Act 3 Scene II- Notes

Act 3 Scene II

- Hamlet is giving instructions to his players; act naturally, don’t overplay emotions

- Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that the king and queen will be attending the play

- Hamlet confides in Horatio, sees him as a good man; asks him to watch Claudius closely during a specific scene

- Wishes to see his guilt, both will compare what they have observed

- Party arrives; Hamlet makes his usual witty remarks

- Makes another reference to the short lapse of time that is given for the grief of his father’s death

- Scene unfolds, very similar to the happenings of King Hamlet’s murder

- Player King and Player Queen are eerily familiar; Gertrude and Claudius show their dislike

- Hamlet says that play is based on a murder done in Vienna, nonetheless they leave

- Horatio did perceive the guilt in Claudius

- Guildenstern returns with a request from Gertrude; Hamlet has struck her so much with “admiration” that she wants to speak to him in her closet

-Rosencrantz attempts to discover the reasons for Hamlets distemper; Hamlet bites back by saying that although they have already deceived him they cannot play him as they would an instrument

- Polonius arrives saying that Gertrude wants to speak to him now

- “now I could drink hot blood” Hamlet seems to be ready to take out his revenge