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A summary of Act III: Scene i in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Hamlet and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
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On a dark winter night, a ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Discovered first by a pair of watchmen, then by the scholar Horatio, the ghost resembles the recently deceased King Hamlet, whose brother Claudius has inherited the throne and married the kings widow, Queen Gertrude. When Horatio and the watchmen bring Prince Hamlet, ...
Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his fathers death, but, because he is contemplative and thoughtful by nature, he delays, entering into a deep melancholy and even apparent madness. Claudius and Gertrude worry about the princes erratic behavior and attempt to discover its cause. They employ a pair of Hamlets friends, Rosencrantz and Guilden...
Hamlet goes to confront his mother, in whose bedchamber Polonius has hidden behind a tapestry. Hearing a noise from behind the tapestry, Hamlet believes the king is hiding there. He draws his sword and stabs through the fabric, killing Polonius. For this crime, he is immediately dispatched to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, Clau...
The sword-fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit, but declines to drink from the kings proffered goblet. Instead, Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison. Laertes succeeds in wounding Hamlet, though Hamlet does not die of the poison immediately. First, Laertes is cut by his own swords blade, and, after revealing to ...
Hamlet is a reflection of the anxieties and complexities of the Elizabethan era, mirroring the political intrigue and power struggles of the royal court. The play is part of Shakespeare’s tragic canon, alongside other notable tragedies like Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear. Hamlet showcases Shakespeare’s versatility, seamlessly blending ...
Act 1 sets up the circumstances around Old Hamlet’s death and Hamlet’s need for revenge – showing us how Hamlet feels about his mother’s new marriage and the promises he makes to the ghost of his father, to avenge his murder.
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