HamNun+Jennifer+Park

Jennifer Park Hamlet Nunnery: Which Scenario?

There are three different possible scenarios in Hamlet's "to be or no to be' soliloquy. One, has he completely unaware of Claudius and Polonius' presence, two, he becomes aware of their presence in the middle, or three, he knows about their presence throughout the entire duration of his interaction with Ophelia. In my opinion, I think the first scenario would be the most interesting if it were true because it would make the rest of the play more unpredictable. If Hamlet were truly speaking from his heart, then the 360 degree turn in his approach to Ophelia could be explained by the heartache and confusion he feels following his father's death and his father's ghost's appearance. He has actually gone crazy.

Of course the more logical option is number three: he knew they were being watched from the very beginning. Act II, Scene I, was the scene where Ophelia described Hamlet's actions towards her. How he held her arms, and looked into her eyes. The way she described the interaction made Hamlet sound crazed and creepy. This fact could not have been lost on him-afterall he was the one doing it to her. It must have been blatantly obvious that she was scared and did not want to see him again after that incident. Therefore, when Ophelia enters and acts as if nothing has happened, it is expected that Hamlet becomes immediately suspicious. This explains his sudden change in attitude. He denies the things he has said and done to her, he questions her beauty, and denied that he loves her. He not only criticizes her, but all women in general. When he realizes that he is being set up, he becomes infuriated. Now, two women in his life, Ophelia and his mother, have both disappointed him. This is a complete change in attitude from the last scene when they were doing. Why? Well, because he knows that he is being watched!

When Hamlet boldly asks, "where is your father?" (3.1.131) out of no where, he is saying that he knows what is going on, proving that he is smarter than they all seem to think. If he did not know that Polonius and Claudius were watching them, he would have no reason to treat Ophelia the way he did. After his actions towards Ophelia in Act 2, he would be apologizing and asking about her feelings, not calling her a sinner and questioning her beauty. Therefore, his behavior can only be explained if he was aware of Claudius and Polonius' presence.