Act 3 Scene 4 Flashcards
Speaker 1: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
Speaker 2: Mother, you have my father much offended.
Speaker: Hamlet and Gertrude
Context: After the play, Gertrude is very upset at Hamlet for embarrassing both her and Claudius in front of all the nobles and has summoned him to her bedroom. Hamlet has just showed up and their confrontation has just begun.
Importance:
Sets the tone for the entire confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude
Plays on the word father (Gertrude is referring to Claudius but Hamlet is referring to Hamlet Sr.).
Ay, lady, twas my word. Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! I took thee for thy better
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: During Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother, things got violent so Polonius, who was standing behind a tapestry, yelled out for help, and Hamlet killed him.
Importance:
- Hamlet is calling Polonius a loser and saying he thought that Polonius was better than this
- Hamlet was hoping it was Claudius, not Polonius
- Not showing any remores for his actions
O shame! Where is thy blush? Rebellious hell.
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: This quote takes place during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet has just killed Polonius and is now showing his mother pictures of both Claudius and his father.
Importance:
- Hamlet is saying that his mother is old therefore she should be mourning, not off with Claudius, why she isn’t more ashamed.
- Hamlet often thinks of his mom’s sexuality.
- She should be red faced out of embarrassment
- He thinks his mom is disgusting
O Hamlet, speak no more: Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct.
Speaker: Gertrude
Context: This quote takes place during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. Hamlet has just killed Polonius and is continuing to yell at his mother about her marrying Claudius and this is her response.
Importance:
- This reveals that Gertrude feels very guilty about marrying Claudius, Hamlet had hurt her feelings
- shes starting to feel disgusted with herself (looking into the mirror)
O, speak to me no more; these words like daggers enter in my ears. No more sweet Hamlet!
Speaker: Gertrude
Context: This quote takes place during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. Hamlet has just killed Polonius and is continuing to yell at his mother about her marrying Claudius and this is her response.
Importance:
- This reveals that Gertrude feels very guilty about marrying Claudius
- Hamlet’s words are hurting her just like he intended to do and it is similar to the way he hurt Ophelia with his words in act 3 scene 1.
- Hamlet’s goal was accomplished as he wanted to hurt her with words and it worked.
Mother, for love of grace, lay not that flattering unction to your soul, that not your trespass but my madness speaks
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: This quote occurs during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. While continuing to yell at Gertrude, he sees the ghost of his dead father again which speaks to him but Gertrude does not see it therefore she thinks that he is crazy. This response of his is to tell her that he is not crazy.
Importance:
- Hamlet is telling his mother not to give herself a free pass on everything he has said (regarding her marrying Claudius) just because she thinks he is crazy.
- He doesn’t want her to think that everything with the ghost makes her think it doesn’t matter anymore (his words) he wants her to keep feeling shame.
- Reassuring her that he is sane, leads to the “you need to choose sides”
The diction of unction means pain relief
Confess yourself to heaven; repent what’s past, avoid what is to come, to make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: his quote occurs during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. While continuing to yell at Gertrude, he sees the ghost of his dead father again which speaks to him but Gertrude does not see it therefore she thinks that he is crazy.
Importance:
- This reveals that Hamlet does have love for his mother, not just disgust and hatred, because he is telling her to repent her sins (marrying Claudius) meaning that he does care what happens to her in the afterlife.
Continues the motif of Denmark as a corrupt place (don’t make it a worse by not repenting)
- telling her to take responsibility for her actions but hamlet isnt taking responsibility fot any of his actions (aka killing polonius) (he thinks everything thats happening is out of his control which is a flaw in his character)
For this same lord, I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so, to punish me with this, and this with me, that I must be their scourge and minister.
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: This quote takes place during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. During this confrontation, he kills Polonius who was hiding behind a tapestry. This quote is Hamlet talking about Polonius while looking at Polonius’ dead body.
Importance:
- This characterizes Hamlet as hypocrital and immature because he is blaming the murder on God because he believes God put Polonius there. This brings up the idea of fate.
Hamlet is repenting for Polonius’ murder
- never taking responsibility for his actions but then demanding queen takes responsibility for her actions
Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse; and let him, for a pair of reechy kisses, or paddling in your neck with his damn’d fingers, make you to ravel all this matter out, that I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft.
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: This quote takes place during Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. He is threatening her not to tell Claudius that he is not crazy
Importance:
- Gertrude agrees not to tell Claudius, revealing that her loyalty lies with Hamlet
Hamlet is counting on the fact that Gertrude’s loyalty will lie with him sets up scene 4. If it is, Hamlet has achieved gering her on his side.
- if she tells the king hamlet will kill the king
Let it work, for ‘tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petar: and’t shall go hard but I will delve one yard below their mines
Speaker: Hamlet
Context: This quote is said at the end of Hamlet’s conversation with Gertrude. Gettrude has just agreed not to tell Claudius that Hamlet is not really crazy.
Importance:
- Hamlet is implying that he knows Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are planning to kill him on his trip to England. He is therefore saying he is going to kill them first.
- Shows how Hamlet is changing from just seeking vengeance to now feeling no remorse and being less human.
