How does Hamlet kill Polonius?
Upon hearing Gertrude's cries, Polonius yells from behind the tapestry, and Hamlet instinctively thrusts his sword through the tapestry, killing Polonius. Hamlet believed that Claudius was spying on him from behind the tapestry and hoped to kill his unscrupulous uncle.
What happens in the final scene of Hamlet?
In the final scene, the violence, so long delayed, erupts with dizzying speed. Characters drop one after the other, poisoned, stabbed, and, in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, executed, as the theme of revenge and justice reaches its conclusion in the moment when Hamlet finally kills Claudius.
What does Laertes say about Polonius in Hamlet?
Hamlet’s death at the hands of Laertes makes his earlier declaration over Polonius’s corpse, that God has chosen “to punish me with this and this with me,” prophetic (III.iv.174). His murder of Polonius does punish him in the end, since it is Laertes’ vengeful rage over that murder that leads to Hamlet’s death.
What do Claudius and Polonius spy on Ophelia and hamlet?
Polonius and Claudius spy on Ophelia and Hamlet, find out that it’s not because of love that the prince is behaving so weirdly; Hamlet voices his most famous lines “To be or not to be”;
What scene Hamlet killed Polonius?
Hamlet Act 3 Scene 4 - Hamlet stabs Polonius hiding behind the arras.
What scene of Act 3 does Hamlet kill Polonius?
Hamlet, realizing that someone is behind the arras and suspecting that it might be Claudius, cries, “How now! a rat?” (III. iv. 22). He draws his sword and stabs it through the tapestry, killing the unseen Polonius.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 4?
Polonius hides behind Gertrude's curtain to eavesdrop, but calls out in fear after Gertrude does so. Hamlet hears him and stabs him through the curtain, killing him. The prince angrily confronts his mother, and, hearing Polonius's calls for help, mistakes him for Claudius and stabs him through the curtain.
Does Hamlet kill Polonius in Act 4?
He has killed Polonius just as Claudius killed Hamlet's father, the only differences being that Hamlet's murder was not premeditated and was not committed out of jealousy or ambition. Hamlet also eases his conscience with the fact that Polonius was dishonestly spying on Hamlet at the moment when he was killed.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 2?
The queen leaves the king to sleep, and while he is sleeping, a man murders him by pouring poison into his ear. The murderer tries to seduce the queen, who gradually accepts his advances. The players begin to enact the play in full, and we learn that the man who kills the king is the king's nephew.
Who dies in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 2?
Act 3, Scene 2 is one of the most important scenes in Hamlet. The theater troupe Hamlet hired performs The Murder of Gonzago, also known as The Mousetrap. Different meanings of the word "play" are used throughout the scene (such as when Hamlet accuses Guildenstern of trying to play him like a pipe).
What happens at the end of Act 1 Scene 4 in Hamlet?
0:562:36Hamlet by William Shakespeare | Act 1, Scene 4 Summary & AnalysisYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd Marcellus tried to stop Hamlet. But he breaks free and follows the ghost.MoreAnd Marcellus tried to stop Hamlet. But he breaks free and follows the ghost.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 4 Scene 4?
Summary and Analysis Act IV: Scene 4. On his way to England, Hamlet observes Fortinbras leading his troops through Denmark toward Poland. He questions a captain and learns that the Norwegians plan to wage war over a worthless patch of land in Poland.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 3?
In Act III, scene iii, Hamlet finally seems ready to put his desire for revenge into action. He is satisfied that the play has proven his uncle's guilt. When Claudius prays, the audience is given real certainty that Claudius murdered his brother: a full, spontaneous confession, even though nobody else hears it.
What happened in Act 4 Scene 5 of Hamlet?
Summary and Analysis Act IV: Scene 5. A court gentleman reports that Ophelia has become pitiably insane. Gertrude refuses to see the girl, but Horatio points out that Ophelia's mental state may attract undue attention to herself and the crown. Gertrude then agrees to speak with Ophelia.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 4 Scene 2?
Act 4, Scene 2 Hamlet has just hidden Polonius's body when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to handle the situation. When they ask Hamlet where he has stashed the body, Hamlet refuses to reveal the location, telling the pair that all their favors for the king will bring them nothing in the end.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 4 Scene 6?
Summary: Act IV, scene vi In the letter, Hamlet says that his ship was captured by pirates, who have returned him to Denmark. He asks Horatio to escort the sailors to the king and queen, for they have messages for them as well. He also says that he has much to tell of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
What Happens in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 3?
In Act III, scene iii, Hamlet finally seems ready to put his desire for revenge into action. He is satisfied that the play has proven his uncle's guilt. When Claudius prays, the audience is given real certainty that Claudius murdered his brother: a full, spontaneous confession, even though nobody else hears it.
Does Hamlet admit to kill Polonius?
Hamlet draws his sword and thrusts it through the tapestry, killing Polonius. When Hamlet lifts the wallhanging and discovers Polonius' body, he tells the body that he had believed he was stabbing the King.
Who dies in Act 3 of Hamlet?
When Hamlet enters, he's in such a rage that Gertrude cries for help. Hearing this, Polonius echoes her cries for help, revealing his hiding place in the process. Hamlet, thinking that Polonius is actually Claudius, stabs blindly through the curtain, killing Polonius on the spot.
Who is at fault for the death of Polonius?
Hamlet then acts crazy, breaks Ophelia's heart, and accidentally kills Polonius, but has no remorse. Hamlet mistakes Polonius voice for Claudius during his attempt to murder Claudius resulting in the death of Polonius.
Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?
Hamlet kills Polonius because he thinks that Polonius is the king, Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius, who has recently revealed through his guilty behavior that he murdered Hamlet’s father, Claudius’s own brother—confirming what the ghost of Hamlet's father said at the beginning of the play. In this scene, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, ...
Who did Hamlet kill?
However, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius and proceeds to carry on his conversation with Gertrude before hiding the counselor's body. Overall, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius after mistaking him for King Claudius, who he believes is spying on him from behind the tapestry in Gertrude's chamber. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team.
How does Hamlet react to the arras?
Hamlet reacts rashly by stabbing at the arras and killing Polonius. Hamlet was under the impression that Claudius was behind the arras. Upon murdering Polonius, Hamlet hides his body and offends Laertes by refusing to allow his father a proper burial. Claudius takes advantage of Hamlet's mistake by persuading Laertes to avenge his father's death.
Why does Polonius hide behind a curtain?
Polonius hides behind a curtain so as not to be seen.
How does Hamlet justify his lack of action?
Hamlet justifies his lack of action by commenting that he does not want Claudius's soul to go to heaven. In the next scene, Polonius hides behind a tapestry in Gertrude's chamber while she has a private conversation with her son.
What does Gertrude believe about Hamlet?
Gertrude is particularly disturbed by Hamlet's aggressive demeanor and fears for her life. It is important to note that Gertrude believes that Hamlet is insane and capable of anything.
What does Hamlet believe about his mother?
Hamlet, for his part, believes he and his mother are alone and takes the opportunity to confront her about the death of his father and her subsequent marriage to his uncle. The confrontation grows violent as Hamlet becomes more and more agitated, and Gertrude cries for help.
What happened in the final scene of Hamlet?
In the final scene, the violence, so long delayed, erupts with dizzying speed. Characters drop one after the other, poisoned, stabbed, and, in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, executed, as the theme of revenge and justice reaches its conclusion in the moment when Hamlet finally kills Claudius. In the moments before the duel, Hamlet seems peaceful, though also quite sad. He says that he feels ill in his heart, but he seems reconciled to the idea of death and no longer troubled by fear of the supernatural. Exactly what has caused the change in Hamlet is unclear, but his desire to attain Laertes’ forgiveness clearly represents an important shift in his mental state. Whereas Hamlet previously was obsessed almost wholly with himself and his family, he is now able to think sympathetically about others. He does not go quite so far as to take responsibility for Polonius’s death, but he does seem to be acting with a broader perspective after the shock of Ophelia’s death. Hamlet’s death at the hands of Laertes makes his earlier declaration over Polonius’s corpse, that God has chosen “to punish me with this and this with me,” prophetic (III.iv.174). His murder of Polonius does punish him in the end, since it is Laertes’ vengeful rage over that murder that leads to Hamlet’s death.
What does Claudius want Hamlet to fence with?
He has come to tell them that Claudius wants Hamlet to fence with Laertes and that the king has made a wager with Laertes that Hamlet will win. Then Osric begins to praise Laertes effusively, though Hamlet and Horatio are unable to determine what point he is trying to make with his overly elaborate proclamations.
What does Osric say about Fortinbras?
Osric declares that Fortinbras has come in conquest from Poland and now fires a volley to the English ambassadors. Hamlet tells Horatio again that he is dying, and urges his friend not to commit suicide in light of all the tragedies, but instead to stay alive and tell his story.
What does Claudius say about Laertes?
In an aside, Claudius murmurs, “It is the poison’d cup: it is too late” (V.ii.235). Laertes remarks under his breath that to wound Hamlet with the poisoned sword is almost against his conscience.
What is the plot Hamlet tells Horatio?
Summary: Act V, scene ii. The next day at Elsinore Castle, Hamlet tells Horatio how he plotted to overcome Claudius’s scheme to have him murdered in England. He replaced the sealed letter carried by the unsuspecting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, which called for Hamlet’s execution, with one calling for the execution of the bearers ...
Who says "I am justly kill'd with my own treachery"?
The queen falls. Laertes, poisoned by his own sword, declares, “I am justly kill’d with my own treachery” (V.ii.318). The queen moans that the cup must have been poisoned, calls out to Hamlet, and dies. Laertes tells Hamlet that he, too, has been slain, by his own poisoned sword, and that the king is to blame both for the poison on ...
Who interrupted Hamlet's conversation?
Their conversation is interrupted by Osric, a foolish courtier. Osric tries to flatter Hamlet by agreeing with everything Hamlet says, even when he contradicts himself; in the space of seconds, he agrees first that it is cold, then that it is hot.
What does Polonius say to Hamlet when he arrives?
Polonius urges the queen to be harsh with Hamlet when he arrives, saying that she should chastise him for his recent behavior. Gertrude agrees, and Polonius hides behind an arras, or tapestry. Hamlet storms into the room and asks his mother why she has sent for him.
What is Hamlet trying to do in his confrontation with his mother?
What is Hamlet trying to do in his confrontation with his mother? It is possible that he wants her to confirm her knowledge of Claudius’s crime, to provide further proof of his guilt. Or it may be that Hamlet wants to know whether she was complicit in the crime. Or he may feel that he needs her on his side if he is to achieve justice. While all of these are possibilities, what Hamlet actually does is urge his mother to repent choosing Claudius over his own father. More specifically, he repeatedly demands that she avoid Claudius’s bed. Actually, he’s much more specific: he tells her not to let Claudius arouse her by fondling her neck, not to stay within his semen-infested sheets, and other shockingly graphic details.
Why does Polonius hide in Gertrude's chamber?
In Gertrude’s chamber, the queen and Polonius wait for Hamlet’s arrival. Polonius plans to hide in order to eavesdrop on Gertrude’s confrontation with her son, in the hope that doing so will enable him to determine the cause of Hamlet’s bizarre and threatening behavior. Polonius urges the queen to be harsh with Hamlet when he arrives, ...
What is Gertrude convinced of Hamlet?
Of course, Gertrude is convinced mainly by Hamlet’s insistence and power of feeling, illustrating what many readers have felt to be her central characteristic: her tendency to be dominated by powerful men and her need for men to show her what to think and how to feel.
Does Hamlet have vengeance on Claudius?
Though Hamlet has not achieved his vengeance upon Clau dius, he believes that God has used him as a tool of vengeance to punish Polonius’s sins and punish Hamlet’s sins by staining his soul with the murder. Previous section Act III, scene iii Next section Act IV, scenes i–ii. Test your knowledge.
Hamlet
Please see the bottom of the page for full explanatory notes and helpful resources.
Scene Questions for Review
1. Hamlet believed Claudius was behind the arras (see line 32).
More to Explore
Did You Know? ... An English translation of Belleforest's mid sixteenth-century Histories Tragiques appeared in quarto form in 1608. It is The Hystorie of Hamblet. The translation was possibly in circulation before this, but whether it or Shakespeare's work came first in unknown.
What happened to Polonius in Hamlet?
Hamlet’s entrance so alarms Gertrude that she cries out for help. Polonius echoes her cry, and Hamlet, thinking Polonius to be Claudius, stabs him to death. Hamlet then verbally attacks his mother for marrying Claudius. In the middle of Hamlet’s attack, the Ghost returns to remind Hamlet that his real purpose is to avenge his father’s death. Gertrude cannot see the Ghost and pities Hamlet’s apparent madness. After the Ghost exits, Hamlet urges Gertrude to abandon Claudius’s bed. He then tells her about Claudius’s plan to send him to England and reveals his suspicions that the journey is a plot against him, which he resolves to counter violently. He exits dragging out Polonius’s body.
Does Gertrude see the ghost?
Gertrude cannot see the Ghost and pities Hamlet’s apparent madness. After the Ghost exits, Hamlet urges Gertrude to abandon Claudius’s bed. He then tells her about Claudius’s plan to send him to England and reveals his suspicions that the journey is a plot against him, which he resolves to counter violently.
What does Hamlet do to Polonius?
Hamlet derides Polonius, but Gertrude interrupts to invite her son to sit beside her. Hamlet chooses instead to lie down at Ophelia 's feet. He converses a bit with Ophelia before the dumb show — a pantomime — begins, and she mistakes his manic behavior for merriness.
Why does Hamlet chide himself?
First he will go to his mother and rebuke her, but he will not harm her. He then chides himself because his words are at war with his soul. Continued on next page...
What does Ophelia accuse Hamlet of?
Ophelia accuses him of being keen (cruel), and Hamlet responds with another sexual innuendo. Hearing the word ke en to mean sexually eager, he tells her she would have to work hard to relieve his sexual urges. Ophelia laughs that he is wittier than she, but more indecent.
What does Hamlet promise Horatio?
If the play does not reveal Claudius as the killer, Hamlet promises Horatio that he will admit to having seen a "damnèd ghost" rather than the honest spirit of his late father. Horatio, Hamlet's faithful friend, assures his Prince that he will follow Hamlet's instructions to the letter.
What does Hamlet ask Gertrude about the play?
Hamlet seizes the moment to ask Gertrude what she thinks of the play, and Gertrude answers that she is enjoying the play but that the "Lady doth protest too much.". Claudius asks Hamlet for the play's title, to which Hamlet replies, The Mousetrap.
What does Hamlet say to Ophelia?
He explains the action of the play, and Ophelia congratulates Ham let for his story-telling skill. Hamlet makes a crude pun, suggesting that he could interpret the actions of Ophelia and her lover if he could watch them. Ophelia accuses him of being keen (cruel), and Hamlet responds with another sexual innuendo.
Who announces the arrival of the King and Queen to hear the play?
Polonius enters and announces the arrival of the King and Queen to hear the play. While the court assembles for the performance, Hamlet explains to Horatio how the play will help prove the Ghost's honesty and reveal Claudius ' perfidy.
