How would you direct Act 3, Scene 4 of Shakespeare's Hamlet? Look closely at characterisation, plot, stagecraft, and themes. Explain all of your choices by making close reference to the text.

Authors Avatar

How would you direct Act 3, Scene 4 of Shakespeare's Hamlet? Look closely at characterisation, plot, stagecraft, and themes. Explain all of your choices by making close reference to the text.

Hamlet is a play that has proved successful throughout the years. This type of play is known as a revenge tragedy, which was particularly popular in Shakespeare's time. It also appealed to all social classes, since there was murder as well as sexual innuendoes for the lower classes and reference to the Gods for the upper classes. A typical revenge tragedy contained five sections; exposition; anticipation; confrontation; delay; completion. There were also standard themes, which included: a melancholy and hesitating avenger; a villain who was to be killed by revenge; plotting; murders; madness; a ghost who calls for revenge; the death of the avenger. Hamlet, being a revenge tragedy, contains most of these points.

        Hamlet is a melancholic play about a son, Hamlet, avenging his father's unlawful murder, also named Hamlet, which was committed by his own brother, Claudius. Who then married Old Hamlet's wife, Gertrude, after a few weeks of his death. And as Hamlet says "You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife, and would it were not so, you are my mother".

There are two quotes that sum up the play. "All is not well, I doubt some foul play"(Act 1 Scene2) and " Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (Act 1 Scene 4). This is a play with many twists and turns; there are additionally many dramatic scenes, which show the character's inner feelings.

        One of these scenes is Act 3, Scene 4. It is undoubtedly one of the most important scenes the play. It is so significant as it provides an insight into how the characters are feeling on many issues, and unlike most scenes in Hamlet, here we get to see How Gertrude really feels as she usually does not say much. This is mainly because in that time women were not encouraged to speak their mind. In this scene we witness Polonius' death as he is brutally murdered by Hamlet. Hamlet also accuses Gertrude of being unable to control her sexual desires and he becomes infuriated with her for showing disrespect for King Hamlet's memory by marrying Claudius so soon after his death. He additionally compares King Hamlet to Claudius, portraying King Hamlet as one of the Gods and Claudius as a villain. Throughout this scene Hamlet is relatively aggressive but the peak comes when he talks about what Claudius has done. Soon after, the Ghost of King Hamlet appears and reminds Hamlet of his purpose and to comfort Gertrude at this critical stage. As Gertrude cannot see the ghost she assumes that his 'antic disposition' is in actual fact true madness, but Hamlet convinces her he is not mad and asks for her forgiveness. He furthermore tells her not to sleep with Claudius and requests her not to reveal his pretend madness. Hamlet then plots to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet subsequently leaves pulling Polonius' body after him, leaving Gertrude alone in her bedroom.

Join now!

        This scene is probably one of the most important as it is one of the rare ones where we catch sight of the genuine relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude, we also see Polonius at his most obsequious. It is additionally the first time we see Hamlet committing cold-blooded murder. This scene furthermore prepares us for the climax of the play, as it has given us an insight into what Hamlet is capable of. It is important for another reason, which is, that is shows us the reactions of different characters to different situations. For instance when Hamlet sees the Ghost ...

This is a preview of the whole essay