Name
Period
Date
Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark
For each character, cite quotes and other evidence (commentary ok too) of their motives and intrigues. Whats REALLY
going on with these people? What are the possibilities? Quote chosen (Act, Scene, Line #s) eg: Hamlet: No (III, i, 96)
Act Hamlet
Act I Hamlet, at the beginning of
the play, is the most sane
he will ever be. He is still
grieving not just for his
father, but for what could
have been if Claudius
hadnt become king. He is
certainly not friendly
towards his uncle, calling
him A little more than kin
and less than kind (I, I,
67), amongst other asides,
but has no concrete goal to
usurp him. When he hears
of his fathers ghost, he
states, Would the night
were come! Till then, sit
still, my soul (I, II, 278-
279). He is eager to meet
the spirit and discover its
message. Hes also
extremely ignorant about
the situation and itches to
know more, as shown
when he says, O, answer
me! Let me not burst in
ignorance, but tell why thy
Claudius
Claudius, having married
Gertrude and become king,
has achieved his goals,
whether that be to do his
duty and keep the kingdom
alive or murder his brother
to be with Gertrude and
steal the throne, but is
aware of the threat that
Hamlet poses to him. He
could, indeed, be the
murderer of Hamlets father
and is trying to cover his
tracks and rid himself of
threats. He states, Tis let his grief for his father go,
sweet and commendable in
your nature, Hamlet, to give
these mourning duties to
your father (I, II, 90-92),
before informing him that he
should get over his grief.
Claudius treats Hamlet like
a small child, constantly
being kind to him. He is also
urging Hamlet to forget his
grief, as he may know what
he could discover if he
Gertrude
The evidence presented in
Act I regarding Gertrude is
ambiguous at best, but first
impressions can reveal a lot
about a person. When she
meets with Hamlet, she
urges him, Do not forever
with thy vailed lids seek for
thy noble father in the dust.
Thou knowst tis common;
all that lives must die,
passing through nature to
eternity (I, II, 72-75). Like
Claudius, she urges him to
stating that everyone dies at
some point. The contrast
between Hamlets
seemingly neverending grief
and Gertrudes calmness is
stark and makes one
wonder why she is so cool
and collected about the
situation. She speaks little
in comparison to Claudius;
when she does speak, she
restates what he already
Polonius
The father of both Ophelia
and Laertes certainly has
quite a lot to say in the first
act of Hamlet. Prior to
Laertes leaving for France,
he bestows some wise
advice upon his son, leaving
him off with ...to thine own
self be true, and it must
follow, as the night the day,
thou canst then not be false
to any man (I, III, 84-86).
The monologue of advice
he gives his son is rather
lengthy, showing that he
cares for and worries about
Laertes well-being.
However, his words are true
and knowledgeable. When
Laertes takes his leave,
Polonius asks what he said
to Ophelia, showing his
nosiness. She states that it
was about Hamlet, and
Polonius asks, What is
between you? Give me up
the truth (I, III, 107). Upon
 canonized bones, hearsed
in death, have burst their
cerements; why the
sepulcher, wherein we saw
thee quietly interred, Hath
oped his ponderous and
marble jaws to cast thee up
again (I, IV, 50-56). The Hamlet as healthy as
situation truly is no small
cause of stress, but how
little he knows is a large
contributor as well. As of
now, his only wish is to
learn. As a scholar, he
knows that without
information, smart changes
cannot be made. After he
speaks to the ghost, his
motive changes and he
makes it his goal to take
revenge on his uncle for
the murder of his father.
searches enough. Claudius
could also simply be a
loving uncle who cares for
his nephew and son. He
could know the detrimental
effects grief could have on a
person and wish to keep
unclear whether thats what
possible. However, this
could be the impression he
is trying to give off; he is
smart. He knows what is
dangerous and how to
handle it. He reassures
Hamlet, You are the most
immediate to our throne,
and with no less nobility of
love (I, II, 113-114),
reminding him that although
he stole the throne, he is
still next in line. He also
asks Hamlet to remain here
in the cheer and comfort of
our eye, our chiefest
courtier, cousin, and our
son (I, II, 119-121).
Claudius asks this not to
spend time with his son, but
to keep an eye on him.
Claudius is a calculating
and cunning man who is
attempting to navigate the
feelings and thoughts of a
grieving son.
said, saying I pray thee,
stay with us. Go not to
Wittenberg (I, II, 123). This
gives off the image of a
submissive wife, a dumb
woman that allows her man
to do all of the talking. It is
about how he is using her.
she wants everyone to think
and is secretly the
mastermind behind the
monarchy, or if thats who
she truly is.
hearing that his daughter
and Hamlet have been
spending a fair amount of
time together and that the
prince had been offering
gifts and vows to her, he
disapprovingly lectures her
He tells her, In few,
Ophelia, do not believe his
vows, for they are brokers,
not of that dye which their
investments show, but mere
implorators of unholy suits
(I, III, 135-138). He is
against a relationship
forming between the two
youngsters, and is not afraid
to broadcast his opinion. He
cares more about his own
reputation being soiled than
his anything else, warning
Ophelia not to tender me a
fool (I, III, 118). Polonius,
from his dialogue in the first
act, appears to be a father
thats overly involved in his
childrens lives for his own
benefit. From his advice, he
seems to be rather
intelligent, but he cares
about himself more than his
kids.

Act II Hamlets madness has In the second act, Claudius Gertrude contributes more Polonius gives off the image
progressed when he enters
in Act 2. He mistakes
Polonius for a fishmonger,
which has a double
meaning. He could be
legitimately insane, or he
could be accusing Polonius
of selling his daughter like
fish. Many of Hamlets
statements hold several
different meanings; as
Polonius observes, How
pregnant sometimes his
replies are! (II, III, 226-
227). However, when
Guildenstern and
Rosencrantz enter the
palace, he knows the true
reason they were there. He
says, You were sent for,
and there is a kind of
confession in your looks
which your modesties have
not craft enough to color. I
know the good king and
queen have sent for you
(II, II, 300-304). His ability
to reason is still present,
which seems suspicious for
one whos entering
complete madness.
Possibly to cover for this,
he claims, I am but mad
north-northwest. When the
wind is southerly, I know a
hawk from a handsaw (II,
welcomes Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, explaining the
purpose for the hasty
summoning. He admits
What it should be, more
than his fathers death, that
thus hath put him so much
from th understanding of
himself I cannot dream of
(II, II, 8-10). He could either
truly be clueless as to the
cause of Hamlets mental
digression, or be playing the
fool to avoid arousing
suspicion of the murder he
committed. Either way, he
doesnt mention the
marriage between himself
and Gertrude as being a
possible cause, even
though he isnt surprised
when Gertrude claims that it
may be one. Claudius thinks
highly of Polonius; he says
that he is As of a man
faithful and honorable (II, II,
139) and cannot recall a
time where he had let him
down. When Polonius tells
the couple of Hamlets
lovesickness, both the King
and Queen consider it as a
serious possibility and vow
to try it further (II, II, 172).
Claudius doesnt have too
many scandalous thoughts
to Act 2 than she did to Act
1. She welcomes
Guildenstern and
Rosencrantz with her
husband, and proves
herself to be more intelligent
than she first appeared.
Claudius mixes up the
names of Hamlets friends,
and she corrects him and
moves onto the next course
of action: Thanks,
Guildenstern and gentle
Rosencrantz. And I beseech
you instantly to visit my too
much changd son (II, II,
37-38). The authority she
wields in this line shows her
awareness and power.
Shes also deduced the
likely cause of Hamlets
madness, stating, I doubt it
is no other than the main-
his fathers death and our
oerhasty marriage (II, II,
59-60). Gertrude is smart
and unafraid to get down to
business. Whereas
Claudius was skirting
around the mention of the
marriage, the Queen knows
better. She continues to
speak little in comparison to
her husband, as she does in
Act 1. Much of her spoken
words simply serve to
of a foolish old man in Act 2
while trying to promote his
own wishes. His word
choice gives him the air of a
rattling father; when he is
describing the players to
Hamlet, he says, The best
actors in the world, either
for tragedy, comedy, history,
pastoral, pastoral-comical,
Historical-pastoral, tragical-
historical,
tragical-comical-historical-
pastoral, scene individable,
or poem unlimited (II, II,
420-424). This rather
lengthy description sets the
tone for the rest of his
speech and causes the
audience to not dote upon
his words too seriously. In
the first scene, he is
informing Reynaldo on how
he must insult Laertes,
saying, See you now
Your bait of falsehood take
this carp of truth; and thus
do we of wisdom and of
reach, with windlasses and
with assays of bias, by
indirections find directions
out (II, I, 69-73). Polonius
wishes to bring out his sons
faults to make him feel
guilty enough to choose a
better path. However, he
II, 402-403). Hes saying
that he is only insane most
of the time; the other time,
his levels are perceptions
are quite high. In his
soliloquy, he calls himself
names and expresses how
helpless he feels about not
being able to do anything.
He comes up with a plan to
prove the Kings guilt; it is
flawed, but that may be the
best Hamlet could do
without causing suspicion.
to share in this act, so validate Claudiuss. For
nothing can be confirmed, example, the King asks Do
but the prospect of his guilt you think tis this? and she
is certainly present, as well replies, It may be, very like
as the prospect of him (II, II, 161-162). Although
simply being a faithful this exchange may seem
servant to his people. insignificant, it increases the
likelihood that Gertrude is,
in fact, the one controlling
the crown and has Claudius
on a leash. She could
simply be agreeing with
whatever her husband says,
but this act shows her to be
more intelligent than that.
uses his friend as his voice;
he may know that Laertes
wouldnt listen to him, or it
may be a strategic move so
that his son wouldnt hold a
grudge. Either way, it was
fairly smart on Poloniuss
part. When Ophelia enters
and describes her odd
encounter with Hamlet,
Polonius is convinced that
he is lovesick. He now
wants them to be together.
He apologizes for being too
quick to judge Hamlet: I am
sorry that with better heed
and judgment I had not
coted him. I feared he did
but trifle and meant to wrack
thee. But beshrew my
jealousy! By heaven, it is as
proper to our age to cast
beyond ourselves in our
opinions as it is common for
the younger sort to lack
discretion (II, I, 124-130).
When he meets with the
King, he insists upon the
princes lovesickness.
Polonius gives off the
impression that he wants
anything but the relationship
between the youngsters, but
plays the King to allow their
union. From Act 2, more of
Poloniuss cleverness and

Act III Hamlet seems to be full-on
mad in Act III; however, he
does give out several
obvious indications that he
is only pretending. Near the
beginning, many of his
remarks have double
meaning that could be
taken several ways; for
example, Hamlet says,
Get thee to a nunnery (III,
I, 131) to Ophelia several
times throughout their
scene. This could be him
telling her that shes a
whore, or he could be
aware of the danger shes
in and attempting to
communicate that she
needs to get someplace
safe. His knowledge of the
situation is further
reinforced when he asks,
Wheres your father? (III, my conscience (III, I, 56-
I, 141). This sudden
change of topic seems
unlikely to be coincidental;
he seems to be aware that
Polonius is spying on them
and is testing Ophelias
Act III is quite the eventful
act for the King. He begins
talking with Hamlets friends
to try and discover the
cause behind his turbulent
and dangerous lunacy (III,
I, 4). He is happy to hear
about the joy he players are
giving Hamlet, although
whether its happiness that
his nephew is feeling better
or happiness that his
biggest threat is distracted
remains to be seen. His
crime is slowly revealed
over the course of the act,
however. It begins with
smaller clues. When
Polonius makes a remark
about how trickery can dirty
the soul, the King says, O,
tis too true! How smart a
lash that speech doth give
suspicions. However, this is
58). This is said through an
aside, allowing us a glimpse
into his inner thoughts-and
guilt. He has no reason to
lie to himself. He decides to
send Hamlet off to England:
Act 3 begins with Polonius
informing the King and
Queen that Hamlet is
lovesick over Ophelia. She
says that they can marry if
Ophelia brings him to his
senses. Gertrude seems to
believe the claim, saying
And for your part, Ophelia,
I do wish that your good
beauties be the happy
cause of Hamlets wildness
(III, I, 42-44). She says
that she wishes that
Hamlet is, indeed, lovesick;
this gives off the implication
that she suspects another
cause of Hamlets madness.
She may be thinking of his
fathers death and her and
Claudiuss marriage, but
she may also be aware of
the Kings guilt and Hamlets
(III, I, 191-192). He is
disproved when Claudius
admits to his reasoning for
committing the crime: That
cannot be, since I am still
possessed
of those effects for which I
tendency to play the fool is
revealed. He seems to hold
control over some strings in
the puppet show that is the
government of Denmark.
In Act 3, Poloniuss true
nature is revealed before
his untimely death.
Throughout the act, he
seems to be the one making
the decisions and
commanding the King,
saying I hear him coming.
Lets withdraw, my Lord (III,
I, 63) when he hears
Hamlet. They listen in on
the conversation between
the prince and Ophelia, not
reacting and dismissing her
when Hamlet repeatedly
insults her. Even when the
King doubts that
lovesickness be the cause
of his nephews madness,
Polonius insists, But yet do
I believe the origin and
commencement of his grief
sprung from neglected love
attempting to manipulate
the King so that Hamlet will
marry his daughter and add
to his own reputation and
money. Poloniuss playing
the fool seems to be just
loyalty. Hamlets intentions
are also made clear in this
scene when he remarks, I
say we will have no more
marriage. Those that are
married already, all but
one, shall live. The rest
shall keep as they are (III,
I, 159-161). The prince is
openly making a threat on
the Kings life, as he is the
one being referred to.
Despite this open threat,
Hamlet feels as if he has
no control over his life and
is subject to fates whims.
Perhaps this is why he
feels as if he must kill the
king; in part for revenge,
and in part to regain control
of his life. He tells Horatio
how much he admires his
initiative and strength, a
man That they are not a
pipe for Fortunes finger to
sound what stop she
please. Give me that man
that is not passions slave,
and I will wear him
in my hearts core, ay, in
my heart of heart,
As I do thee (III, II, 75-79).
In this way, Horatio is a foil
to Hamlet. Later on the
scene, in the midst of his
madness, he gives a clue
I have in quick
determination thus set it
down; he shall with speed to
England (III, II, 181-183).
Although Claudius states
Haply the seas, and
countries different, with
variable objects, shall expel
this something-settled
matter in his heart III, II,
185-187), its possible that
he is aware of the threat
Hamlet poses to him and
wishes to get him out of the
castle to protect himself. We
can assume that its for this
reason, as Claudius ends
up admitting to his own
guilt. His abrupt exit from
the play is enough of an
indication to both the
readers and Hamlet, but his
soliloquy further proves his
crime. He laments, O, my
offense is rank, it smells to
heaven; it hath the primal
eldest curse upon t, a
brothers murder. Pray can I
not, though inclination be as
sharp as will. My stronger
guilt defeats my strong
intent, and, like a man to
double business bound,
I stand in pause where I
shall first begin and both
neglect. (III, III, 40-47). He
did the murder: my crown,
mine own ambition, and my
queen (III, III, 57-59). This
line implies that Gertrude
was not in on the plan, and
that Claudius carried it out
all himself in order to claim
her as his queen, and that
he would lose her if he
confesses. Whether she is
aware of his guilt or not is
still up in the air, but we can
be fairly certain that she
was not involved in the
murder. In her scene with
Hamlet, he accuses her, As
kill a king and marry with his
brother. She questions him
As kill a king? (III, IV, 35-
36). This short line could
mean that she has no clue
about the murder, or that
she does and is frightened
that Hamlet knows as well.
When Hamlet goes on his
tirade, accusing her of
bringing shame upon love,
marriage, and other
wholesome values, she
remarks, Thou turnst my
eyes into my very soul,
and there I see such black
and graind spots as will
not leave their tinct (III, IV,
100-103). She truly feels
guilty for marrying her
that: playing. Polonius says
himself that he was
accounted a good actor
(III, II, 106-107) back in his
college days, which is the
cherry on top of the
evidence sundae. He
informs the King, My lord,
hes going to his mothers
closet. Behind the arras Ill
convey myself to hear the
process. Ill warrant shell
tax him home; and, as you
said (and wisely was it
said), tis meet that some
more audience than a
mother, since nature makes
them partial, should
oerhear the speech of
vantage. Fare you well, my
liege. Ill call upon you ere
you go to bed and tell you
what I know (III, III, 29-38).
The Kings advisor is
downright telling his boss
the plan, appeasing him and
softening him up by
complimenting his wisdom.
Its also highly inappropriate
for the King, much less his
advisor, to be in the
Queens bedroom uninvited.
Claudius offers no protest,
simply thanking Polonius
and continuing to
soliloquize. This brings up
 to Guildenstern (and the
audience) that his
craziness is false. When
teaching his friend to play
the recorder, he says that
It is as easy as lying (III,
II, 387). This is an odd
choice of words given the
situation, and thus serves
as an indication to Hamlets
methods. He kills Polonius,
believing him to be the
King but being genuinely
surprised by the outcome.
He did know what he
wanted and did take action.
We have our final proof
that Hamlet is truly
pretending to be mad when
he admits to his mother,
That I essentially am not in
madness, but mad in craft
(III, IV, 209-210). He states
that his madness is serving
as a technique to meet his
goals of killing the king and
taking revenge for his
fathers murder.
Act IV After Hamlets accidental
killing of Polonius,
everyone else in the palace
seems to be utterly
convinced of his madness.
Gertrude states that he is
Mad as the sea and wind
admits to his crime and his
motivations: My crown,
Mine own ambition, and my
queen (III, III, 59). He
sincerely feels bad and
repents for his sin, but is
aware that he cannot be
forgiven, as he is enjoying
the benefits of murdering
his brother.
King Claudius is much more
cautious after Hamlet kills
Polonius in his place. He is
aware of the threat that
Hamlet is while hes free to
run about, saying His
liberty is full of threats to all
husbands brother; she the question of whos really
could also simply be trying running the kingdom. When
to appease and calm down Polonius dies at the end of
her son. The latter seems the act, the governmental
more likely, as when the structure could be altered
Kings ghost appears, she is quite a bit.
unable to see it. Only those
that are loyal to the king are
able to see the spirit, and
she is proven to not be. This
could be because of her
union with Claudius, thus
betraying him, or her
knowledge of the murder
and lack of initiative to take
revenge.
Gertrude seems to be DEAD
wholly convinced of
Hamlets madness, telling
her husband that he is Mad
as the sea and wind when
both contend which is the
mightier (IV, I, 7-8). Despite
when both contend which
is the mightier (IV, I, 7-8).
When talking to
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, the Queens
words seem to be true, as
his replies show his
madness within. He is not
completely out of it,
however; he accuses his
friends of working for the
King, saying, When he
needs what you have
gleaned, it is but squeezing
you, and, sponge, you
shall be dry again (IV, II,
19-21). Hamlet is stating
that the King is simply
using them and will toss
them aside when he has no
further use for them. The
Princes words are
confusing, with plenty of
rhyming and whimsical
wording, but contain inner
truth. He actually tells them
where the body is hidden:
The body is with the King,
but the King is not with the
body (IV, II, 27-28). The
way in which he says
things makes them difficult
to decipher. He truly seems
to be going mad. This
crazy, insulting facade is
contrasted during his
to you yourself, to us, to
everyone (IV, I, 15-16). The
King is clever; by stating
that Hamlet poses a risk to
everyone, not just himself,
he makes the conflict less
about him and convinces
everyone that hes doing
what hes doing for the sake
of the kingdom. He
approaches the mad
youngsters with caution,
calling Ophelia pretty lady
and telling Hamlet ...for
thine especial safety (Which
we do tender, as we dearly
grieve for that which thou
hast done) (IV, III, 44-46).
He emphasizes that he
cares about Hamlet and his
safety and addresses
Poloniuss murder in a way
that makes it seem as if it
was not Hamlets fault. He
orders, Where is my
Switzers? Let them guard
the door (IV, V, 106) when
he hears a sudden noise.
He orders the Switzers, as
opposed to his own
countrys army, as he knows
that they are loyal to Hamlet
and does not trust the
Prince. Small details such
as these show the Kings
intelligence. Their presence
this, she believes that her
son is still there underneath
the madness; he shows
itself pure and weeps for
what is done (IV, i, 28). In
the previous act, she had
promised to be loyal to
Hamlet over the King, yet
she has completely
informed her husband when
they enter in the first scene.
Her loyalties seem to be
split. Is she a double-agent
or simply a frightened wife
running back to her strong
husband? She feels guilty
about something, saying in
an aside, To my sick soul
(as sins true nature is),
each toy seems prologue to
some great amiss. So full of
artless jealousy is guilt, It
spills itself in fearing to be
spilt (IV, v, 22-25). Gertrude
is hiding something that she
feels guilty about. Of
course, she may just feel
bad about the situation at
hand and her inability to do
anything about it, but this
aside is rather suspicious
and certainly serves a
purpose. When Laertes
bursts into the palace in a
rage, Gertrude places
herself in front of Claudius,
soliloquy in scene 4. The
man who tells the King to
seek him i th other place was not the one pulling all
yourself (IV, III, 38-39)
suddenly becomes a sullen
and serious man pondering
life and death. He
overthinks the act of killing
Claudius, and rather than
staying in the palace and
finishing the deed, he
agrees to accompany
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to England.
Fortinbras is reintroduced,
acting a foil to Hamlet. His
take-action attitude and
kingly stature only serve to
emphasize Hamlets failure
to step up to the royal
plate. Not long after his
departure, a messenger
delivers an odd note
saying, Tomorrow shall I
beg leave to see your
kingly eyes, when I shall
(first asking your pardon)
thereunto recount the
occasion of my sudden
and more strange return.
Hamlet. (IV, VII, 50-53).
This is rather suspicious,
especially since somehow
he was able to send a note
with the exact day he
would be returning to the
after Poloniuss deaths
serve to prove that Polonius
(IV, v, 129). She gets so
of the strings in the
government. When Laertes
bursts into the palace
determined to kill the King
who had slain his father, he
handles the situation quite
well. His confidence in
telling Gertrude to back off
shows that he knows he can
talk Laertes down. Once
Laertes comes to the
realization that Hamlet
murdered Polonius,
Claudius praises him,
saying Why, now you
speak like a good child and
a true gentleman.
That I am guiltless of your
fathers death and am most
sensibly in grief for it, it shall
as level to your judgment
pear as day does to your
eye (IV, V, 170-175). He
even offers to speak to
Laertes advisors to prove
his innocence. Although this
move was not necessary,
he knows how important it
will be to have Laertes on
his side and goes to great
lengths to do so. After
convincing Laertes of his
guiltlessness and informing
protecting him. She tells
him, Calmly, good Laertes
involved that her husband
must order her, Let him go,
Gertrude (IV, v, 141-142).
The fact that she was
risking her own safety for
Claudius shows that she
truly does care for him, or
wants to keep him alive, in
any case. In Act 7, she
enters with news of
Ophelias death. She
recounts the event with
suspicious detail, explaining
how she went from climbing
a willow to jumping into the
water, until her garments,
heavy with their drink,
pulled the poor wretch from
her melodious lay to muddy
death (IV, xii, 206-208). Its
rather suspicious how she is
so knowledgable about
Ophelias death, and how
she is also seemingly the
only one who witnessed the
horrid sight. Ophelia was
saying dangerous things in
her songs such as the truth
about her and Hamlets
relationship; the Queen may
have wanted to quiet her
permanently. She could
have pushed her in and
 palace. The brings up the
question of whether or not
Hamlet truly is mad. It
seems as if he is, however
he tones it up in front of
others. It isnt a crazy sort
of mad, it is a bitter, hate-
driven, utterly focused kind
of mad.
him of the reasons he did come up with the story
not punish Hamlet himself, herself to cover up the
the two brainstorm a plan to murder. It certainly would
kill him off: When in your not be out of place; murders
motion you are hot and dry seem to be taking place one
(As make your bouts more after the other.
violent to that end) and that
he calls for drink, Ill have
prepared him a chalice for
the nonce, whereon but
sipping, if he by chance
escape your venomed
stuck (IV, VII, 179-184).
They plan to poison both
Laertes spear and Hamlets
wine to ensure his death, all
while making it appear as
an accident.

Act V After Hamlet returns from
his ship to England, things
get complicated quickly. He
and Horatio reside in the
graveyard after returning.
No one else is aware of
their presence, so when he
spies the nobles
approaching, Hamlet
decides to Couch we
awhile and mark (V, i,
229). He jumps out of
hiding when he spots
Ophelias body ad
-poisons Hamlets wine:
scene 2 with a poison jewel
-Scene 2 line 339: tries to
cover up the poison, saying
shes swooning at the sight
of blood
-Scene 1 line 225: Hoped DEAD
that Ophelia would marry
Hamlet
-Scene 2 line 320ish: drinks
poisoned wine: does she
know its poison? It could be
a test to see if hell let her
drink
-Line 340: how did she
know she was poisoned?

-line 285 scene 1: says he

loved her
 -still pretending to be mad
or is it genuine at this
point? Funeral behavior is
incredibly inappropriate
-Scene 2 line 40ish-50ish:
writes in the letter to
behead Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern (not cool.),
doesnt feel guilty at all
-line 86: sorry for what
happened with Laertes
-jealous of Laertes abilities
-line 246: tells Laertes hes
mad
-Forces Claudius to drink
the poisoned wine
-Gives Fortinbras his vote
for leadership with his
dying breath

Analysis