Cygel Dann L.

Miolata SHAKESPEARE 1-ABMEM

THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK

3.3 CLAUDIUS AT PRAYER AND HAMLET’S AVOIDANCE OF REVENGE

A.) What does Claudius have planned for Hamlet?

- He will send Hamlet together with his childhood friend Guildenstern and Rosencrantz
to England for a diplomatic mission.
B.) What is Rosencrantz’s vision of the state and the death of a King? Why is this vision ironic in
connection with Claudius?
- Rosencrantz describes the domino effect when the ruler of the Kingdom dies, he also
mentioned that when the King dies, his Kingdom will also affect because a King does
not die alone, based on Rosencrantz idea.
- A King on Rosencrantz vision is also parallel on the murder of the Old King Hamlet
by his own brother. Because even though he made only one mistake but the
consequence of it is much bigger. It was like his murder is a huge wheel on the top of
the mountain, when the wheel rolls down the mountain, everything goes down within,
just like the situation of Claudius at this moment.
C.) What does Claudius reveal in his soliloquy? How does the soliloquy affect your evaluation of
him?
- He reveals that he is the murderer, he claimed the death of his brother, the Old King
Hamlet.
- I was not surprised because I knew it already that he is the murderer but when he
asked for forgiveness to God, I realized that I’m like Claudius, a sinner who’s
probably going to sin again, that is why I don’t want to judge him harshly because we
are all sinner.
D.) What reasons does hamlet give for not killing Claudius at his prayers? Are they convincing?
In character?
- Hamlet attempted to kill his uncle Claudius but then he realized that it is not yet the
right time to kill the murderer of his father because Claudius is praying, therefore he
already repented and confessed to God and that will made him safe if Hamlet will kill
him, unlike what happened to Old King Hamlet that was murdered without praying to
God and the effect is that, he is in the lake of fire.
- Yes, because Hamlet’s reason is true, it is not fair to his side if he will kill Claudius
after praying because that will made him safe to heaven unlike his father who’s
begging for revenge for he is in hell.
E.) What else is on his mind at this point?
- He will find another time to kill his uncle, he planned that he will stab him when he’s
drunk, partying, or having incestuous sex, swearing or gambling.
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F.) Why is Hamlet’s decision here ironic?

- His decision is ironic because once he killed his uncle, he is now the murderer just
like his own uncle Claudius, and if that will happen, the people will easily point it out
to him because the people knows that he is a madman and acting like crazy.
G.) To what extent does this scene support either Hamlet’s own sense that he is guilty of delay or
the nineteenth century argument that Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inability to act?
- Hamlet is guilty of delay because while Claudius is repenting, Hamlet overthinks
again whether to kill him or not yet, that is why he used it as an excuse to his delay of
attempting revenge for his father.

3.4
1.) THE DEATH OF POLONIUS
A.) What is Polonius doing in Gertrude’s chamber?
- Hamlet will come to his mother’s room because she will yell at him for what happened in the
play and Polonius was there to witness their conversation.
B.) How does Hamlet treat Gertrude?
- Hamlet treated Gertrude very serious because he wants to teach her a lesson, he released from
his mouth a very harsh words to his mother because he showed how disgusted he is to their
relationship with his own uncle.
C.) What frightens Polonius?
- Polonius thought that Hamlet will kill his mother, that’s why he asked for help and shouted
accidentally and that made Hamlet disappointed because he was still spied by Polonius.
D.) How is Polonius killed? Whom did Hamlet hope he was killing?
- When he heard the shout of Polonius from the tapestry, he thought that it is rat, that is why he
gets his sword and stab it through the tapestry and kills Polonius.
E.) Hamlet calls Polonius a wretched, rash, intruding fool. Is this accurate?
- Yes, it is very true, he always spying on Hamlet that Hamlet’s life almost in the cage, he was
always convincing Claudius to keep on spying to him, and instead of being on his side, because
he is the son of the Old King Hamlet, he still decided to join with the side of Claudius.
F.) To what extent is Polonius responsible for his own death?
- He deserved it so much because he was just an excess baggage on Hamlet’s life, he was always
spying him, he also forced Ophelia to stop his relationship to Hamlet and he also agreed on
Claudius to send him to England, and that is already an abuse to Hamlet’s side.
G.) What does this act show us about Hamlet?
Cygel Dann L. Miolata SHAKESPEARE 1-ABMEM

- That he is very kind, soft-hearted and very patient but when it came to the point that he is mad,
he is very dangerous, and he will do everything just to get for revenge even by killing, he will do
still going to do it.
2.) HAMLET’S LECTURE AND THE GHOST’S RETURN
A.) What two men does Hamlet compare?
- He compared his father, the Old King Hamlet who’s her ex-husband and his uncle Claudius
who’s now his brother’s ex-husband.
B.) What points does Hamlet make about Claudius?
- He said that Claudius is like a rotten ear of corn infecting the one next to it, a dank swamp, a
murderer and a villain, a loser who’s not worth even a twentieth percent of his father.
C.) About Gertrude?
- He said that her senses seem paralyzed, because madness would not make this mistake, and
even senses overcome by desire would still be able to distinguish the huge difference between
her former and current husband.
D.) What seems to disturb Hamlet most here?
- Of how her mother still chose to get married to Claudius even he is a thief of throne and the
Kingdom instead of showing loyalty to the passed away Old King Hamlet.
E.) What effect does this lecture have on Gertrude?
- She was affected so much by Hamlet’s words because she knows that it is true, she wants
Hamlet to refrain by talking and saying harsh words against her.
F.) Why does the ghost return?
- He encouraged Hamlet to sit still and stay relax because Gertrude is astonished, and her soul is
struggling. And that is only the ghost wants Hamlet to do, to made her realize that she was wrong
for picking Claudius over the Old King Hamlet
G.) What is Gertrude’s opinion of Hamlet’s mental state?
- That he is now a true crazy man because he was staring and talking to the air, she was not able
to see the ghost of her ex-husband.
H.) What does he tell her?
- That the ghost whom he was talking to in the air is his father, dressed just as he was when he
was alive.
I.) What does she promise?
- That she will give up her life rather than breathe a word of what Hamlet said to her.
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J.) What does Hamlet know about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the impending trip to
England? What does he plan to do about the problem?
- He knows that his childhood friend will be the one to lead him on to whatever trickery he is
going to face.
- He mentioned that he will dig down below their bombs and blow them to the moon