Act 3, Scene I

Act 3, scene i begins with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern saying that they did not discover the reason for Hamlet’s melancholy. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern explained Hamlet is only interested in the upcoming play. Claudius tells the spies to “drive his purpose on to these delights” (III.i.27). This serves as dramatic irony; the audience knows that Hamlet is only excited about the play because of his plot to expose Claudius of his father’s murder. 

Later in the scene, Hamlet delivers one of the most famous lines in English literature: “To be, or not to be, that is the question-” (III.i.56). In this famous speech, Hamlet ponders the question of suicide by enduring suffering or fighting against it. Also, he is troubled with thoughts of what happens after death. Hamlet decides that thinking stops humans from acting and says “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (III.i.83). Throughout his speech, Hamlet never mentions the reasons why he would commit suicide; he just ponders the action of it. This allows the audience to come up with their own reasons as to why Hamlet would take his own life. 

Hamlet’s speech is interrupted by Ophelia; she wants to return the tokens of love that Hamlet gave her. Hamlet denies having given Ophelia anything and compares dishonestly with beauty when he says, “That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty” (III.i.107-108). It is evident that Hamlet has lost his mind because he admits to both having loved Ophelia once to not loving her at all, demonstrating the theme of love vs. misogyny. He goes on a rant about how humankind is evil, demonstrating the theme of a fallen world. Hamlet denounces humankind by wanting to end all marriages and sending Ophelia to a nunnery. Polonius and Claudius still wonder whether or not Hamlet is mad with love and threaten to send him to England if his spirit doesn’t change.