Act III Scene 1 – The Nunnery Scene, Essay Example

The King Questions What’s Wrong With Hamlet:

Within this scene, this cast consist of the King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern first enter the scene. This scene takes place before the play, and Claudius first raises the question to the others about the mental state of Hamlet, wanting to know why he is acting so peculiar. Rosencrantz tries to give a plausible reason, but won’t say the real reason for Hamlet’s behavior. The Queen wanting to know if her son is acting as a gentlemen, asks about how he greets them. They both agree that is kind, but Guildenstern doesn’t really trust Hamlet’s odd behavior, he feels that Hamlet is only forcing himself to be nice to them. He entails Hamlet acts “with a crafty madness, keeps aloof.” However, they both feel that Hamlet is ready for the play, with the King and Queen attendance wanted by Hamlet. The King obliges, and Guildenstern and Rosencrantz leave.

Polonius and Claudius Spy On Hamlet:

Claudius tells Gertrude to leave also, because he and Polonius wants to spy on Hamlet meeting Ophelia. Claudius and Polonius want to see if it is love for Ophelia or something else that is making Hamlet act odd. Gertrude agrees telling Ophelia that she hopes it is her beauty making him crazy, and that, “I hope your virtues will bring him to his wonted way again to both your honors”, her ways will make him sane again. While Ophelia agrees with this assessment, she also has something else up her sleeve.

The Queen Leaves:

As the Queen leaves, Polonius shows the rest to where they need to be once Hamlet shows. Polonius is bent on trying to find the cause of Hamlet’s odd behavior. Polonius gives Ophelia a book so she can pretend to read once Hamlet finds her. However, even the King questions the point of trying to trick Hamlet, he believes that, “The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it.” Basically you can make a whore look pretty, but her actions are still ugly. The King regrets his actions, but feels that the plan is already in motion. Once Polonius hears Hamlet they hide.

Hamlet Enters while Claudius and Polonius Hide:

This is where Hamlet has his most famous soliloquy, “To be or not to be…” His plan was to trick the king and take his revenge, but now he just wants things to happen as they should. He is overwhelemed by everything that has taken place, with the aspects of life and death. He questions should take revenge in his own hands, or “to die, to sleep, to sleep perchance to dream.” He thinks that all his life problems would probably be solve with him taking his own life, since its all overwhelming. “And enterprises of great pith and moment/with this regard their currents turn awry,/and lose the name of action.”

Hamlet Sees Ophelia:

Finally Hamlet notices Ophelia, he is surprised since she broke up with him, but with him so overwhelmed ask her to pray for him. She wants him to have the love letters he wrote for her since he doesn’t really love her. Hamlet confused ask her if she is alright, she not understanding, Hamlet questions if for all her beauty is she still “chaste”. Insinuating that that even though a person is good they can change, in Ophelia’s case, change into a whore, and in that sense does not love her anymore. He tells her to get thee to a nunnery, so she can be protected from men like him. “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in…” Hamlet sensing something afoot, questions where her father is. He knowing she is lying explodes on her calling Polonius a fool, and telling Ophelia once again to get to the nunnery, only this underlying that nunnery is slang for whorehouse. “marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too.” Then he makes a climatic exit with a veiled threat to the king. “Those that are married already, but one, shall live.” His climatic exit seems to make his decision clear on his plan for the King.

Hamlet Exits:

As Hamlet leaves, Ophelia is distraught, knowing that Hamlet once a fine gentlemen, she has sucked of all goodness from him. “Oh, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!”  Claudius believes that love is not making him act crazy, but instead he is hatching a plan. “There was something in his soul/O’er which his melancholy sits on brood.” They plan to seen him to England hoping that can set him straight. With Polonius agreeing, he also believes Ophelia is still a part of his crazy behavior, “the origin and commencement of his grief sprung from neglected love.” However, he first wants to see if the Queen can make him confess his troubles. Claudius agrees but persists if not, “madness in great ones must not unwatched go,” meaning when people start to show signs of crazy, you must watch them closely.