Act 3, Scene 1
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern admit to King Claudius that they have failed to detect the cause of Hamlet's madness. They extend Hamlet's invitation to Claudius and Gertrude for the evening's performance. The royal couple is relieved to see Hamlet occupied with a happier pastime.
Polonius intends to prove that an unsatisfied lust for Ophelia is the cause of Prince Hamlet's madness. He plants his daughter in Hamlet's path and hides with King Claudius to spy on their rigged encounter.
Hamlet enters, pondering suicidal thoughts of life's troubles and death's uncertainties.
"'To be, or not to be; that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep -
No more, and by sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to - 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
Must give us pause.'" Act 3, Scene 1, lines 58-70
Surprised by the unexpected sight of Ophelia, Hamlet launches into a brutal condemnation of marriage. Denouncing unchaste women and foolish husbands, Hamlet madly advises Ophelia to become a celibate nun, shouting, "'Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?'" Act 3, Scene 1, lines 122-123
Ophelia laments that her dear Prince Hamlet has transformed into a crazed brute. King Claudius suspects that some deep-rooted distress is the cause of Hamlet's mad behavior, and not his unrequited love for Ophelia. Using the excuse that some delayed tribute must be collected, Claudius decides to send the crazed Prince on a restorative sea journey to England. Polonius persists in believing that Ophelia's rejection caused the Prince to crack. He suggests to King Claudius that Queen Gertrude speak to her son about the matter in private.
Topic Tracking: Spying 4
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