Hamlets next line is:
“Mother, you have my father much offended”
once again this line can be interpreted in two ways, if Gertrude meant Claudius by “father” then the emphasis in hamlets line should be on “my”, however if she meant king hamlet then the emphasis should be on “you”. This has infuriated hamlet as he does not want Claudius to be seen as his father because he loves King Hamlet so much. Therefore this line should be said twice as angrily as Gertrude’s.
After this Hamlet should act disconcerted as he really doesn’t want to be there (he still hasn’t avenged his father)
When Gertrude says “have you forgotten me?” hamlet replies:
“No, by the rood not so. You are the queen, your husband’s brother’s wife.
And would it were not so you are my mother.”
This line is said to purposefully hurt his mother; Hamlet is disgusted at his mother for marrying her brother in law (and so quickly after King Hamlet’s death). Hamlet has deliberately used this language to point out the fact that Gertrude was already related to Claudius. Hamlet should elongate the words “Husband’s brother’s wife” he is appalled at his mother he should lower his voice to emphasise his hatred.
The queen is deeply hurt by Hamlet’s remark and retorts by saying:
“Nay, then ill set those to you that can speak.”
This means she’ll go and get some one who Hamlet will talk to normally. She is very disappointed with Hamlet as he will not speak to her as a loving son. The way the line is said should reflect her mortification.
Hamlet’s anger is building and what his mother just said isn’t helping. At this point Hamlet should grab Gertrude and forcefully sit her next to the dresser whilst saying the line
“Come, come sit you down, you shall not budge.
You go not until I set you up a glass
Where you may see the innermost part of you.”
Hamlet is outraged but he is still controlling it to a large degree his tone should mirror this feeling.
As he is holding her she shouts in desperation:
“What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me?
Help, ho!”
Behind the arras (screen) Polonius replies without thinking:
“what ho! HELP!”
Hearing this Hamlet drops his intellectual nature and acts straight away by yelling:
”How now, A rat! Dead for a ducat, Dead.”
He draws his rapier and thrusts it through the arras and repeatedly stabs the unknown (to him) person.
Next (for the sake of the audience) Polonius says “O, I am slain.” The queen’s reaction is “O me, what hast thou done?”
Hamlet not knowing who it is, is incredibly nervous he says:
“Nay, I know not.
Is it the king?”
When Hamlet lifts the arras to find Polonius he is very surprised. Gertrude, although she knew Polonius was behind the arras, is flabbergasted that Hamlet could do such a thing.
Hamlet’s next line is quite an important line as he is probing his mother to make sure she knows nothing about his father’s death. The line is:
“A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.”
This line should be said very quickly (a snap), however Gertrude does not understand what Hamlet means by “kill a king”.
Hamlet confirms his words and turns too Polonius. He basically calls Polonius a fool and tells him to be too “busy” is dangerous.
He now turns to his mother and tells her not to wring her hands (nerves), he also says:
Peace, sit you down, and let me wring your heart; for I shall if it be made of penetrable stuff, if damned custom has not braz’d it so.”
This line is to be delivered in an angry tone; this line manifests his frustration with his mother.
His mother has a reaction as any mother would and that is basically “how dare you talk to me like that!”
Next hamlet tells his mother that part of the reason he is angry is because of something she has done.
Hamlet has a lot to say in the next few lines they are a result of Gertrude’s question but luckily they are all saying, essentially, the same thing, that what she has done is extremely wrong (morally) e.g. “calls virtue hypocrite” and “takes off the rose from the fair forehead of an innocent love and sets a blister there”. However the most important part of this insult is: “makes marriage vows as false as dicers’ oaths” this is referring to her marriage vows with King Hamlet.
During the last few words of hamlets lines he should point at his mother vigorously, throughout Hamlet’s talk Gertrude should be looking into the mirror both perplexed and despairingly as she must have some idea of what Hamlet is referring to.
Gertrude’s next line is:
“ay me, what act that roars so loud and thunders in the index?”
She is asking what she’s done to be shouted (roared) and pointed at. Hamlet replies by leaning over her and pulling out her locket, which he opens and draws out the picture of Claudius, and behind is a picture of King Hamlet.
Hamlet has a lot to say next here is an annotated copy of his lines. The annotations will be directions and reasons for them:
“Look here upon this (his father, king Hamlet) picture and on this (disgusted tone of voice as it is Claudius), the counterfeit presentment of two brothers.
See what a grace was seated on this brow, Hyperion’s curl, the front of Jove himself, an eye like Mars to threaten and command, a station like the herald Mercury New-lightened on a heaven-kissing hill, A combination and a form indeed where every god did seem to set his seal to give the world assurance of a man. (Said with pure adoration, he is comparing him to Greek gods)
This was your husband. Look you now what follows. Here is your (the word your should be emphasised) husband like a mildew’d ear blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? (Shouted) You cannot call it love; for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame, it’s humble, and waits upon the judgement, and what judgement would step from this to this? (Still shouting, he cannot comprehend how his mother could love Claudius over King Hamlet)
Sense sure you have, else could you not have motion(he’s saying she’s not mad as she can move); but sure that sense is apoplex’d for madness would not err nor sense to ecstasy was ne’er so thrall’d but it reserved some quantity of choice to serve in such a difference.(he’s saying her mind must be disturbed equivalent as not even madness would make you make such a choice) What devil was’t that thus hath cozen’d you at hoodman-blind? Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight, ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,(this should be said in a disgusted tone too as he is trying to explain/ understand how she could make such a choice) or but a sickly part of one true sense could not so mope. O shame, where is thy blush?
Rebellious hell, (shouted, it feels like it is tearing him apart!)
If thou canst mutine in a matron’s bones, to flaming youth let virtue be as wax and melt in her own fire; proclaim no shame when the compulsive ardour gives the charge, since frost itself as actively doth burn and reason ponders will.”
