1. Notes on Hamlet Act III Characters General information
Literary terms (irony)
Hamlet’s third of four great soliloquies
Claudius’ Soliloquy
Quotes (10 total)
Themes

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

3. General Information Hamlet
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

4. Act III Hamlet notes: Literary Terms: Aside Soliloquy
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.

5. Act III Hamlet notes: Literary Terms: Irony: Dramatic 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)

6. Act III Hamlet notes:
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.

7. Act III Hamlet notes:
Examples of Polonius meddling and how other characters have been affected. (Act I-III)
Examples of Claudius being a hypocrite.

8. Act III Hamlet notes:
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.

9. Act III Hamlet notes:
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.

10. Act III Hamlet notes: 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)

11. Act III Hamlet notes:
Themes: “Seeing” clearly Deception (Claudius sending Hamlet to England) Corruption Revenge Appearance vs. Reality (Claudius being a hyprocrite)