the importance of polonious's death?????

[joleine]

hey everyone, im having a little trouble with a huge assignment but there are only a few questions i cant seem to get. they are,

1) in ACT 3, SCENE 4, what is the turning point in hamlets life?

i understand that he killed poloniousand it is a big deal but i know there something else to it that my teacher wants... she said something about the ghosts speech (telling hamlet to talk to his mother) and to compare it to the original speech but i cant make any connections... other than he was alot more upset about the adultry before

anyways if anyone can help plllleeeaasse! my email is player497@hotmail or juss post on here!! thanks!

[AlexTS]

Well, one of the major decisions Hamlet makes is to alter the King's secret letters and thereby sentence his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to death (preserving his own life). Coupled with his killing of Polonius, this is the first major action he actually takes.

Also, it is in this part that he first opens up to Gertrude, and indeed does manage to convince her over to his side of things (she, despite having been told that he is merely feigning madness, agrees to act as though he actually is insane). A crucial point of discussion in this section is that Gertrude cannot see the ghost when it appears to Hamlet; leading the reader to question a) the nature of the ghost itself (is it a demon sent to torment Hamlet? Is it actually his father that only appears to him?) and b) the nature of Hamlet's "antic disposition" (is he, for any number of reasons, actually mad? Is he just inventing the ghost to motivate himself that murdering Claudius is the correct course of action?)

The ghost tells Hamlet that it has appeared to "whet thy almost blunted purpose", identifying that the Prince has been slow to act. It also seems to have some compassion left for Gertrude in that it instructs Hamlet to "step between her and her fighting soul"; possibly sensing that Hamlet is in an ideal position to turn Gertrude decisively against Claudius.

But for the actual question itself, the slaying of Polonius, the turning of Gertrude and/or the decision to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can all be considered major points, at least in my opinion. You can undoubtedly argue otherwise, and probably for maximum marks, argue for all the cases. Thus is the joy of evaluating Shakespeare.

[Jagtig]

http://www.tailsntales.com/eng/sha/ham/tex/sel_3.txt#anchor186444

If you click on the link above, it should take you to the line where the ghost advises Hamlet to ignore his mother's complicity in the crime. That is, I,iv,85

http://www.tailsntales.com/eng/sha/ham/tex/sel_7.txt#anchor208113

Then, if you click on this next link, you will be taken to the scene where Hamlet visits his mother in her chamber in the unseen and unknown presence of Polonius. - III,iv,10

You might say that an arguement between the two breaks out, and Gertrude expresses alarm, and fears out loud for her safety, wondering, "What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?" - III,iv,21

Polonius breaks his silence, reveals his presence, and Hamlet rather rashly murders him.

Then, Hamlet really lets loose, the ghost reappears, and things will never be the same.

Act III, Scene IV is really so important and critical to the play, that you should try and read it. There may be some notes in the concordance to the text which I have referenced. Just click on the highlighted asterisks at the heads of the lines to go to the corresponding concordance points.

Good luck, sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Jagtig

[msdirector]

Hi Joleine -

As with any of Shakespeare's works, there are any number of interpretations of what might be major turning points in the lives of his characters.

In the "closet" scene, as it is often called (taking place in the Queen's "closet" or private quarters), there are several things that might be considered turning points in Hamlet's life. Which one you believe is THE turning point is up to you.

1) Hamlet confronts his mother, revealing, or at least implying strongly, his belief that Claudius killed his father. He accuses her of betraying his father, and expresses his disgust at her lascivious behavior. In fact, he draws his weapon against her initially and comes very close to attacking her physically (in some productions and films he actually does physically abuse her in some way).

2) Hamlet hears Polonius hiding behind the Arras and, mistaking him for the King, kills him.

3) The Ghost appears to remind Hamlet of his instructions not to include Gertrude in his revenge - although he doesn't say so directly, he implies it by urging him to treat her gently - and to "whet thy almost blunted purpose" of taking revenge on Claudius.

4) Hamlet reveals that he is aware of Claudius' plan to send him to England, and that he suspects that his life is in danger and that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not to be trusted and may be the vehicles of his destruction.

The scene on the whole is a pivotal one for Hamlet and the play, but which of these actions might be considered "the" turning point in Hamlet's life is up to your own interpretation. Personally, if I had to pick an event that was THE turning point in Hamlet's LIFE it wouldn't be in this scene - it would be the death of his father and the revelation by the Ghost that he was murdered by Claudius. But I am assuming here that you are refering to the turning point for Hamlet in the play, rather than in his whole life.

Each of these could be considered a turning point. Hamlet's attack on Gertrude shows her his instability and shows us that he is focused as much on her betrayal of his father as Claudius'. His accusation of Claudius certainly confirms that he is a danger to Claudius and his relationship with Gertrude as well as his throne. His murder of Polonius is a clear sign that Hamlet intends to kill Claudius if he can and therefore is a physical threat to Claudius (as well as a danger to himself since what he intends is, legally, treason!). If you believe that he was wavering in his resolve to carry out his vengeance against Claudius, which the Ghost apparently does (but I don't), then the Ghost's appearance would help remind Hamlet of that resolve. But it also keeps Hamlet from possibly injuring or killing Gertrude which he might well have done had the Ghost not appeared and allows him to back off and, as the Ghost cautioned him in his first appearance to "leave her to heaven". And Hamlet's foreknowledge of Claudius' plans for him arms him to discover the plot against him and foreshadows his plans for escape.

So it's up to you... which of these do YOU see as a... or "the"... turning point in Hamlet's life (in the play).