Scenes in this act
- Scene I The staged meeting with Ophelia
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius that Hamlet admits to feeling estranged but does not reveal the reason, that he has cheered up at the arrival of the actors, and that he has asked for a play for that night, to which he invites the king and queen.
- Scene II The Mousetrap before the court
In the castle hall, Hamlet rehearses the actors and asks them to speak their lines naturally, without sawing the air with the hand or tearing a passion to tatters, because the theater has always served as a mirror to nature: it shows virtue her own feature and scorn her own image.
- Scene III Claudius prays, Hamlet spares him
Claudius tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he cannot tolerate the growing danger and decides to send Hamlet to England with them.
- Scene IV In the queen's chamber
Polonius tells Gertrude to speak firmly to Hamlet and hides behind the tapestry.
Reading the act
Analysis
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