Hamlet Scene-3 Analysis
...d rose of the fair state." She is addressing the fact that Hamlet cannot hope to become a king since he has "overthrown" his own self. Through his madness he has disqualified him from being elected to the kingship, forcing him to either exact revenge on Claudius or to leave the state of Denmark. Acting takes on several important roles in this scene. It is foremost a form of action, since Hamlet is unable to act against Claudius until the pretend acts scenes he has written for the actors. Through The Mousetrap, Hamlet tries to become reassured whether the ghost is telling the truth. To do this, he will use a fiction, namely the play, to discover the fact. It is only after Hamlet is convinced that Claudius is guilty that he is able to start taking action, evidenced by his failed attempts to kill Claudius immediately afterwards. It is worth noting that there are two directors vying for supremacy throughout this act. Hamlet is staging a play which is sandwiched between two of Polonius' plays. It soon, however, becomes obvious that Hamlet’s a better director than Polonius. What Polonius fails to realize is the danger involved in staging a play, something Hamlet is acutely aware of. Polonius casts Hamlet in two plays, first with Ophelia then with Gertrude. These plays frame The Mousetrap and the subsequent confession of Claudius. In both scenes where Hamlet is "acting" he fails to be drawn out of his shell. In fact, he kills the director Polonius in the final scene. Hamlet himself is more successful as a director, note the fact that he does get Claudius to confess. However, being aware of the danger facing him, he also realizes that he will have to leave for England as a result of his actions. The Mousetrap is the story of Gonzago, a modern thriller, an Italian play that was current when Shakespeare wrote it into Hamlet. Italy traditionally has a reputation of intrigue and scandal, based on the Machiavellian plotting associated with the city-states. This is therefore a modern play, and it sends a signal to Claudius that Hamlet is ready to take action. Claudius deals with the new situation immediately by ordering Hamlet to be sent to England and out of Denmark. There is a subtle shift in the description of light throughout these acts. Hamlet in the first act says, "I am too much in the sun", implying either that he receives too much attention from Claudius or that he himself is the rightful son and heir to the throne . This contrasts with the dark Denmark that Claudius rules over by the end of Act Three. After watching The Mousetrap, Claudius says, "Give me some light. Away." This indicates that Denmark has become darker and bleaker thro...