Scene 1:The scene starts off with Claudius and Gertrude talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern when king Claudius asks about Hamlet and Gertrude tells the guards to go away so they can speak privately. she then tells him about her encounter with hamlet not to long ago. she tells him that he has gone mad and killed Polonius after hearing a voice from behind a curtain. Claudius notes that if he was the one behind the curtain Hamlet would have killed him. He then wonder how he could save his country from a public crisis without taking a hold on Denmark. He tells Gertrude that he must send Hamlet to England at once and think off a way off explaining his murdering of Polonius to the court and people of his country. Claudius then calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to go find hamlet and the scene ends.
Scene 2: The scene starts off with hamlet saying that he has “safely Stowed” Polonius dead body in the castle, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter and ask what has happened to the body and hamlet replies by not giving a straight forward answer but instead says “he body is with the king, but the king is not with the body” Hamlet deeply offended by the questioning accuses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for being spies to Claudius and also Rosencrantz for being a sponge that soaks up Claudius Countance. He finally agrees to go to Claudius with them and the scene ends
Scene 3: The scene starts off with the king speaking to several of the attendant about Polonius death and plan to send hamlet to go live in England, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern than enter with Hamlet. Claudius ask for the whereabouts of Polonius body and Hamlet uses excuses like he has been eaten by worms and the only way your going to find him is by sending a messenger to heaven or seek him in hell. Hamlet then revels that he is hiding Polonius body under the staircase of the castle lobby and Claudius gets his guards to look for his body. Claudius then revels to hamlet that he must be sent to England and hamlet jumps at the offer, Hamlet asks and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave to make sure he gets on the boat to England. When everyone is gone and Claudius is on his own the revels his plan to get Hamlet killed in England and the scene ends.
Scene 4: The scene starts off in a nearby plain in Denmark where young Fortinbras is marching with his army travelling through Denmark towards to attack Poland, Fortinbras orders his captain to go and ask the King of Denmark for permission to travel through his country. While doing so he bumps into: Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on their way to the boat travelling to England. The captain informs then that the norwegian army wishes to fight the poles. Hamlet asks what the conflict is based on and he replies by saying that his army would fight over “a little patch of land / That hath in it no profit but the name”. Hamlet being astonished by the thought that such a war could be started over something as stupid leads him to remember that his uncle has done much worse and yet he still hasn’t fulfilled his father wish and killed him. Having himself ashamed that he hasn’t delivered on his promise to his father, he is determined to make all his future thoughts bloody.
Scene 5: The scene starts of with Gertrude and Claudius talking about Ophelia and how Gertrude does not wish to he her in bereavement and Claudius say she should be pitied as the grief has made her become such a different entity entirely. Ophelia then comes out with flowers and singing quite strange songs, it appears that she might have gone mad with the grief of her father’s death. Claudius enters and tells her that she is in grief because of her father’s death and reassures her that other people are disturbed and sad too of his passing this is stated in the quote “muddied, / Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers / For good Polonius’ death” he then tells her that Laetres has secretly sailed back from france.
A large noise is then heard from another part of the castle and the guards inform him that the castle is being infiltrated by a mob whispering “Laertes shall be king”. Laetres storms in after finding out the news of his fathers deaths, Gertrude reassure that Claudius is not to blame for his passing and Ophelia enters again with her insanity and Laetres goes back into rage. This time Claudius reassures him that he didn’t kill his father and tells him how much he admires him for wanting to take revenge for his father’s death, but only if directed a the actual murderer. The scene ends with Claudius asking Laetres if he can give his version of the events and Claudius agrees.
Scene 6: The scene starts of with Horatio receiving a letter from Hamlet saying that he has been captured by pirates on his way to England but he is now being brought back to Denmark in safety of the pirates protection. In returns for their good will he has promised to do them a favour. He then receives another letter that should be given to the king. he gives the letter to the king and then meets Hamlet, Hamlet has good news to share.
Scene 7:The scene starts off with Claudius and Laertes talking about Polonius death, Claudius explains to Laertes that he buried him and didn’t tell everybody that he killed Polonius because he is loved too much by his mother and the people of Denmark to be able to get away with it as he is both the king of the people and wife to Hamlets mother. A messenger comes in and then gives a letter to Claudius from Hamlet that he will return tomorrow, Claudius is pleased because that means his revenge will happen quicker. Claudius says that lettres should be the one to take revenge on Hamlet because it would stop any suspicion that Claudius killed Hamlet and he can get revenge for Hamlet killing his father.
They then discuss that Laertes should put poison on his sword that so if he even stabs him he will die from the poison if not the sword being stabbed into you. Claudius says if that plan doesn’t work he will be at hand with a drink that has poison in it to make sure Hamlet doesn’t overcome death. Gertrude then comes in bearing very bad news regarding Ophelia saying that she has drowned and died in the river, Laertes storms out of the castle in grief to of both lost his father and sister in the space of a few days. Claudius and Gertrude talk about Laertes behaviour and worries that his sister’s death will reawaken the anger from earlier when his father died.
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