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Hamlet mistakenly believes that it is Claudius who is hiding behind the arras instead of Polonius.

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Q: Why does Hamlet ask it is the king a second after he kills polonius?
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Who died in Hamlet?

Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes.


In Hamlet what does hamlet do that is evil?

Under the universal definition of evil, Hamlet commits murder. He kills Polonius, although his intent was to kill Claudius for revenge of the death of his father. He calculates how to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed in his stead, by forging a letter requesting their executions to the King of England. He kills Laertes--again unintentionally, because he uses the poisoned foil that Laertes slashed him with. Finally, he kills Claudius by stabbing him and feeding the King poison.


Whom does hamlet get rid of first in the play?

Hamlet is directly responsible for the deaths of five people and indirectly for another. The first person to die because of Hamlet's actions is Polonius, who Hamlet stabs in the mistaken belief that he is King Claudius. This indirectly causes Ophelia's death. Hamlet then kills, in succession, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes and Claudius.


What mistake leads to Hamlet attacking Polonius?

Hamlet thinks Polonius is Claudius. He says, "Is't not the king?" His mistake is reasonable, since Polonius is hiding behind a curtain in Gertrude's bedroom, not the place where one would suspect men other than her husband.


What is Polonius' plan for testing his theory that Hamlet is love-crazy?

In "Hamlet", Polonious devises a plan to test his theory that Hamlet is madly in love with Ophelia, and since she is ignoring him, he is depressed. He plans to arrange for Hamlet and Ophelia to meet. He will hide close by and ease-drop to determine if he is correct in his assumption.

Related questions

Who does Hamlet kill in the play?

hamlet killed king Claudius, Polonius, and laertes. (he technically killed rosencrantz & guildenstern because of a letter telling the king of England to kill them)


Who does Polonius plan to tell of Hamlet's behavior and his suspected cause?

Polonius plans to tell Claudius. Polonius believes that it is love that is driving Hamlet insane.


Who is polonius in Hamlet?

Polonius is the chief counselor to the king, and also the father of Ophelia and Laertes.


Why did Laertes die in Hamlet?

Hamlet stabbed him with the poisoned sword which Laertes had poisoned to kill Hamlet. He was, in Hamlet's phrase, "hoist with his own petard."


Why does Hamlet stab and kill Polonius?

Before Hamlet enters his mother's chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with Hamlet's mother Gertrude. As Hamlet enters the room, Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry hanging from the wall. When he hears Gertrude begin to feel threatened by Hamlet, he cries out for help, thinking that he would kill them both. Hamlet hears Polonius, and believes him to be a rat/spy (possibly even King Claudius, but it is unclear if he truly believes this). Hamlet stabs through the tapestry killing Polonius, who remarks "O, I am slain".


Who died in Hamlet?

Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes.


Who does Hamlet mistake for Claudius and accidentally kill?

Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, the father of his love interest Ophelia and the advisor to King Claudius, Hamlet's deceased father's brother who recently married Hamlet's mother. Polonius is hiding behind a tapestry in the room of Hamlet's mother Gertrude, planning to eavesdrop on their discussion about Hamlet's apparent madness of late. They all assume it is because Ophelia has broken up with him. However, in reality it is a ploy to keep from arousing suspicion as he plots to kill Claudius, because Hamlet was visited by the ghost of his father telling him that Claudius had murdered him to usurp the throne and instructing Hamlet to avenge his death. When Hamlet hears a noise behind the tapestry, he assumes it is Claudius and stabs into the curtain, killing Polonius. This occurs at the beginning of Act 3, Scene 4.


What is the tragedy of Hamlet?

The tragic force in Hamlet, according to Gustav Freytag, is when Hamlet, during an interview with his mother, kills Polonius by mistake, thinking that he is killing the king. See Freytag's Technique of the Drama, translated by Elias J. MacEwan, page 191.


Who is Ophelia from Hamlet?

Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius (the king's main advisor), the sister of Laertes, and the beloved of Hamlet.


In Hamlet what does hamlet do that is evil?

Under the universal definition of evil, Hamlet commits murder. He kills Polonius, although his intent was to kill Claudius for revenge of the death of his father. He calculates how to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed in his stead, by forging a letter requesting their executions to the King of England. He kills Laertes--again unintentionally, because he uses the poisoned foil that Laertes slashed him with. Finally, he kills Claudius by stabbing him and feeding the King poison.


Who is the first character to be kill in Hamlet?

King hamlet, hamlets real father is already dead, poisened by claudious before the play begins, he is the ghost. then hamlet accidentally kills polonious.


Who reports the strange behavior of Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare?

In the second act, Polonius reports to King Claudius and Queen Gertrude that his daughter, Ophelia, witnessed Hamlet behaving oddly, but it is implied that his behaviour is the talk of the castle.