Hamlet Five Blog

Hamlet Five Blog

Act III scene ii focuses on the themes of acting, playing, and seeming. The scene opens with Hamlet addressing one of the actors about the performance, stressing that it must be as serious as it is meant to be. Once the actor leaves, Horatio enters, and he and Hamlet begin discussing their plot to reveal Claudius’s crime by observing his reaction to the play. During this conversation Hamlet seems to be his usual self because “Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man / As e’er my conversation coped withal” (III.ii. 50-51). Hamlet feels that he can reveal his true nature when he is with Horatio because Horatio is the only character that Hamlet believes he can trust. Hamlet openly speaks to Horatio about his suspicions of Claudius and the accusation of the ghost, and he does so with his typical diction, not the mad yet intelligent diction he uses when around the others. Later as the play is about to begin the other characters enter, and Hamlet resumes his madman act. However, Hamlet is intelligent enough to realize that he has an opportunity to reenforce an incorrect idea. When Gertrude asks him to sit next to her, Hamlet responds by saying that the would rather sit with Ophelia, which Polonius picks up on: “[to King] Oh, ho, do you mark that?” (III.ii. 104). Throughout the rest of the play, Hamlet makes sexual remarks to Ophelia. By doing so, Hamlet convinces Polonius and Claudius more and more that the reason for his madness is Ophelia, not something like the murder of his father. Part way through the play Claudius questions Hamlet about the play, especially the plot, which mirrors King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet responds by saying that “’Tis a knavish piece of work, but what o’ that? Your / Majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not” (III.ii. 227-228). Hamlet states that the play, though it has a unsettling plot, will not trouble any innocent person. He believes that the performance of the actors will bring forth the similar crimes of people who have acted falsely, such as Claudius. As the play continues, Hamlet’s theory is proven true as Claudius runs away during the reenactment of the former king’s murder. Hamlet is then left with Horatio and quickly drops his insane act. However, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern return and Hamlet once again dons his alternate persona. Hamlet requests that Guildenstern play the recorder. Guildenstern refuses claiming that he does not know how to play the recorder: “I have not the skill” (III.iii. 343). Hamlet responds with “You would play upon me … ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played / on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, / though you fret me, you cannot play me” (III.iii. 345-352). Hamlet accuses Guildentern of trying to figuratively play, or lie to, him after Guildentern admits that he cannot literally play as simple an instrument as the recorder. Hamlet the states that even though Guildenstern can annoy him with his lies, he cannot successfully lie to Hamlet. Act III scene ii focuses on how Hamlet seems around certain people, the acting done by both Hamlet and Claudius, and people playing with Hamlet by lying to him.