Slade Ransdell: Act 3 Response/Symbols and Allusions

Symbols and Allusions
The prominent symbol in Act III of Hamlet would be the play "The Mousetrap" in which he attempted to prove whether or not the ghost of his ‘father’ was trustworthy and honest. The play was about a Duke named Gonzago, who was murdered by his newphew, Lucianus, who poured poison in his ear; very similar to his Hamlet senior's death. Hamlet chose this play in order to reenact the death of his father, and to observe Claudius for any signs of guilt . It symbolizes the exact murder of Hamlet’s father by his uncle. When people are confronted with a situation similar to something they are guilty of, they will express it in their facial expressions and body language. It is in this way that Hamlet was able to confirm the ghosts claims and take vengeance on his uncle.

Another pervading symbol in Act 3 is found when Hamlet confronts his mother in scene 4. Polonius is hiding behind the drapes in an attempt to spy on Hamlet and is alarmed when the queen begins to yell for help. Panicking, he answers her call and is met with an unfortunate fate. Hamlet wasn't aware of his presence in the room, so he was startled and drew his sword when Polonius yelled. Before the old chamberlain could react, Hamlet had already buried his sword in the curtain and drew blood from his unknown adversary. It was never Hamlet's intention to hurt anyone other than his uncle, but, nevertheless, Polonius lay dead when the curtain was drawn back. This tragedy is one of the most important symbols regarding "Hamlet's" overall moral theme: Quests for vengeance often result in more than the intended death.

Response

Act 3 really caught my attention due to the final unraveling of tension that had been brewing between Hamlet and Polonius. However, Polonius' death came as a shock to me. I knew that Hamlet disliked him, but it is apparent now that Hamlet will not let anything get in his way of revenge. Even though Hamlet resisted the urge to kill Claudius that night, I understand that it was only so he could do it later when the treacherous king won't have a chance to repent. After much waiting, it seems as though Hamlet may finally take his vengeance and assume the throne of his father.