind her, does the "praying for a miracle" gesture, of crossing his fingers and holding them to his chest, and closing his eyes, and he says, "Is it the King? Hamlet knows that it's Polonius he has killed. However, Gertrude does not see Hamlet's wishful-thinking action, she only hears his words, because he's standing behind her. Only hearing Hamlet, she thinks he is asking a serious question, of whether he has killed Claudius.

As things proceed in the Scene, Hamlet has confused Gertrude into believing he thinks he has killed Claudius. He never corrects her misapprehension. Throughout the entire remainder of this Scene, and even beyond, Gertrude continues to believe that Hamlet madly thinks he has killed Claudius, and that Claudius is dead. Hamlet now has Polonius not eavesdropping, even though it's not the way Hamlet intended to achieve that. Hamlet is determined to talk to Gertrude, despite. He leads her to sit in the chair, again. As he does so, Gertrude asks, "What have I done?

He has suspicions, but no facts. Hamlet gets an idea. He'll do a play for Gertrude, to catch her conscience, and obtain a confession from her of what she's done. That way, she'll answer her own question, and then he'll know. After having seen Claudius flee the 'Mousetrap Play,' and then having heard Claudius confess, Hamlet is confident that he, himself, can achieve the same result with Gertrude by doing a play for her, himself.

Having gotten the idea, he immediately embarks on acting a play for her, totally improvised. However, he gives Gertrude no sane explanation for what he's doing. As Hamlet recites ad lib dialogue, and improvises acting moves to go along with what he says, Gertrude thinks he's just gone crazy. In the midst of Hamlet trying to do the play for Gertrude, the Ghost arrives. The reason for the delay in the Ghost's arrival takes a while to explain.

Hamlet takes it the Ghost is his father's spirit, there to scold Hamlet for not killing Claudius when he had the chance. The Ghost plays along with that. After the Ghost exits, Hamlet tries to convince Gertrude he's not crazy, but Hamlet is still in "play actor" mode, and he only makes it worse. Gertrude becomes certain, beyond any doubt, that Hamlet is hopelessly mad. Hamlet mentions the trip to England, that he heard Claudius speak of in the previous Scene. Hamlet then says he'll drag Polonius's body to the "neighbor room.

Hamlet has thought of a way to handle Polonius's death, and also get away with killing Claudius. He intends to take Polonius's body to Claudius's room, stab Claudius to death, and then claim Polonius did it. Hamlet would say, oh, he had left his mother's room, and he happened to glance into Claudius's room, where he saw Polonius stab Claudius.

He didn't know why; the old man must have gone mad. So, Hamlet drew his sword, rushed in, and stabbed Polonius to try to save Claudius. But he was too late, and they're both dead, oh no. To understand this, you merely have to know about Macbeth, and the way Macbeth sets up the murder of Duncan to try to blame it on servants. So when Hamlet exits, dragging Polonius's body, he intends to go to Claudius's room, kill Claudius, and make up a story as above.

After Hamlet exits, Gertrude paces and frets, without saying anything, as she wonders if there's anything she can do about her crazy son, and his killing of Polonius. Suddenly it strikes her, what Hamlet meant by "neighbor room. So she takes it Hamlet madly believes he's merely returning Claudius to his room. Gertrude foresees Claudius will be in his room, see Hamlet enter with Polonius's body, and immediately summon guards and arrest Hamlet for murder. Gertrude doesn't perceive Hamlet intends to kill Claudius, because she thinks he madly thinks he already has.

Fortinbras is the protagonist of the play Fortinbras by Lee Blessing. The rest of the play is in a vernacular, modern English. Major characters from Hamlet appear as ghosts in this sequel. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For other uses, see Fortinbras disambiguation. Drake, Sylvie 25 June Retrieved 7 January William Shakespeare 's Hamlet.

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