Act 3
Scene 1
A Room in the Castle.
[Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
king. Can you tell me why Hamlet is so strange?
rosencrantz. He didn't say what he's worried about.
guildenstern. He didn't want to talk about it.
queen. Was he pleased to see you?
rosencrantz. Yes, like a friend.
queen. Did you plan to do anything together?
rosencrantz. Yes, we met some actors on our way to Elsinore. He has asked them to do a play tonight in the castle.
king. My wife and I will be glad to see this play. If Hamlet is happy, then we're happy too. Help him to laugh again.
rosencrantz. We will, our dear King.
[Exit Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
king. Sweet Gertrude, leave us too. Hamlet is coming. He doesn't know, but he'll meet Ophelia. Polonius and I will wait behind a curtain to see if his love for Ophelia has made him mad.
queen. I'll go. Ophelia, I hope that you're the reason why my dear son has changed, and that he can be happy again with your love.
ophelia. I hope so, too.
[Exit Queen.]
polonius. Ophelia, walk here and read this book. Hamlet will see you're sad and alone. Here's Hamlet. Let's go behind the curtain!
[Exit King and Polonius.]
[Enter Hamlet.]
hamlet. To be, or not to be: that is the question: is it better to sit quietly with all our problems, or to do something to end them? To die: to sleep. No more; and, with sleep, no more pain, no more broken hearts. I'd like that. To die, to sleep. To sleep; maybe to dream; yes that's the problem; because in that sleep of death what dreams may come? Will they be worse than the life we must live? A life of problems; a life of lost love, where bad wins against good? But, we're afraid of death, because we don't know what there is after life. It's a journey which nobody returns from, so we prefer to live with the pains we know than to fly to others we don't know. So, we think no more of death. But look! Ophelia! When I see you, I remember the bad things I've done.
ophelia. Good Hamlet, how are you this day?
hamlet. Well, well, thank you.
ophelia. Hamlet, I want to give you back the gifts you once gave me.
hamlet. No, I didn't give you any gifts.
ophelia. Dear Hamlet, you know you did; and my life was richer.
hamlet. Ha, ha! Are you telling the truth?
ophelia. Hamlet! What do you mean?
hamlet. That, like all beautiful women, you never tell the truth. I loved you once.
ophelia. And I believed you.
hamlet. You were wrong to believe me. I didn't love you.
ophelia. So, it was only a game for you.
hamlet. Go and live in a church and stay single all your life. Never get married and never have any children. Look at me; I'm a terrible person. Where's your father?
ophelia. At home.
hamlet. Shut the doors then, so that he can only be crazy in his own house. Goodbye.
ophelia. Oh! Somebody, help him!
hamlet. If you get married, choose a simple man; everybody else knows that men become bad with a woman near them.
ophelia. Oh! Please, somebody help him!
hamlet. All women paint their faces so we can't see the true face they were born with. Go away. I don't want to see you anymore. I've become mad since I saw your painted face. I say, we'll have no more weddings; and the people who are already married should leave each other. Shut yourself in a church and throw away the key.
[Exit Hamlet.]
ophelia. Oh Hamlet has gone mad! Before, so kind, such a good student, loved by everybody! Where has my old Hamlet gone?
[Exit Ophelia.]
[Re-enter King and Polonius.]
king. Love! No! I don't think he's even mad; there's something else which is bothering him; something dangerous for all of us. I've decided to send Hamlet to England for his good and ours.
polonius. Yes, but I still think that love is the problem. After the play, tell the Queen to speak to Hamlet. I'm sure he'll tell his mother why he's so sad. I'll stand behind the curtain in her room to listen to them. If the problem isn't love, then send him away.
king. Alright, we can try.
[Exit all.]
Scene 2
A big Room in the Castle. [Enter Hamlet and the actors.]
hamlet. Please, say the words I've written for you well.
first actor. We will.
[Exit actors.] [Enter Polonius.]
hamlet. Polonius, is the King coming to see the play?
polonius. Yes, and the Queen.
hamlet. Well, tell the actors it's almost time to start.
[Exit Polonius.]
hamlet. Hey! Horatio!
[Enter Horatio.]
horatio. Dear Hamlet!
hamlet. My dear Horatio, it's good to see you. You're the best friend a man can have. I wrote to you about my father's murder, and like a true friend, you haven't told anybody.
horatio. I'll help you in any way I can, Hamlet.
hamlet. I'm glad because I need your help. There's a play tonight and the King is going to watch it. One part of the story is like how my father was murdered. When you see it, please watch my uncle. If his face doesn't show he's afraid, then we've only seen a ghost. I'll watch him too.
horatio. Don't worry, Hamlet, I'll watch him carefully.
hamlet. They're coming. Find a place to sit.
[Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
king. How are you, Hamlet?
hamlet. Very well. Ah! The actors are ready.
[Enter actors.] [The room is dark.]
[The play begins. First, there's a King and Queen. They love each other very much. The Queen prepares a bed of flowers for her husband and he goes to sleep. The Queen goes away and another man arrives. He's the King's brother. He takes the King's crown, kisses it, puts poison in the King's ear, then leaves. The Queen comes back and cries when she sees her dead husband. The man who killed the King comes back and cries with the Queen. He then offers her gifts and in the end the Queen takes his gifts and gives him her love.]
hamlet. Ah! The King, my uncle, is standing up.
queen. Are you well, my King?
polonius. Stop the play.
king. I need some light; I need some air.
[Exit King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and the actors.]
hamlet. Oh good Horatio! I believe the ghost. Did you see?
horatio. Very well. The King didn't like the play at all.
hamlet. Let's drink to that!
[Enter Rosencrantz.]
hamlet. Rosencrantz, will you drink with us?
rosencrantz. No thank you. Hamlet, the King is really upset. The Queen wants to speak to you in her room before you go to bed.
hamlet. I'll come then. Leave me now, friends.
[Exit Horatio and Rosencrantz.]
hamlet. It's night and in the dark, I could kill. My heart must stay strong. I must go to my mother. I won't be kind to her.
[Exit Hamlet.]
Scene 3
A Room in the Castle. [Enter King, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
king. I think Hamlet has become dangerous for us all. So, take him to England before he does something crazy.
guildenstern. We'll do as you ask.
king. Thank you. Take this letter with you. Goodbye fine young men.
[Exit Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
[Enter Polonius.]
polonius. My King, Hamlet is going to his mother's room. I'll stand behind the curtain and listen to them.
king. Thanks, dear Polonius.
[Exit Polonius.]
king. Oh my heart is heavy with my brother's death! My hands are dirty with this murder. Nobody can forgive me because I've still got all the things I wanted from this murder; my crown and my queen. I'll try to pray but probably nobody will listen to me.
[Enter Hamlet. The King doesn't see him.]
hamlet. I could kill him now, while he's praying, but then he'll go to Heaven. My poor father had no time to pray before he was killed. I'll wait and kill him when he's angry.
[Exit Hamlet.]
king. I've prayed, but words without thoughts don't go to Heaven.
[Exit King.]
Scene 4
The Queen's room. [Enter Queen and Polonius.]
polonius. Hamlet is coming now. Be hard on him. I'll listen.
queen. I will. Oh, here he is!
[Polonius stands behind the curtain.] [Enter Hamlet.]
hamlet. Now, mother, what's the matter?
queen. Hamlet, your father is very upset with you.
hamlet. Mother, you have upset my father very much.
queen. Why Hamlet, have you forgotten who I am?
hamlet. No; you're the queen, your husband's brother's wife; and unfortunately, you're my mother.
queen. Well, I won't speak to you.
hamlet. No, you'll stay here and you'll see inside yourself.
queen. Oh no! He's mad! He wants to kill me!
[Polonius hears the Queen's words and is afraid.]
polonius. [From behind the curtain.] What? Help! Help!
[Hamlet thinks the King is behind the curtain and pulls out his sword to kill him, without pulling back the curtain.]
[Polonius falls to the floor, dead, behind the curtain.]
queen. Oh no! What have you done?
hamlet. I don't know; is it the King?
queen. What a terrible thing to do!
hamlet. Almost as bad, good mother, as killing a king!
queen. As killing a king!
hamlet. Yes, you heard me.
[Hamlet pulls back the curtain and sees Polonius.]
queen. Why have you become so mad? What have I done?
hamlet. What have you done? What haven't you done? How can you say you love Claudius? He's not half the man my father was.
queen. Speak no more. Your words are like swords in my heart.
[Enter ghost. Only Hamlet can see it.]
hamlet. Father, I'm sorry I still haven't done what you asked.
queen. Oh! He's really mad!
ghost. Don't forget me, Hamlet. Remember what I told you. But look at your mother. Why is she so surprised? Speak to her.
hamlet. What's the matter, mother?
queen. What's the matter with you? What are you looking at?
hamlet. At him! Can't you see? It's my father. He's going away.
[Exit ghost.]
queen. Who are you talking to? It's all in your head!
hamlet. No, it isn't. Mother, you must change your ways. Good night; but don't go to my uncle's bed and don't tell him that I'm not really mad.
queen. I won't.
hamlet. I'm sorry for Polonius. I'll take him away. Good night, mother.
queen. I need some air.
[Exit all, Hamlet carrying the body of Polonius.]
