Behind the curtain

Behind the curtain, who is there? Naturally, it is Polonius. His mysterious spying on Hamlet undoubtedly left him with a sword through his stomach. But what exactly does his death contribute to this play? Ultimately, this scene captures several emotions throughout the banter between the Queen and Hamlet. It is evident that Hamlet is desperately trying to enlighten the queen on her mischievous new husband. His temper and attitude toward exposing the King's connection to his father's murder have his mind spinning. The killing of Polonius is the climax of this show because Hamlet believed/ wish it had been the King behind the curtain, spying on this conversation. All his rage and fury regarding this very disjointed murder had been taking out during this time as though he spilled out everything he possibly could to the audience. I am interested to see how Hamlet will conspire again to try and expose the King for the murder of his father. I am also curious to see how and if the Queen will react to the news when this does happen. It is fascinating how naive a mature woman can be, especially a woman of such high ranking. Hopefully, she will come to terms with what Hamlet explains to her during this scene and that she will work with Hamlet to banish the King.

Advice to Ophelia

In my opinion, Laertes' and Polonius' advice to Ophelia reflects their overbearing and overprotective attitudes. It is clear that these two men lack the proper background on Hamlet and his feelings. They are repeating desire to emphasize that Hamlet is not good for her shows how Laertes and Polonius wish to be more involved in analyzing Ophelia's relationship. I believe that judgment and concerns from family members are vital to hear when in a committed relationship, however as an audience we can sense that Laertes and Polonius are not even allowing Ophelia the chance to experience love without criticism. As a young adult, relationships teach lessons, especially what an individual likes and dislikes. Ophelia has not been granted this time to fully synthesize her feelings and wrap her head around this relationship. While Laertes and Polonius do bring up the point that Hamlet may be "wooing" her with love vows and expressions of romance, it is not right for these two men to interfere with a natural human relationship. Their warning of Hamlet's nature is more a forceful "telling" than "warning," as though she is not able to make her own decisions as a young woman.