YEARS: 7–8, 9–10
Hamlet Act 3.1 (edited) 87–160
The question of whether Hamlet is mad or just pretending to be has plagued critics and theatre-goers alike.
In this excerpt from 'Hamlet', the audience is confronted with this very question.
Watch Eryn-Jean Norvill and Tom Conroy from Bell Shakespeare as they present the encounter between Hamlet and Ophelia from Act 3, scene 1.
Things to think about
- 1.Imagine if a person you thought was in love with you suddenly turned cold and cruel. How would you react? Would you find it hard to believe they could change so quickly?
- 2.What two questions does Hamlet confront Ophelia with? For what reason might Ophelia not have believed Hamlet loved her? What flaws of his own does Hamlet list? Who does he say are 'arrant knaves'? What does Hamlet accuse women of? How does Ophelia respond to Hamlet's abuse?
- 3.
Who do you think Hamlet is really talking about when he curses women and marriage? Ophelia is convinced that Hamlet has gone mad. Do you believe this to be the case or might Hamlet be feigning madness in order to mislead Polonius and Claudius, who are watching? How does this scene reinforce the idea that no-one can be trusted?
- 4.
One of the most challenging passages in this scene focuses on Hamlet's reflection on honesty and beauty: 'Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness.' Find a contemporary translation of these lines and consider your response to them. Explain why you do or do not agree.
Teachers
Visit Bell Shakespeare's website
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Download a PDF with the full synopsis for each play.
Full plot summaries of Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet.
Acknowledgements
Created by ABC Splash in collaboration with Bell Shakespeare.
Production Date: 2014
Copyright
Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).