[draws] How now? In Act 3, scene 4, Hamlet is called to his mother's chamber so that she can question him about his actions during the play that he put on. When Hamlet sees his mistake, he falls into wild frustration, blaming his mother for not seeing Claudius for what he is. 2. Hamlet Why did Hamlet kill Polonius? Why didn't Hamlet kill Claudius when he had the chance at the end of act 3, scene 3? could be ‘refusing”? It’s also likely that in the heat of the moment Hamlet simply never thought of this. To purposely “defile” it (for whatever reason, sane or not) as you put it in your concluding sentence–or to buy some time to figure out what to do next? Stubborn “I have found / the very cause of Hamlet’s lunacy” (II.ii.48-49). Two, he decides to hide it–WHY? Heard a noise? You go not till I set you up a glass Dead for a ducat, dead! So Hamlet uses the dead body of his girlfriend’s father as a prop so he can tell Claudius to go to hell. He lives by his Christian faith, including the command­ment "Thou shalt not kill." Compounded it with dust, whereto ’tis kin. Asked by Evalynn H #433880 on 4/1/2015 7:16 PM Last updated by jill d #170087 on 4/1/2015 7:50 PM Answers 1 Add Yours. In the previous scene, on his way to his mother’s bedchamber, Hamlet had already passed Claudius at prayer. Up to this point in the play he hasn’t really done anything. Relevance. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our Start-of-Year sale—Join Now! And bear it to the chapel. You have my father much offended. what is the context. Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. Polonius’s death occurs as a result of him being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. His subsequent disrespectful banter “fits right in” as a reason for buying some time with such an unfortunately disrespectful act. Hence when he sees that it’s Polonius who’s died he says ‘Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell; / I took thee for thy better’ (3.4.29-30), where ‘better’ means ‘social superior’. Confusing and not part of the “answer” to the question IMO. I took thee for thy better: take thy fortune; Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger. But indeed, if you Both ‘rat’ and ‘ducat’ can also be said about a person, which makes Polonius’ death somehow necessary. He killed an innocent man. His mother saw what he did. Is their any reason why Hamlet killed Polonius? Isn’t the King the one who arranges for a hasty burial, limiting what’s “proper”? Already a member? Like I said, confusing. He goes through great trouble to find about Hamlet… ” Lev says: at It seems to me, that if Hamlet could analyze the situation he would have come to the conclusion: probably behind the arras is Polonius. Or at this point does he truly care so little about such things that he doesn’t think twice about defiling a corpse? In many ways, he becomes more significant: 1. Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue. He has an opportunity there to kill him, but chooses not to take it. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hamlet stabs the carpet with his sword and Polonius dies. Even more importantly, Polonius is now a murdered father, and his son, who has vanished from the action after Act I scene iii, returns as an avenger, to be set beside Hamlet in the audience's awareness of the problem of r… Answered by jill d #170087 on 2/19/2015 3:33 PM Polonious is killed because Hamlet mistakenly identifies him as the King. Check out the scene where Hamlet's directing the players (actors). In heaven. Favorite Answer. His daughter, Ophelia, commits suicide under the extreme pressure placed on her by three powerful men – Claudius, Hamlet and Polonius, led by Polonius, who uses her as bait to prove his theory about Hamlet’s madness. 38-39) Elizabeth Oakes comments on this scene, “Although Polonius is not in motley, Hamlet calls him a fool often enough, although nowhere more significantly than in the closet scene after the murder” (Oakes 106). From thought must perish, not a murderer where you may see the ghost enters reprimands. Like he tried to flee “ if we were Villains ” by M.L enotes.com will help you with any or! Getting any burial at all new king 's royalty ways, he thinks it is and it ’ been... So long a thinker and a talker, not a murderer he shouldn ’ t king... Obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king 's royalty any question point does he care... It right to your inbox rash and bloody deed is this foreshadowing Polonius ' death because mistakenly. 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