Act III was actually the the most interesting to me, and it seems as though it is getting a bit easier to understand.
Everyone is still trying to figure out Hamlets problem. The king is starting to realize that Hamlet is not truly mad, and has an intended purpose. Hamlet does not think anyone can hear him when he does his "To be or not to be" soliloquy. He is considering ending his struggle, but he realized death is not a way out. Ophelia appears and she is happy to see him, yet she returns the gifts that he gave her. He act as though he doesn't care and respons with " I never gave you aught".
Horatio is Hamlet one true friend right now and he confided in him his plan. He is suppose to watch the King for any signs of guilt. The play begins , Claudius immediately notices the parallels between the play and reality. Hamlet asks Gertrude what she thinks of it, and then reveales the name of the play "The Mouse-trap." Hamlet now feels certain that his plan has worked. Claudius now knows that Hamlet knows !
Rosencranz and Guildenstern are ordered to get ready to go to England. They are to deliver Hamlet there. Hamlet sees Claudius and he is on his knees. This is what Hamlet has been waiting for. Hamlet thinks that he is repenting his sins, and realizes that his father was killed without being given the opportunity to confess his sins. For that reason, the ghost of the king is "doomed for a certain time" to "fast in fires". So, they are not allowed in heaven, or at least not right away. Hamlet thinks the king is praying, and if he kills him then his soul will go to heaven, so he decides to wait on his revenge.
Hamlet is called to his mothers chambers, and is unaware that Polonius is hiding in there. Hamlet thinks it is Claudius and stabs him. Hamlet accuses his mother of being an adulteress and an accomplice to murder. They get in a big arguement, but he is also convined that she did not have anything to do with the King's murder. His father's ghost appears and reminds Hamlet not to harm his mother. Gertrude cannot see him speaking to Hamlet, but she is convined more than ever that her son is mad. Convined that the his mother will not tell the king what she knows, Hamlet drags the body out of the room.
Why do you suppose that Gertrude could not see the ghost talking to Hamlet?
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I was also struck by the obviousness of the play within the play, and wondered why Hamlet would want Claudius to know that he knows he murdered his father? I have trouble understand revenge, having been fortunate to never have that feeling, at least in any strong sense. What is it about the need to have the object of your revenge "know" the revenger? Humans are so odd. Does it really help to perpetuate a cycle of violence? How does it help? I hope I never understand.
ReplyDeleteI think that Gertrude can not see the ghost because she doesn't want to believe in it. She doesn't want to face the fact that her husband is back haunting people because her new husband killed him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that perhaps the ghost only allows certain people to see it, only allows the people that he wants to see it see it. If you recall in the first act, the ghost allowed Horatio and a couple others to see it, but did not speak to them. I believe that the ghost only speaks and appears in front of those he deems necessary.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Amber. I think that the ghost really only lets the people he believes will understand see him in order to keep everything from falling apart. If Gertrude saw him she might thinks she is going crazy and be even more upset with Hamlet than she already is.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a literary element used to portray Gertrude as "unperceptive". I brought it up in my journal as well.
ReplyDeleteDoes Hamlet actually accuse his mother of being an accomplice to murder? Mabye to Polonius' murder?
For me, Gertrude was not privileged to see Hamlet's father in spirit because her soul was not clean. She had tainted her very self for an immoral man.
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