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In Act 3, Scene 1, Claudius and Polonius try to get Hamlet to reveal his private thoughts by setting up a meeting with his erstwhile girlfriend Ophelia. When Hamlet arrives, he probably knows full well that Claudius is lurking somewhere around but does not appear to be sure that Ophelia is party to the trap. Eventually, however, he figures out that Ophelia knows all about it and it makes him very angry.

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How does Polonius respond to his daughter?

Polonius may actually care about his daughter, Ophelia but it's not very evident in his actions. He clearly is more concerned with his own personal reputation than his 2 children, Laertes and Ophelia.


Who tells ophelia to get to a nunnery?

Ophelia is definitely very hurt by what Hamlet has said. Hamlet saying such a phrase only further pushes Ophelia's feeling that she was cheated by Hamlet, that the love they had together earlier was not real.


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 is Hamlets reaction when polonius tells Ophelia not to see him anymore?

Hamlet isn't present when Polonius tells her this. So how and when does he come to know it? Is it during the scene Ophelia describes to Polonius in 2,1? Ophelia doesn't tell her father that she had time to communicate anything to Hamlet when he "comes before" her. It is clear that Ophelia is holding something back from the story she tells her father, but it does not seem that this is it. Maybe it is in scene 3,1 when Ophelia returns the things (whatever they may be) that she has "longed long to redliver". Apparently it has been some time between 1,3 when Polonius tells Ophelia to lay off Hamlet and 3,1 since it has been "many a day" since they have spoken and she has "longed long" to deliver the mysterious love-tokens (although she may be implying that she had lost interest in him long before the events in 1,3). In any case, Hamlet does not seem to react at all to the fact that Ophelia has been avoiding him of late. He is possibly unaware of it. The romantic relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet is uppermost in Ophelia's mind, but Hamlet has other things to think about. He only seems to focus on her when he realizes that she has allowed herself to be a lure in Claudius's trap for him.


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.

Related Questions

What does Polonius think is the cause of Hamlet's is mad?

he think that hamlet is going mad due the love. the love between Hamlet and Ophelia.


What tragedy of the plot could happen if hamlet does love Ophelia and if he doesn't love Ophelia?

What happens in the play makes as much sense if you think Hamlet didn't love Ophelia or if you think he did. Either way leads to the same tragic ending.


Why does Ophelia come to see her father after her encounter with Hamlet?

They are not. Gertrude does say that she hoped Ophelia and Hamlet would marry, but she didn't bother saying that while Ophelia was alive, so she was hardly eager. Polonius told Ophelia to give Hamlet the cold shoulder, since he thought Hamlet was only trying to get into her pants. He did not want Hamlet to fall for Ophelia at all (and he sure didn't think he would do so), but he comes to the conclusion later that Hamlet has in fact fallen in love with Ophelia. He's not exactly happy about that, but what he is happy about is that he can 1) be the first to tell the king, thus making him look smart, and 2) use Ophelia as bait to find out more about Hamlet.


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?

In this hypothetical scenario, if Hamlet knew that Polonius was eavesdropping on his conversation with Ophelia, he might have intended for Polonius to hear the line, "Get thee to a nunnery." This statement could be interpreted as a deliberate attempt by Hamlet to convey his contempt for the corrupt world and his disillusionment with Ophelia, while also serving as a veiled criticism of Polonius and the court. Hamlet's words could be seen as a reflection of his inner turmoil and his disdain for the deceit and manipulation surrounding him.


What does hamlet ask Ophelia?

Various things. "Are you honest?" "Are you fair?" "May I lie in your lap?" "Where is your father?" "Do you think I meant country matters?"


Is Hamlet obsessively in love with ophelia or is he a insensitive womanizer?

Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia can be played many different ways. Either of these is possible, and are problematic. If Hamlet is obsessed with love for Ophelia, why does he never talk about his feelings for her until after she is dead? When he talks to himself, wouldn't he talk like Romeo in Romeo and Juliet ("What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Ophelia is the sun!") or Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona ("What light is light if Ophelia be not seen? What joy is joy is Ophelia be not by?"). Instead the woman he talks about is his mother. And if he is an insensitive womanizer (He certainly is insensitive, if not cruel, toward Ophelia) you'd think there'd be some evidence of his having a relationship with at least one woman other than Ophelia and his mother. There is no such evidence. Consider the banter he has with his erstwhile schoolchums Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Surely you'd expect him to say "In the secret parts of fortune? Most true, she is a strumpet, like that black-haired wench at the Frog and Peach, remember? Wo-ho-ho!" But he doesn't. Less problematic interpretations have Hamlet genuinely loving Ophelia but not obsessively. His other troubles are more important to him. When he finds that she has betrayed him he is angry and attacks her viciously. But that's because he expected something better from her.


How does Polonius respond to his daughter?

Polonius may actually care about his daughter, Ophelia but it's not very evident in his actions. He clearly is more concerned with his own personal reputation than his 2 children, Laertes and Ophelia.


Who tells ophelia to get to a nunnery?

Ophelia is definitely very hurt by what Hamlet has said. Hamlet saying such a phrase only further pushes Ophelia's feeling that she was cheated by Hamlet, that the love they had together earlier was not real.


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 is Hamlets reaction when polonius tells Ophelia not to see him anymore?

Hamlet isn't present when Polonius tells her this. So how and when does he come to know it? Is it during the scene Ophelia describes to Polonius in 2,1? Ophelia doesn't tell her father that she had time to communicate anything to Hamlet when he "comes before" her. It is clear that Ophelia is holding something back from the story she tells her father, but it does not seem that this is it. Maybe it is in scene 3,1 when Ophelia returns the things (whatever they may be) that she has "longed long to redliver". Apparently it has been some time between 1,3 when Polonius tells Ophelia to lay off Hamlet and 3,1 since it has been "many a day" since they have spoken and she has "longed long" to deliver the mysterious love-tokens (although she may be implying that she had lost interest in him long before the events in 1,3). In any case, Hamlet does not seem to react at all to the fact that Ophelia has been avoiding him of late. He is possibly unaware of it. The romantic relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet is uppermost in Ophelia's mind, but Hamlet has other things to think about. He only seems to focus on her when he realizes that she has allowed herself to be a lure in Claudius's trap for him.


Did laertes think ophelia had committed suicide in Hamlet?

No, or at least he doesn't want to think so. His line, "I tell thee, churlish priest, a ministering angel shall my sister be when thou liest howling." suggests that Laertes believed that Ophelia died free of sin.


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.