ACT III
When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report back to Claudius that they have no explanation for Hamlet’s strange behavior,
Claudius decides to eavesdrop with Polonius on the meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. Although Hamlet treats
Ophelia irrationally, Claudius is suspicious of his behavior and makes plans to sent Hamlet to England (III, i).
The players perform their drama in which the events portrayed, with Hamlet’s alterations, almost duplicate the
circumstances surrounding King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet observes that Claudius is visibly upset by the play. When he
leaves abruptly, Claudius confirms his guilt in the eyes of Hamlet and his friend, Horatio (III, ii).
Out of concern for Hamlet’s welfare, Queen Gertrude meets privately with her son in her chambers. Polonius, however,
is eavesdropping behind a wall tapestry. Hamlet’s rebukes cause Gertrude to cry out, and Polonius cries out as well, fearful
for her welfare. Believing he has heard Claudius, Hamlet stabs through the tapestry, killing Polonius (III, iv).
ACT IV
Polonius’s death provides Claudius with the opportunity to send Hamlet to England, under the false pretense of
protecting his life, when in reality, he has asked the King of England to kill Prince Hamlet (IV, iii). Grief-stricken b y their
father’s death, Laertes and Ophelia solicit Claudius’s assistance in finding his murderer (IV, v). Meanwhile, Hamlet sends
word to Horatio that he has been taken prisoner by pirates who have returned him to Denmark and asks Horatio to join
him (IV, vi). In order to remove Hamlet as a threat, Claudius now plans an exhibition duel in which Laertes will use a
sword tipped with poison (IV, vii).
ACT V
Ophelia’s madness and subsequent drowning (IV, v; IV, vii) precipitate a confrontation between Laertes and Hamlet at
her grave (V, I), but Claudius intervenes, privately assuring Laertes that his revenge will come in the duel which has been
arranged. Hamlet seals the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by substituting another letter in the envelope which
originally contained his own death orders, requesting that the King of England put them to death (V, ii). In spite of
Horatio’s concern, Hamlet agrees to the duel with Laertes and appears before the court as requested. Not only does
Claudius poison the tip of the sword, he also offers Hamlet a drink from a poison cup. Instead, Gertrude drinks from the
cup and swoons from the effect of the poison, her dying words warning Hamlet of the plot against him. As the duel
progresses, Laertes and Hamlet inadvertently exchange swords during a scuffle; consequently, both are mortally wounded,
although Hamlet manages to fatally wound Claudius as well.
As the play closes, Fortinbras arrives, victorious over Poland, and the dying Hamlet names him as the new king. Fortinbras
pays tribute to Hamlet and arranges for an appropriate burial.
ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY IN HAMLET
By Shakespeare’s time, the characteristics of tragedy in drama had been redefined. In the plays of the early Greeks, the
tragic hero was a noble man who rose to the heights of success only to be plummeted to defeat and despair by his own
tragic flaw, or hamartia. The plot structure in these early tragedies was relatively straightforward; the motive of the
dramatist was to elicit pity and terror from the audience through empathy with the tragic hero.
What once had been a relatively simple form was gradually altered by playwrights to allow for more depth in
characterization, more flexibility in plot structure, and the element of comic relief. Hamlet’s situation, for example, is
considered a tragic one although it differs from the relatively simple plots found in the earlier Greek tragedies. He is a
nobleman, revered by his countrymen, who strives to alter the world around him. Ultimately, he must forfeit his own life
to see justice done. The plot that unfolds in Shakespeare’s drama includes politics, murder, and domestic strife, but still
evokes pity and terror in the audience, precisely as intended by the early tragedians.
Students can analyze the elements of tragedy in
Hamlet, comparing and contrasting Prince Hamlet’s plight with that of
tragic heroes in Greek tragedies and in modern tragedies. Suggested modern tragedies for such a comparison include
Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, and Mourning Becomes Electra, by Eugene O’Neill.
Note: More detailed information about Elizabethan tragedy can be found in the Introduction by Edward Hubler in the
Signet Classic edition of
Hamlet.
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet 3