It is very hard not to feel sorry for Hamlet in lots of
ways, though equally we might argue that he has acted
disproportionately to the situation that he faces. However, let us consider what has
just happened. Hamlet, doubting the veracity of the Ghost's words, organised a special
"Mousetrap" to see once and for all if what the Ghost said was true. It is clear that
one of the challenges he faced in the earlier Acts was whether to believe the ghost or
not. The "Mousetrap", of course, was a splendid success in establishing the guilt of
Claudius. Having his proof, Hamlet went on to challenge his mother with the truth and to
condemn her according to the Ghost's wishes. Of course, this tragically ended in the
mistaken killing of Polonius.
As he leaves at the end of
Act III, Hamlet knows he is facing a very difficult and perilous situation. He has just
killed the King's advisor, and now Claudius knows that Hamlet knows the truth of how
Hamlet's father really died. He is therefore a threat. Note how he talks of his two
fellow companions on the journey to England, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern:
There's letters seal'd, and my two
school-fellows,
Whom I will trust as i will adders
fang'd,
They bear the mandate, they must sweep my
way
And marshal me to
knavery...
Hamlet's immediate
challenge therefore is how to resolve this situation and ensure that he survives the
trip to England and is able to return to Denmark and revenge his father in the way that
he has put off for so long before this point in the play.
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