Hamlet - Act 3

Hamlet - Act 3

1. Themes

   • Political
     • Denmark is corrupt
     • "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"
   • Corruption
     • The play reveals Claudius's guilt
     • Hamlet accuses him of being corrupt
   • Revenge
     • Hamlet can't bring himself to kill Claudius while he's praying
     • Ghost comes back asking for revenge
   • Appearance VS Reality
     • Hamlet is acting mad
     • Play represents false appearances
   • Love
     • Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia
     • Player King and Player Queen portrayal
   • Reason Vs Passion
     • Hamlet struggles with reason and passion - can't find a balance
       • Passion urges him to vengeance but reason holds him back
     • Hamlet's actions are often impulsive - Passion dominates
     • Passionate outbursts are destructive
     • Hamlet alternates between extremes of feeling and thought
   • Death
     • Hamlet thinks that death is a sleep
     • Hamlet is also terrified of what death may bring
   • Women
     • Hamlet thinks women are weak
     • Women are seen as objects
   • Deception
     • Polonius and Claudius spying on Hamlet

2. Motifs

   • Disease
   • Rotting
   • Decay
   • World is an unweeded garden
   • Poison
   • Animals

3. Language

   • Use of rhyme in the play
   • Hamlet speaks in verse and prose which adds dramatic effect
   • Use of personification and simile
   • Use of metaphor

4. Dramatic Irony

   • Claudius wasn't praying in the prayer scene. Hamlet could've killed him