Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4 summary

What happens

1. Polonius hides behind a wall hanging while the Queen prepares to rebuke Hamlet.
2. Hamlet restrains his mother, hears Polonius cry out, and stabs him through the hanging, thinking he may be the King.
3. Hamlet contrasts portraits of the Queen’s husbands and condemns her marriage until she acknowledges her inner guilt.
4. The Ghost urges Hamlet to renew his resolve and comfort his mother, who neither sees nor hears the apparition.
5. Hamlet urges the Queen to avoid his uncle’s bed, and she promises not to reveal his pretended madness.
6. Hamlet describes his distrust of the England journey and leaves dragging Polonius’s body.

In this scene

What to notice

Hamlet presents harsh treatment as a means of helping his mother. His claim accompanies both demands for repentance and his acknowledgment of Polonius’s death.

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