Hamlet Group

Question:

confused13
confused13
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, what does Hamlet plan to proclaim the guilt of Claudius?

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Posted by confused13 on Saturday February 7, 2009 at 9:47 PM and tagged with hamlet, player king, player queen, plot.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Shakespeare uses the "play within a play" device as a means for Hamlet to proclaim Claudius' guilt. Using a travelling troup of players for his own purposes, Hamlet arranges for them to include in their production an enactment in pantomime of his father's murder and a revealing and pointed dialog between the Player King and the Player Queen in regard to the Queen's remarriage after the King's death. Hamlet asks Horatio to watch Claudius during this scene to see how he reacts to the performance he witnesses as it plays out before the assembled guests. Claudius' discomfort grows until he departs suddenly. Hamlet believes he has exposed Claudius' guilt.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/act-iii-scene-2-summary-anal...

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    Posted by mshurn on Saturday February 7, 2009 at 11:06 PM