To what extent is Act 3 Scene 2 pivotal to Hamlet?

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SAMI NAQVI

“To what extent is Act 3 Scene 2 pivotal to Hamlet?”

In this essay I will discuss to what extent is act 3 scenes 2 pivotal to “Hamlet”. First I will give a brief introduction to the play up to act 3 scenes 2.

In Act 1 Hamlet is mourning from the death of his father King Hamlet who died two months ago and is angry that his mother Gertrude has already remarried his uncle Claudius the present King so soon after his father’s death. Hamlet then sees his father in the form of a ghost. The ghost of King Hamlet tells him that he was poisoned by King Claudius, the current ruler of Denmark. The ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death but not to punish Queen Gertrude for remarrying; it is not Hamlet’s place and her conscience and heaven will judge her. Hamlet swears to avenge his father’s death.

In Act 2 Hamlet considers how to kill Claudius, he tricks everyone into thinking he is mad so no one shall suspect anything from him in the future. He also contemplates suicide and cannot make up his mind whether to kill Claudius. Hamlet meets some players and invites them back to the castle.

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In Act 3 scenes 1 Hamlet makes his famous speech “To be or not to be, that is the question: (3.1.58). Here he is grappling with the difficulty of taking actions against Claudius and the fact that he has not been able to revenge his father’s murder yet.

He also incites Claudius and Gertrude to the play he has written later on that evening.

In Act 3 scenes 2 Hamlet puts on the play “the mouse trap” a depiction of the death of his father. When the play comes to the part where the king is poisoned in the ...

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