Characters General information Literary terms (irony) Hamlet’s third of four great soliloquies Claudius’ Soliloquy Quotes (10 total) Themes

Late King Hamlet Gertrude Prince Hamlet Claudius Polonius Ophelia Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Traveling Actors (Player Queen/Player King)

Five Act Structure: Purpose of Act III 1. Continued conflict added to the argument 2. Clash of opposing forces

Primary Setting: Castle of Elsinore; Denmark

Time Period: 16th Century

How much time has gone by since the death of King Hamlet? four months

How much time has gone by since the start of the play? two months

Literary Terms:Aside

Definition: when a character reveals thoughts while other character’s are on stage; information is meant for the audience to hear, not the other characters present.

Soliloquy Definition: when a character is alone on stage

revealing his/her inner thoughts to the audience through a lengthy speech.

Literary Terms: Irony:

Definition: when something happens that is the opposite of what is meant or expected to happen.

(Examples)

Dramatic Irony Definition: When the audience or

reader knows or perceives something other characters do not. (Examples)

Third of four Great Soliloquies delivered by Hamlet:

“to be or not to be…” (to exist or not to exist; questions life and the ease of death)

In the third soliloquy Hamlet discusses how dreams enable us to tolerate longer to life’s pains; and how death would be an easy escape from life’s problems.

Claudius’ soliloquy: Reveals he has killed his brother, the Late King Hamlet. Also, he says he is not fully remorseful for killing him because he enjoys all the things he possesses due to his killing.

Examples of Polonius meddling and how other characters have been affected. (Act I-III)

Examples of Claudius being a hypocrite.

Act III Quotes ( total) Polonius: …that with devotion’s visage/ And

pious action we do sugar o’er/ The devil himself. (theme of deception/theme of appearance vs. reality)

Claudius: There’s something in his soul/ O’er which his melancholy sits on brood, / And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose/ Will be some danger;… (foreshadowing)

Claudius: It shall be so./ Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.

Act III Quotes (cont.):

Hamlet: Your majesty and we that have free souls it touches us not./ Let the galled jade winch; our withers are unwrung.

Hamlet: Let me be cruel not unnatural; I will speak daggers to her, but use none.

Rosencrantz: Never alone/ Did the King sigh, but with a general groan.

Act III Quotes (cont.):Claudius: Pray can I not, / though inclination be

as sharp as will. (irony)

Claudius: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; / Words without thoughts never to heaven go. (irony/ dramatic irony)

Ghost: This visitation/ Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.

Hamlet: I must be cruel only to be kind. / Thus, bad begins, and worse remains behind. (foreshadowing)

Themes:

“Seeing” clearly

Deception (Claudius sending Hamlet to England)

Corruption

Revenge

Appearance vs. Reality (Claudius being a hyprocrite)