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Ophelia might not have gone crazy, Laertes would not have come home to fight hamlet, and king Claudius might not have wanted to send hamlet away.
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Who does hamlet stab through the curtain?
Hamlet mistakenly stabs Polonius through the curtain. He heard a noise, and, thinking it might be Claudius, immediately stabbed through the curtain.
What does polonius tell claduis and Gertrude?
Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Ophelia and Hamlet have had a relationship which Polonius had Ophelia break off, and that this might be the cause of Hamlet's wild behaviour.
How did Laertes's words to Ophelia about Hamlet relate to what Polonius said to her about Hamlet?
Both Laertes and Polonius were telling Ophelia not to have anything to do with Hamlet, for different reasons. Laertes says that she should avoid Hamlet because, being a prince, he can be compelled to a political marriage whatever he feels. Polonius says that she should avoid Hamlet because he is only trying to get into her pants.
How guilty is Hamlet's mother?
She feels very guilty and she tells Hamlet so. Hamlet asked her to not reveal that he is not really crazy. She then protects Hamlet for the murder of Polonius by telling the king that Hamlet has gone mad. However, it is clear that Gertrude is not as guilty as you might think. She was not aware of the fact that Claudius had killed her first husband for her until Hamlet says "Almost as bad, dear mother, as to kill a king and marry with his brother." "To kill a king?" she asks. She had no idea. Nevertheless she was the motive, or part of the motive for the crime, and this makes her feel guilty.
Why is Hamlet the only one suspicious about his father's death?
Hamlet is disposed to believe ill of Claudius. He dislikes him and resents his marriage to his mother. That is why when the Ghost names Claudius as his murderer, Hamlet says "O my prophetic soul!"--he had already suspected as much. Because we hear Claudius admit his guilt (just before the "To Be or Not to Be" speech and in Claudius's "O my offence is rank" soliloquy) we know that the ghost is telling the truth. Otherwise, it might be plausible to believe that Claudius is innocent, as everyone including Gertrude seems to believe.
Who does hamlet stab through the curtain?
Hamlet mistakenly stabs Polonius through the curtain. He heard a noise, and, thinking it might be Claudius, immediately stabbed through the curtain.
What does polonius tell claduis and Gertrude?
Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Ophelia and Hamlet have had a relationship which Polonius had Ophelia break off, and that this might be the cause of Hamlet's wild behaviour.
How did Laertes's words to Ophelia about Hamlet relate to what Polonius said to her about Hamlet?
Both Laertes and Polonius were telling Ophelia not to have anything to do with Hamlet, for different reasons. Laertes says that she should avoid Hamlet because, being a prince, he can be compelled to a political marriage whatever he feels. Polonius says that she should avoid Hamlet because he is only trying to get into her pants.
Presume that Hamlet did know that Polonius was listening to his talk with Ophelia What sentence do you think Hamlet might have specifically intended Polonius to hear?
Part of the answer has to depend on when you think Hamlet figures out that Polonius is listening in. If you think Hamlet knew from the start, then he may be saying "No, I never gave thee ought." to make Polonius think that their relationship was less serious than it really was. Or possibly the return of the love-tokens tips him off, and his lines "Are you honest?" and "Are you fair?" are really intended for Polonius. Perhaps "Get thee to a nunnery" is intended for Polonius (perhaps to make him think Hamlet as angry with Ophelia to try to save her from being implicated in Hamlet's problems), and "We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us" is to Ophelia so she knows he's not really mad at her. A number of people believe that Hamlet might become aware of Polonius's presence immediately before the line "Where's your father?" (Although possibly that may be when Hamlet discovers that Ophelia knows that Polonius is listening, or when he discovers that she has been planted by Polonius). In that case the lines "It hath made me mad", and "I say let us have no more marriages" may be directed to Polonius, the first to help reinforce the illusion that he's crazy and the second to get in a sly dig at Claudius and Gertrude.
What sentence do you think Hamlet specifically intended polonius to hear?
I assume we are discounting the various lines which Hamlet directs to Polonius' questions in the three scenes where he has a conversation with him: "Words, words, words", "You cannot, sir, take from me anything which I would more willingly part withal", "Do you see yonder cloud which is in the shape of a camel?", "Have you a daughter?", "Buz, buz", "O Jeptha, judge of Israel, what a treasure had thou?" I think Hamlet intended Polonius to hear all these lines. I doubt if he intended Polonius to hear the things he said to Gertrude in the closet scene, even though Polonius did hear them. There are other things which Hamlet says which Polonius overhears which he might have intended Polonius to overhear. The line "These tedious old fools!" is one. The entire soliloquy "To be or not to be" and some or all of the scene with Ophelia which follows is another. The line "Where is your father?" suggests that at least at this point Hamlet is aware of Polonius and intends him to hear.
How guilty is Hamlet's mother?
She feels very guilty and she tells Hamlet so. Hamlet asked her to not reveal that he is not really crazy. She then protects Hamlet for the murder of Polonius by telling the king that Hamlet has gone mad. However, it is clear that Gertrude is not as guilty as you might think. She was not aware of the fact that Claudius had killed her first husband for her until Hamlet says "Almost as bad, dear mother, as to kill a king and marry with his brother." "To kill a king?" she asks. She had no idea. Nevertheless she was the motive, or part of the motive for the crime, and this makes her feel guilty.
Why is Hamlet the only one suspicious about his father's death?
Hamlet is disposed to believe ill of Claudius. He dislikes him and resents his marriage to his mother. That is why when the Ghost names Claudius as his murderer, Hamlet says "O my prophetic soul!"--he had already suspected as much. Because we hear Claudius admit his guilt (just before the "To Be or Not to Be" speech and in Claudius's "O my offence is rank" soliloquy) we know that the ghost is telling the truth. Otherwise, it might be plausible to believe that Claudius is innocent, as everyone including Gertrude seems to believe.
What are the five most famous quotes in Hamlet and who said those quotes?
"To be or not to be, that is the question" Hamlet"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him . . ." Hamlet"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" Polonius"This above all, to thine own self be true" Polonius"The Lady doth protest too much, methinks" GertrudeThere will, of course, be a lot of argument about other quotations which might make this list. There is no argument about which one is number one.
How would you summarize Act 3 Scene 1 in Hamlet?
Polonius and Claudius send Ophelia to talk to Hamlet to see how he responds to her. They wanted to find out if Hamlet truly was mad because of his love for Ophelia.Hamlet asks whether it is better to live or not to live. Should people suffer with what is going on around them or should they fight? He says that the only reason he and other people are not committing suicide is because they are scared of what might happen to them after death.The king's view has changed. He does not believe that the madness was caused by his love for Ophelia"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." The king says this because he is not truly sure if Hamlet is mad because of Ophelia or not. He realizes that Hamlet is clever and could be up to something. He could think that Hamlet knew that Polonius and he were spying on him with Ophelia.
What events in act 3 might be considered turning points?
Hamlet not killing King Claudius, Gertrude believing the Claudius killed Hamlet's father.
Who says in hamlet To thine ownself be true?
Polonius says this to his son Laertes. Polonius is one of the most underhand and dishonest characters in the entire play. (In fact he is killed while trying to spy on Hamlet a few scenes later). Draw your own conclusion.
What did shakespeare mean by I must be cruel only to be kind thus being bad and worse remains behind?
A brief synopsis might put the answer in the proper context. Hamlet's father has just been murdered, a ghost claiming to be his deceased father claims he was killed by his brother Claudius who then marries Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. While talking to his mother in her bedroom, Hamlet hears a spy behind the curtains and kills him, thinking it to be his uncle. It is not; it is his girlfriend's father Polonius. The full speech delivered may also shed some light on the discussion. For this same lord I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so, To punish me with this and this with me, That I must be their scourge and minister. I will bestow him and answer well The death I gave him. So again good night. I must be cruel to be kind: Thus bad begins and only worse remains behind. Hamlet is sorry that he killed Polonius, but says fatalistically that "heaven hath pleased it so to punish me with this." He is imagining that heaven wants someone to be the "scourge and minister" to punish Polonius and Hamlet is the lucky guy. As for the phrase "I must be cruel to be kind", imagine this as a tough love approach. Hamlet believes that fate has put him in the position of the man who has to clean up the corrupt Danish court, but in order to do so, he must take some unpleasant measures. He is warning his mother that Polonius is not the only one who will be killed. He is preparing her for his intended killing of Claudius; the bad beginning is the murder of Polonius and the worse that remains behind is the killing of Claudius. But, he explains, although killing people may seem "cruel", in the end it is for the best, so in the long run killing Polonius and Claudius will be "kind" for Denmark.
