Changing the way you learn

Hamlet - Act 3

Themes
1. Political
  1. Denmark is corrupt
  2. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"
2. Corruption
  1. The play reveals Claudius's guilt
  2. Hamlet accuses him of being corrupt
3. Revenge
  1. Hamlet can't bring himself to kill Claudius while he's praying
  2. Ghost comes back asking for revenge
4. Appearance VS Reality
  1. Hamlet is acting mad
  2. Play represents false appearances
5. Love
  1. Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia
  2. Player King and Player Queen portrayal
6. Reason Vs Passion
  1. Hamlet struggles with reason and passion - can't find a balance
    1. Passion urges him to vengeance but reason holds him back
  2. Hamlet's actions are often impulsive - Passion dominates
  3. Passionate outbursts are destructive
  4. Hamlet alternates between extremes of feeling and thought
7. Death
  1. Hamlet thinks that death is a sleep
  2. Hamlet is also terrified of what death may bring
8. Women
  1. Hamlet thinks women are weak
  2. Women are seen as objects
9. Deception
  1. Polonius and Claudius spying on Hamlet
Motifs
1. Disease
2. Rotting
3. Decay
4. World is an unweeded garden
5. Poison
6. Animals
Language
1. Use of rhyme in the play
2. Hamlet speaks in verse and prose which adds dramatic effect
3. Use of personification and simile
4. Use of metaphor
Dramatic Irony
1. Claudius wasn't praying in the prayer scene. Hamlet could've killed him

Hamlet - Act 3

	Created by Anne Howells over 8 years ago