HAMLET ACT III, SCENE I AP English – Class Notes, Questions, and Assignments September 25, 2015 Assignments and Questions presented in this POWERPOINT are Due Tuesday, September 29th

ACT III, SCENE I  This scene sets up the turning point in the play and contains some of the most famous lines in all of literature.  The scene shows how Polonius further uses and manipulates his daughter (results are even more disastrous than earlier).  Claudius and Polonius are back at their spy game.  Hamlet once again enters the scene being tested, but defies the testers.

ACT III, SCENE I This scene can be divided into five sections: 1.King and queen get unsatisfactory report from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 2.King and Polonius set up Ophelia to encounter Hamlet, then dismiss Gertrude. 3.Hamlet’s famous soliloquy “To be or not to be” (see next slide for further information regarding this soliloquy) 4.Hamlet and Ophelia in “Get thee to a nunnery” conversation. 5.King and Polonius, the idea of sending Hamlet to England, and announcement of the play within a play.

HAMLET’S SOLILOQUY “TO BE OR NOT TO BE”  Often regarded as the most famous speech in all of literature.  This soliloquy differs from the others because it does nothing to advance the plot of the story. In fact, this is the only soliloquy wherein Hamlet does not make any specific mention of his situation, of his tardiness in acting to take revenge, or of his disgust with Gertrude and Claudius.  Hamlet sparks an internal philosophical debate on the advantages and disadvantages of existence, and whether it is one's right to end his or her own life. NOTE: This is not about Hamlet personally- look at his use of pronouns: we and us, the indefinite who, the impersonal infinitive. He speaks explicitly of us all, of what flesh is heir to, of what we suffer at the hands of time or fortune  This speech is governed by reason and not frenzied emotion  Hamlet asks the question for all dejected souls -- is it nobler to live miserably or to end one's sorrows with a single stroke?

COMPREHEND ACT III, SCENE I  What is the king’s attitude toward Hamlet at this point in the script? What step is he taking to improve the situation?  Summarize Hamlet’s basic argument in his “To be or not to be” soliloquy.  What could Hamlet mean by telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery? What are the possible meanings of his advice?

CONNECT ACT III, SCENE I  How does Hamlet’s personality in the first two acts prepare us for his soliloquy in this scene?  Given what you know of Hamlet, do you believe he knows he is being watched? How does that change his encounter with Ophelia?

EXTEND ACT III, SCENE I  Is Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia fair? By what standards is it fair or unfair? How should former lovers behave towards one another?  Was the breakup of Hamlet and Ophelia inevitable, or were they victims of their situations?

IMAGINE AND WRITE ACT III, SCENE I Write your own soliloquy on the value of life, on life and death, or the meaning of life and the way one should live. Try to mimic the language of Shakespeare (you do not have to write in iambic pentameter). Write at least 15 lines. Think about adding allusions, figurative language, and dramatic diction.

MWDS  Be sure to have Major Works Data sheet for Hamlet up to date by Tuesday! Acts I and II should be summarized.