Hamlet - blog 13

The play within the play is supposed to represent the King's murder by Claudius. The play begins very similar to what actually happened. The King dies and the queen is left behind as a widow. The murderer then decides to pursue the widow just as Hamlet's mother remarries his uncle. Hamlet at this point is trying to stir up trouble and cause a reaction from his uncle. Maybe he hopes to make his uncle feel guilty or perhaps he just wants to make him feel humiliated in front of everyone who is at this play. Regardless, the play is used to bring about the truth, that Claudius is the murderer. The play even mocks his mother a little and might be used to put the situation in perspective for her too and stir up her emotions as well. From the way Hamlet acts during the play it is obvious that he's concerned about the reaction from the King and Queen and wants them to pay close attention. As he unnecessarily interprets the play he makes sure to point our things of significance that will certainly grind on the King's nerves. He says, "He poisons him i' the garden for his estate" and "you shall see anon how the murderer get the love of Gonzago's wife". Hamlet wants to make sure that the King sees that "The Mouse-Trap" is put on for a purpose.

2. Shakespeare writes the play so that Hamlet doesn't act right away against Claudius possibly just to draw more suspense to the reader/audience. The play would definitely be less exciting if Hamlet had just killed Claudius right then and there instead of prolonging the murder. Definitely more can be taken away from a play in which the murderer must live longer with his guilt. There's no real solid explanation for the delay, but Hamlet may just want Claudius to suffer a little more and think more about what what he did and feel more guilty. The play was used by Hamlet to judge Claudius' reaction and make him feel certain that it was Claudius who was the murderer and that his father's ghost was telling the truth. There wasn't a need for him to react abruptly and kill Claudius right then. It was not too long after when Hamlet does go to kill Claudius. Through Hamlet's reaction after finding Claudius praying it can be seen why Hamlet does wait even longer. Hamlet says he wants to kill Claudius when he is in another act that "has no relish of salvation in 't" so that "his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes". Hamlet waits for just the right moment to kill Claudius, instead of instantly after the play.

3. Ophelia seems to have gone mad due to her father's death and because Hamlet was the one who murdered him, who is now also gone. None of what she says appears to really make sense as she sings about random things to the King. As she responds to him with these songs she definitely is acting crazy but when she leaves her closing lines tell why she is behaving in such a way. She is thinking of her father and how "they should lay him i' the cold ground". Through all that has happened in the kingdom, first the death of Hamlet's father and then the death of Polonius and the loss of her lover who has run away, Ophelia is suffering and as a result kills herself. Her death symbolizes the destruction of the kingdom. The evil that started with the murder of Hamlet's father came all the way to the point of effecting Ophelia who had no part in the evil. All because of Hamlet's revenge, or really Claudius' evil actions, innocent Ophelia is dead.

4.In the end of Act 3 Hamlet still is not acting in a way that would be called "mad" or at least mad to the point of not being able to control it. However, this act is where Hamlet begins to turn that way especially when he kills Polonius on accident. And later he doesn't seem to be overly concerned about his mistake. His anger and his need for revenge is understandable, but is beginning to get worse. When comparing Hamlet's action to the way Ophelia acted he is not quite as mad, because he is still pretending instead. Hamlet changes his attitude back and forth where Ophelia did not flip flop. The way he talks is at one moment in a way of pretending and in another angry and destructive and mad. Hamlet tries to make it seem that he is insane so that Claudius will not find him threatening especially to Laertes and therefore he is still conscious about what he is doing and not just uncontrollably mad.

*Laertes is the character that most reflects some of the characteristics of Hamlet. He is the foil in the play. Just as Hamlet's father is killed so is Laertes;. The two resemble each other in the fact that the both are outraged and seek revenge, Hamlet from Claudius and Laertes from Hamlet. The difference is Hamlet does not act right away and kill Claudius when he first hears from the ghost, he waits to find out the truth for himself. Laertes really does not hesitate in wanting Hamlet to pay the price for his father (and Ophelia's) death. Nothing will slow Laertes down or hold him back from killing Hamlet. Hamlet in a way acts more rationally than he does.