Additional Act 3 Questions

1) What does Claudius plan to do with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Hamlet?
To England they must go! Rosencrantz and Guildenstern must go to keep an eye on Hamlet.

2) What is Polonius going to do while Hamlet speaks with his mother?
Hide and listen in on the conversation. But then Hamlet kills him.


3) List three important things about Claudius’ soliloquy.

a) He is feeling guilty. He feels guilty for killing his brother and stealing his crown and wife.




b) He cannot pray though it appears he is. He cannot pray because cannot be forgiven of his sins because he has committed a crime but is living with all the benefits of it (crown and his queen) and he isn't willing to give them up. 



c) He wants to be able to pray because other wise he is going to Hell. 



4) Why is it odd that Hamlet sees the king praying?
Its odd that Hamlet believes the King is praying even though he knows that because of Claudius's crime, he cannot.


5) Why doesn’t Hamlet take this opportunity for revenge?
Because he thinks the King is praying which would mean that he is being forgiven of his sins. This means that he would go to heaven if he were to die, and Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer like Old Hamlet is in Purgatory.


Scene IV



1) Describe Polonius’ advice to Gertrude.
He wants Gertrude to tell Hamlet to own up to his actions. His 'pranks' have gone to far and she has taken most of the fall for it. 


2) What is the significance of the following quote: “How now, a rat? Dead! For a ducat, dead!
Hamlet realizes that Polonius is spying on them and he stabs him. People who do dirty deeds (such as sneaking around and spying) or commit minor felonies are often called 'dirty rats'. Hamlet could also be making fun of Polonius (again).


3) What is odd about the following quote: A bloody deed; almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.
Hamlet  compares his act of killing Polonius to Claudius killing Old Hamlet. He basically calls her out and tells her that his murder is not as bad as his fathers murder (which he makes it sound like he thinks she was in on the plan)


4) Why might Gertrude say, “What have I done, that thou dar’st wag thy tongue in noise so rude against me.”
She wants to know what she did to Hamlet that has made him act  so rude all of a sudden. She is his mother and demands some respect!


5) What descriptions does Hamlet use to compare his father and his uncle?

King Hamlet
~ Kind and Gentlemanly
~ Curly hair and a forehead of a Greek God
~ An eye that could command like the God of War
~ A body as agile as Mercury's (Roman God)
~ Every God had a part in creating this man


Claudius
~ Mildewed ear of corn that infects the healthy one next to it




6) What point does Hamlet make by comparing the men?
That his father is far more superior than Claudius and he can't understand why his mother would give up his magnificent father for his dirty arm-pit of an uncle. 


He seeks answers because it couldn't have been out of love because they are too old to fall in love, and their actions are driven mostly by their minds.


7) What is disturbing about the following: Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed; stewed in corruption; honeying, and making love over the nasty sty.”
Everything. He talks about his mother's sex life and tells her that's its disgusting that she would have sex with Claudius because Hamlet considers it incest. 


8) What stops Hamlet’s ranting and raving at Gertrude? What does this figure tell Hamlet?
The Ghost!! He tells him rethink his revenge tactics. He is frightening his mother with horrible images. 


9) By the end of the act, Hamlet has made many statements about humanity, in general. Explain a few of his points. Do his opinions reflect his madness?


Help!?




10) Explain the differences between the ghost in Act I with the ghost in Act III. Why might these differences reflect Hamlet’s insanity?
The ghost in Act I is hell-bent on revenge. But the ghost in Act III see how frightened his former wife is and feels sympathy for her and tells Hamlet to take it easy on his mother. This is odd because he also tells him to stay focused on revenge. The ghost wants Hamlet to get revenge but also wants to Gertrude left out of it. He only wants Claudius to pay for the murder.