Hamlet - Act III, Scene I

Act III, scene I begins with Rozencrantz and Guildenstern reporting back to the King and Queen in the presence of Ophelia and Polonious. They do not make any mention to being uncovered as spies, nor do they report back anything of substance. I find it funny how they're portrayed as two stupid characters that never leave eachother's side. Unsatisfied with the results, Claudius dismisses the two and turns to Ophelia. Claudius decides to employ his plan to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia. He asks Gertrude to leave and sends for Hamlet. As Gertrude leaves, she places immense burden on the shoulders of Ophelia in the lines:

"And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honors."

I find this downright unfair of Gertrude. She has pretty much placed the burden of resolving Hamlet's madness - induced by her hasty marriage - completely on Ophelia. It is also ironic how Ophelia was forbidden to see Hamlet because they believe she is too weak and will allow Hamlet to break her, but now they pit her with this responsibility as if she is strong enough to pull Hamlet out of his madness. These opinions sit on opposite sides of the spectrum from eachother. It seems like characters in this play are unable to accept faults, or take responsibility to pull their own weight where it is due.

The King hides and Hamlet enters the scene - and Hamlet's third soliloquy begins. Hamlet is feeling hopeless because he cannot trust anybody around him, he ponders his own suicide with the famous opening lines, "To be, or not to be. That is the question". He continues to rationalize that he would rather prolong the "calamity" of life, rather than to face the unknown that comes with death. I believe he may be taking into account the ghosts explanation of "fasting in the fires" during the day and doomed to walk the night for a certain term. Hamlet seems to be back where he was with his thoughts in his first soliloquy. He also seems more overwhelmed than anything - he doesn't reflect on anything very specific.

When Hamlet greets Ophelia, she tries to give him back "remembrances". Hamlet is offended by this, and it continues in mostly bickering about love and disappointment in each other. Then the conversation takes an interesting twist: Hamlet seems to become wise to his being spied on and asks "Where is your father?". Ophelia lies and insists he is at home. Hamlet dismisses Ophelia by telling her to go to a whorehouse ("nunnery"). Then he chooses to exit with an interesting threat:

"I say, we will have no more marriages: those that are married already, all but one, shall live; the rest shall keep as they are."

Assuming the "one" is Claudius, this is a blatant death threat to the King. Hamlet suspects the Claudius' presence in the room. Hamlet exits, and Polonious and the King come out of hiding. Ophelia's opinion of Hamlet completely reverse. Claudius then comes up with another set-up in which Polonious hides and listens in:

"Let his queen mother all alone entreat him. To show his grief"

As the scene concludes, I can't help but feel very sorry for Hamlet. He has everything taken away from him and replaced with lies and false personalities. Everybody is listening in on him, and planning against him. Again, the first line in Hamlet seems to echo as the underlying theme in the story of Hamlet.

"Who's there?"

- Tyler Scott