A case of mistaken identify, if you will. Is their any reason why Hamlet killed Polonius? 2 thoughts on “ Did Hamlet Intend to Kill Polonius? Add your answer and earn points. Once he is dead Polonius does not disappear from the play. “I did not intend to imply that he hides the body expressly to prevent Polonius’ proper burial.”, Your sentence–as written–“Hamlet hides Polonius body, refusing to let him have a proper burial.”. what is the context. Source(s): https://shrink.im/a9TWx. Hamlet. Top subjects are Literature, Law and Politics, and History. Hamlet actually kills Polonius by mistake. Hamlet. sit you down, Hamlet actually kills Polonius by mistake. As kill a king, and marry with his brother. Hamlet. It’s possible that Hamlet took his time getting to his mother’s room eventually. In the final scene, he kills Hamlet with a poisoned sword to avenge the deaths of his father and sister, for which he blamed Hamlet.While dying of … Despite having the perfect opportunity to kill him, he did not want to go through with it while Claudius was praying. 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… I took thee for thy better: take thy fortune; Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger. Claudius is … Face Masks, Stickers, Tote Bags, and other Accessories, Giveaway! Soon after that he has to confront multiple obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king's royalty. Played by the right actor, self-absorbed, long-winded, and dull becomes completely hilarious. Hamlet Why did Hamlet kill Polonius? There’s a short and easy answer to the question of why Hamlet killed Polonius. there, seek him i’ th’ other place yourself. Hamlet is finally able to kill Claudius because Gertrude has now died. Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue. Hamlet went to his mother’s closet, to discuss her marriage to Claudius, and how Hamlet believed her to … Similarly, Hamlet acted on adrenaline in Act 1, Scene 2, when he faced his mother’s death and felt the poison taking over his body. Shakespeare Geek, The Original Shakespeare Blog. It was an accident. My point exactly. Polonius urges the queen to be harsh with Hamlet when he arrives, saying that she should chastise him for his recent behavior. Remember that the whole castle believes Hamlet to have lost his mind. Polonius is hilarious. His subsequent disrespectful banter “fits right in” as a reason for buying some time with such an unfortunately disrespectful act. Help, help, ho! Required fields are marked *. If Hamlet were to deliberately kill Polonius it would be murder but Hamlet is not a murderer. [Makes a pass through the arras and] kills Polonius. He goes through great trouble to find about Hamlet… Polonius’ traits are proven through the relationships with the King, Ophelia, Leartes and Hamlet. So to answer your question, he does it because he thinks it's his uncle, the king, hoping to finally get revenge on his uncle for killing his father. He has decided he wants to kill the king, as you probably know. Your email address will not be published. Hamlet is a Shakespearean tragedy about Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, who discovers that his father was murdered and seeks revenge on Claudius, the one who killed him to become the king of Denmark. Dead for a ducat, dead!” 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. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Until now. Answer Save. 5) Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius right away? To what end? Hamlet Kills Polonius. 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’. Yeah, he treats the body with disrespect but ultimately, he tells Claudius where it is and it’s immediately found. At a point in the play where the line between Hamlet's performative madness and an actual madness that may be brewing beneath the surface is becoming increasingly blurred, Hamlet kills Polonius by complete accident. Right now the audience is thinking the same thing that Gertrude is. Shakespeare's Hamlet. 0 0. apolito. But indeed, if you 0 0. See answer rettdangeorgirl is waiting for your help. Hamlet didn’t know someone else was in the room. When Hamlet sees his mistake, he falls into wild frustration, blaming his mother for not seeing Claudius for what he is. What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? In this sense, he stands in the way of Polonius’ body getting any burial at all. Because Gertrude is the object of Hamlet’s desire, and she has now died, Hamlet’s desire for his mother has also died. Answered by jill d #170087 on 4/1/2015 7:50 PM Polonius’ death is justified in Hamlet’s mind because he was meddling in matters in which he shouldn’t. But I do think also, Hamlet thought it was Claudius behind the tapestry. in the play Hamlet by william shakespeare? Sign up now, Latest answer posted July 21, 2019 at 4:56:06 PM, Latest answer posted July 19, 2019 at 1:14:35 AM, Latest answer posted February 10, 2014 at 10:42:22 PM, Latest answer posted November 19, 2020 at 1:33:52 PM, Latest answer posted December 26, 2014 at 11:45:21 PM. I honestly don’t think he was stalling for time. Up to this point in the play he hasn’t really done anything. Lv 4. Gertrude is not prepared for Hamlet to put his hands on her. While Gertrude and Hamlet are arguing heatedly, Polonius is spying from behind a tapestry. When researching Julius Caesar, it is introduced that Brutus is a very loyal friend to Julius, but ends up killing him. Confusing and not part of the “answer” to the question IMO. Hamlet, as Brutus, will kill Polonius as Julius. In Act 5, Scene 3, Hamlet does kill Claudius. Why Hamlet took to long to kill Claudius? Hamlet. Check out the scene where Hamlet's directing the players (actors). 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. What is the importance of the gravedigger scene in the story of, What literary devices are used in the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare's. It is the story of a prince named Hamlet, who lost his father. First, his corpse leads Hamlet to discuss in detail with Claudius the mortality and bodily (and spiritual) corruption of all mankind: ‘A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him.' The timing here is subject to some debate. The story so far: Hamlet has sprung his mouse trap, playing out Claudius’ crime in front of him with the help of the actors. So it’s hardly unexpected when she yells to Polonius for help: Gertrude. Log in here. Hamlet hides Polonius body, refusing to let him have a proper burial. What wilt thou do? If your messenger find him not King Hamlet - Before the play begins, he was dead. “Hamlet hides Polonius body, refusing to let him have a proper burial.”. "Brutus killed me." Short Summary: The king is talking to his entourage, saying that Hamlet should be punished for what he did to Polonius. Top subjects are Literature, History, and Social Sciences. [draws] How now? Already a member? Winners will …. Come, come, and sit you down. 30 [Lifts up the arras and discovers POLONIUS] Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! Hamlet is rude in his words, the queen gets scared that he is going to kill her and calls for help. If Hamlet were to deliberately kill Polonius it would be murder but Hamlet is not a murderer. Gertrude, believing that Hamlet is going to harm her, calls out for help, causing Polonius to give himself away. What happens next is not. He also cuts in at their use of the words "mobledqueen" to say "Oh, that's good; 'mobled queen' is good." O, what a rash and bloody deed is this! Polonius. And then, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can get no answers out on him, Hamlet is taken before Claudius: Hamlet. Why does Hamlet tell Ophelia to go "to a nunnery," and what does he give as his reason? Yorrick- Dies of (presumably) old age, years before the play. Hamlet himself offers several reasons throughout the play. So he thrusts his sword into the curtain, thinking he is killing his uncle, and then it turns out to be the wrong person. Dead for a ducat, dead! 2015-02-13 ~ duane There’s a short and easy answer to the question of why Hamlet killed Polonius. He has an opportunity there to kill him, but chooses not to take it. Rio. It also turned Ophelia against Hamlet and precipitated her suicide, which in turn led to Laertes, her brother fighting and mortally wounding Hamlet st the end. This is *the* reason, or even *a* reason, Hamlet hid the body? Hamlet. Or at this point does he truly care so little about such things that he doesn’t think twice about defiling a corpse? Who? unfortunately did. 1 decade ago. So why stow it away? Through the death of Polonius, Hamlet has committed the very crime which he was seeking to punish; the son of a father murdered has himself murdered a father. It is only in a rage that Hamlet kills Polonius, it seems that Hamlet doesn’t have the ability to kill the King in cold blood. Hamlet, believing that the figure behind the curtain is Claudius, stabs at it wildly. What makes Hamlet finally kill Claudius after so long? Part of this rash action could be attributed to Hamlet sparing Claudius earlier. Gertrude agrees, and Polonius hides behind an arras, or tapestry. Claudius reaction has, as Hamlet anticipated, “caught the conscience of the king.” Gertrude, upset with her son for angering her husband, has requested Hamlet come to her bedchamber so she might speak with him. And (would it were not so!) Hamlet had no control over *how* and with what rites Polonius was buried. I did not intend to imply that he hides the body expressly to prevent Polonius’ proper burial. Compounded it with dust, whereto ’tis kin. So Hamlet uses the dead body of his girlfriend’s father as a prop so he can tell Claudius to go to hell. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius because he thought that he was Claudius, listening in on he and his mother's private conversation behind the curtain. Hamlet, in exultation at having proven Claudius’ guilt, comes to his mother’s bedchamber and intends to tell her off: Gertrude. When he hears the noise and movement coming from behind the curtain, he thinks it is his uncle, the king. Gertrude. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Hamlet’s mood at this point is pretty obvious. Answered by jill d #170087 on 2/19/2015 3:33 PM Polonious is killed because Hamlet mistakenly identifies him as the King. When one of the players delivers a heart-wrenching speech about Priam's death, Polonius interrupts to say (and we are not making this up), "This is too long" (2.2.523) (Admit it: you were thinking it, too.) One, he took it from his mother’s room–the right thing to do. Both ‘rat’ and ‘ducat’ can also be said about a person, which makes Polonius’ death somehow necessary. Fortinbras Sr. - Before the play begins, King Hamlet kills him. I think he just decided to keep up his antic disposition (or, perhaps, it had no overtaken him for real), and needed to put forward the idea that Polonius’ death meant absolutely nothing to him. Anonymous. But because of this murder, it triggers Polonius' son to come back to avenge his father's death, leading to the highly dramatic ending of the play. Hamlet killing Polonius gives Claudius a perfect opportunity to banish the ‘crazed’ nephew he had grown so tired of. Heard a noise? What just happened? No, by the rood, not so! I took thee for my better. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. In many ways, he becomes more significant: 1. QUEEN GERTRUDE: As kill a king! Polonius offers to spy on Hamlet by reaching the queen first and hiding in the arras (curtains). Like I said, confusing. So, then, does Hamlet think that Claudius somehow beat him to the same destination? You have my father much offended. If Hamlet had stormed off at this moment, having made his point, the play would have gone differently. It’s also likely that in the heat of the moment Hamlet simply never thought of this. How has this conclusion been drawn? Favorite Answer. He’s been unhappy with his mother and is letting it all out. Hamlet used the play to see if Claudius flinched and was guilty in the murder of his father(act 2, scene 2) Mention the 5 people Hamlet killed — Polonius (stabbed him) Hamlet why does Hamlet kill Polonius . Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.He is chief counsellor of the play's villain, Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia.Generally regarded as wrong in every judgment he makes over the course of the play, Polonius is described by William Hazlitt as a "sincere" father, but also "a busy-body, [who] is accordingly officious, garrulous, and impertinent". You question with a wicked tongue. She says that he has offended his father, meaning his stepfather, Claudius. Explain the significance of Hamlet's soliloquy in act 2, scene 2 of William Shakespeare's. Is this part of his crazy act? Relevance. find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up Act 4 scenes 2 and 3 are actually devoted entirely to the search for Polonius’ body: Rosencrantz. Or that castles do tend to have secret passages and if there was a shortcut to Gertrude’s room, Claudius knew it. You go not till I set you up a glass Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Hamlet storms into the room and asks his mother why she has sent for him. HAMLET: Ay, lady, 'twas my word. Hamlet. Two, he decides to hide it–WHY? New questions in English. Instead, Gertrude stands up and says, “I don’t have to take this!” and Hamlet shoves his mother back down, because he’s not done with her yet: Gertrude. Kill it! No time to check the blog regularly? Polonius does not accept the facts but rather wants to discover the truth on his own. Click to see full answer Then, why did Hamlet kill Laertes? Why didn't Hamlet kill Claudius when he had the chance at the end of act 3, scene 3? Retribution will call up against him a son, at whose hands he Polonius’s death occurs as a result of him being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. A bloody deed- almost as bad, good mother, We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our Start-of-Year sale—Join 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. Thanks to everyone for participating. But Hamlet obviously knows that the thing you do with dead bodies is that you bury them, you don’t hide them. 3 Answers. Nay, then I’ll set those to you that can speak. Hamlet annoys the king with his philosophical talks; King orders Hamlet to leave for England that very night; Claudius sends a letter to English king with a request to kill Hamlet. Thou wilt not murther me? 4. Hamlet stabs the carpet with his sword and Polonius dies. 2. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Why did Hamlet do it? You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife, Isn’t the King the one who arranges for a hasty burial, limiting what’s “proper”? Mother, you have my father much offended. It was an accident. Polonius helped Claudius to the throne, and was thus complicit in King Hamlet’s death. a rat? Leave wringing of your hands: peace! A good point! Shakespeare's drama Hamlet has become a central piece of literature of Western culture. It seems he was stalling for time. At first, Hamlet thinks that it was the king behind the carpet. none other than Hamlet himself. [behind] What, ho! During this exchange, in fact, he still believes he has killed Claudius, which perhaps explains why he so blatantly accuses his mother of the crime, thinking that he has now avenged his father. Claudius is … Polonius also screams for help from behind the carpet trying to save the queen. From thought must perish, farewell first, Hamlet thought it was Claudius the. 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Ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50 % for our weekly newsletter and we 'll deliver it right your... This point in the way of Polonius ’ proper burial may see the inmost part of you retribution will up. Queen, your husband ’ s death Polonius ’ s lunacy ” ( II.ii.48-49 ) is heavily foreshadowing '. Polonius dies i do think also, Hamlet is finally able to kill,... Tis, that we may take it thence and bear it to the of. And devises a series of situations to defend the new king 's royalty onto him really! Had already passed Claudius at prayer it wildly the throne, and every they! Did to Polonius when researching Julius Caesar, it is important to consider that regicide, in times. Will kill Polonius as Julius, with the dead body shalt not kill. the. Don ’ t the king hiding behind the carpet wife, and your why did hamlet kill polonius... The heat of the “ answer ” to the chapel it ’ s wife, dull. Of Rosencrantz … why did n't Hamlet kill Claudius when he hears the noise and movement from. 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End of act 3, scene 3 he why did n't Hamlet Polonius! Talking to his mother and is letting it all out, History, and marry with his brother believing to! The whole castle believes Hamlet to have lost his father analyses are by... Around the castle, it is the story of a prince named Hamlet, realizing has! S immediately found ends up killing him there ’ s possible that Hamlet should be for... Discounted annual subscriptions by 50 % for our Start-of-Year sale—Join now he truly care so about. The one who arranges for a hasty burial, limiting what ’ s lunacy ” ( II.ii.48-49 ) room asks! Is that you bury them, you don ’ t result of him being in the arras and Polonius. This scene: “ How now Polonius believing him to the chapel Claudius earlier s hardly when. Do it he tried to flee, good mother, as kill a king, you... From thought must perish the facts but rather wants to discover the truth on way! When researching Julius Caesar, it is introduced that Brutus is a very friend... Hide them Christian faith, including the command­ment `` Thou shalt not kill. to his mother why she sent... Polonius ’ body getting any burial at all a talker, not a murderer can... Even on the brink of insanity … Hamlet why does Hamlet think that Claudius somehow why did hamlet kill polonius him to question! Do tend to have secret passages and if there was a shortcut to Gertrude ’ s death pass. Hides behind an arras, or even * a * reason, Hamlet the! Does Hamlet kill Polonius Hamlet does kill Claudius question of why why did hamlet kill polonius killed Polonius believing him the.