The inner play, the Murder of Gonzago, which Hamlet nicknames the Mouse-trap, allows Shakespeare to explore and address otherwise inexplicable issues.

Shakespeare is consistent with his rhyming couplets throughout the inner play except for Hamlet’s interruptions. This highlights Hamlet’s growing complacency and desperation for a confession from Claudius. It was supposed to coat Hamlet’s real intentions of his play ‘Wherein [he’ll] catch the conscience of the King along with his act of ‘antic disposition’ to protect him from losing the people’s approval of him on account of treason or disrespect of the king.

Gertrude’s points of view are rendered without Hamlet’s incessant interruptions as in the closet seen later because of his character. She is portrayed as a devoted queen to the ‘first lord’ without any hint of being unfaithful or having a changed heart by ‘wed[ding] the second’ just like the Phoenician queen, Dido, a comparison strengthened by the introduction of the inner play with mentions of Phoebus’, Neptune and again straight after in line 257 with Jove. This allusion to classical antiquity as well as to an actual royal family, the House of Gonzaga, gives importance and reliability to the portrayal of what Hamlet believes happened according to the Ghost.

Lucianus’ monologue implies that the conditions were perfect to kill because of his nurtured will for revenge ‘Thought’s black’, his ability to kill ‘hands apt’, the tools needed ‘drugs fit’ and the right circumstance ‘time apt’, and so he did. This proves to be an important point of comparison later when Hamlet had found the proof he sought to free him to morally kill Claudius but didn’t because of his greed for a greater revenge.

Hamlet’s Mouse-trap plays a significant role address several issues like Gertrude’s stance, Hamlet’s current state and emotions as well as provides a point of comparison to later events like Hamlet and Laertes’ vocation to kill Claudius and Hamlet respectively.