Hamlet Questions ACT III

Hamlet Act 3 Questions for Study; Act 3:

Scene I: 

1. What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Polonius?

They say he feels mentally disturbed, but won't tell them why, and that he isn't answering any of their questions. They also say that he is planning a play and that the King and Queen are invited. 


2. How does Claudius react when Polonius says, "…with devotion's visage, And pious action we do sugar o'er/ The devil himself"?

He admits to being guilty of killing his brother, and brings in the image of prostitution using garish makeup as symbolism. He is saying that his words are as painted as a harlot's cheek. 


3.What plan do Polonius, Claudius and Ophelia now put into action?

Claudius, Polonius, and Ophelia make a plan so that Claudius and Polonius will hide as Ophelia will talk to Hamlet. Ophelia is supposed to see how he reacts to her when she returns his love letters, basically insulting him.




4. What is the nature of Hamlet's soliloquy, lines 57-91?

Hamlet's soliloquy is discussing the pro's and cons of inaction; he is weighing the pain and grief that killing Claudius will bring against his duty to avenge his father. He is contemplating life, too live or not too live. He debates with himself over if suicide would be easier than living this life. 

5. What is Hamlet's main argument against suicide?

Hamlet's main argument against suicide is the unknown that is the afterlife; he does not know "what dreams may come". This is why "conscience makes cowards of us all" because the brave ones don't fear the unknown and die quickly, while others remain on the earth.

6. Why does Hamlet treat Ophelia as cruelly as he does? What has changed him?

Hamlet treats Ophelia cruelly because she returns his love letters, but he doesn't really go off on her until she lies about the whereabouts of her father. He is enraged that Ophelia was able to tell a lie right to his face. Between his father dying, his mother marrying his mother, and now Ophelia lying to him, he feels abandoned by everyone. This loneliness causes him to snap while talking to Ophelia


7. What thinly veiled threat to Claudius does Hamlet voice, after he becomes of his hidden presence? (lines 148-150)

"Those that are married already-all but one-shall live; the rest shall keep as they are."
He implies that all the people who are married shall live, excepting one, which in this case is Claudius. 


8. At the end of this scene, what does the King decide to do with Hamlet?

The king decides to send Hamlet to England to collect tribute. Although this may seem like an attempt to help hamlet, he is really trying to get Hamlet away from himself because he is fearful of what Hamlet is capable of, and what he might already know.

Scene II:

9. What qualities in Horatio cause Hamlet to enlist his assistance?

Horatio is honest, scholarly, and was the person who called Hamlet to witness his fathers ghost. To Hamlet, this means Horatio might be connected with his fathers spirit.
10. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do?

10. Hamlet asks Horatio to spy on Claudius as he reacts to the opening scene of Mousetrap. He asks because he is beginning to believe that he is crazy, and he wants a someone else to help him confirm his suspicions of Claudius.


11. Summarize what happens in the play-within-a-play.

In the play within a play, a man is poisoned, and the dead man's lover marries the poisoner. After that, the dead man's nephew vows revenge on his uncle's killer. At this point in the play, Claudius gets upset and leaves.


12. Why, in line 233, does Hamlet refer to the play-within-a-play as "The Mouse-trap"?

He calls it this because he is using it to catch Claudius, who is acting like a rat.

13. What is the King's reaction to the play?

He is so upset that he leaves, which confirms Hamlet's suspicions of the King's murder.

14. In lines 354-363, to what object does Hamlet compare himself? Why?

He is comparing himself to a flute because Fortune plays men like flutes. He is saying that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cannot play him like a flute because he will outsmart them.


15. As Hamlet goes to his mother at the end of this scene, what does he say he'll do? 

He says he doesn't want to physically hurt his mother, but he does want to say his piece in a not-so-nice way. 


Scene III

1) What does Claudius plan to do with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Hamlet?

Claudius gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a sealed envelope with orders to escort Hamlet to England and give the envelope to the king there.

2) What is Polonius going to do while Hamlet speaks with his mother?

He is going to hide behind the "arras" and listen to their conversation.

3) List three important things about Claudius’ soliloquy.


a) Claudius feels guilty (his deed has the "mark of Cain" on it because he killed his brother)


b) It shows he can't truly be forgiven because he doesn't want to give up the things he has gained, like his crown and his wife.

c) He believes that prayer serves two purposes—to keep people from sinning and to ask for forgiveness when they have sinned. However, he also believes that his actions will be judged for what they're worth. Either way, he is going to pay for what he has done. 

4) Why is it odd that Hamlet sees the king praying?

5) Why doesn’t Hamlet take this opportunity for revenge?

Even though he now has an opportunity to avenge his father and kill his uncle, he doesn't want to do it while he is repenting lest he go straight to Heaven, which wouldn't be a punishment at all. 


Scene IV

1) Describe Polonius’ advice to Gertrude.

He basically told her to act like she is Hamlet's mother, and show him that there are consequences for his actions.

2) What is the significance of the following quote: “How now, a rat? Dead! For a ducat, dead!

He knows that someone is spying on him and his mother, and since he just saw Claudius praying and almost killed him, he figured it was Polonius.

3) What is odd about the following quote: A bloody dead; almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.

This is odd because Hamlet is implying that he thinks his mother killed his father and then married Claudius to maintain her position… even though he knows that that wasn't what happened at all. 

4) Why might Gertrude say, “What have I done, that thou dar’st wag thy tongue in noise so rude against me.”

She is angry and confused because of what Hamlet is saying. This shows that she doesn’t think that marrying Hamlet's uncle was wrong, and that she didn't know about the murder.

5) What descriptions does Hamlet use to compare his father and his uncle?

He described his father using traits of a God, and compared Claudius to a moldy ear of corn.