Hamlet’s Revenge: A Play Within a Play
Scene I
Polonius and Reynaldo
Polonius: Reynaldo, I want you to spy on my son, Hamlet, and find out what he’s doing in Paris. Learn about his companions, his spending habits, and his living situation.
Reynaldo: I will, my lord.
Polonius: Avoid direct questions and pretend you don’t know him well.
Reynaldo: I’ll do my best.
Polonius: Safe travels, and don’t trust gossip. Observe his actions with your own eyes.
Polonius smiled broadly and shook Reynaldo’s hand.
Polonius: Farewell.
Polonius and Ophelia
As Reynaldo was leaving, Ophelia rushed in, nearly knocking him over. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Polonius rose and approached her.
Polonius: Ophelia, what’s wrong?
Ophelia: Oh, father… I’m so scared.
Polonius: Of what? What happened?
Ophelia: I was sewing in my room when Hamlet suddenly entered, looking disheveled and distraught. He approached me closely, without saying a word.
Polonius: Is he madly in love with you?
Ophelia: He grabbed my wrist, maintaining his silence, and stared intently at me. After a while, he let go and walked out, never breaking his gaze.
Polonius grabs her arm.
Polonius: Come with me. Let’s speak to the King. Have you said anything to him lately that might have offended him?
Ophelia: No, father. I only did as you instructed.
Polonius: That’s what drove him to madness! I should have known better… He sighs. Come, let’s talk to the King.
Scene II
Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern
Claudius: Welcome, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern! I summoned you because I require your assistance. You’ve likely heard about Hamlet’s current mental state. I’m baffled by his transformation, aside from his father’s death. Since you were childhood companions, I’d like you to stay with us and try to determine the cause of Hamlet’s distress.
Gertrude shakes their hands as well.
Gertrude: Please spend time with my son and help us. We will be eternally grateful.
Rosencrantz: It’s our honor to fulfill this request.
Claudius: We are deeply indebted to you.
Gertrude: Follow these gentlemen; they will lead you to Hamlet.
Polonius, Claudius, and Gertrude
Polonius: I’ve discovered the source of Hamlet’s ailment.
Gertrude: We all believe his father’s death is the reason for his suffering…
Polonius: No, my Queen. Listen to this letter he wrote to my daughter, Ophelia.
Polonius retrieves a letter from his pocket and reads it.
Polonius: He clears his throat. “Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. Ophelia, I struggle to express my emotions through poetry, but please believe I am deeply enamored with you.” She rejected Hamlet, as I advised her to do. Following her rejection, Hamlet succumbed to despair and lost his sanity.
Claudius turns to Gertrude.
Claudius: Do you believe that’s the cause of Hamlet’s madness?
Gertrude considers for a moment.
Gertrude: It’s possible.
Polonius: Have I ever been untruthful? I will do everything in my power to prove my claim. The next time he’s in the lobby, I’ll send Ophelia to him. You and I will conceal ourselves behind the curtain and observe their interaction.
Polonius and Hamlet
Hamlet enters, engrossed in a book.
Polonius: Allow me to speak with him privately.
Gertrude and Claudius exit the room.
Polonius: How are you, Hamlet?
Hamlet looks up from his book.
Hamlet: I’m well, thank you.
Polonius: Do you recognize me?
Hamlet: Of course, you’re a fishmonger.
Polonius: To himself. He’s completely lost his mind! He mistakes me for a fish seller! He’s insane!
Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter.
Polonius: I’ll take my leave now, my lord.
Hamlet watches him depart.
Hamlet: These tedious old people!
Hamlet resumes reading.
Guildenstern: My old friend!
Hamlet embraces them.
Rosencrantz: My dear old friend!
Hamlet appears pleased to see them.
Hamlet: My good friends!
Guildenstern: We’re delighted to finally be here with you.
Hamlet: What crimes have you committed to be sent to this prison?
Rosencrantz: None, my friend.
Guildenstern: Prison?
Hamlet: Denmark is a prison, at least for me.
Hamlet: Oh, God!
Guildenstern: That’s because you’re overly ambitious.
Hamlet scratches his head.
Hamlet: Perhaps we should go to the court. I seem to be losing my mind slightly.
Hamlet gathers them close, glances around, and whispers.
Hamlet: Lately, I’ve felt watched. Be honest, why have you come to visit me?
They exchange a sharp look.
Rosencrantz: Simply to visit you, nothing more.
Hamlet: No one sent you? Please tell me the truth.
They gesture in denial.
Guildenstern: There’s nothing to lie about.
Rosencrantz: We were sent.
Hamlet: I’ve become so depressed that everything seems dull, even this magnificent castle. Nothing interests me.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern laugh at Hamlet.
Rosencrantz: It’s alright, we can help. We’ve brought your favorite tragic actors to entertain you.
The Players Arrive
Trumpets sound, announcing the players’ arrival.
Guildenstern: The players!
Hamlet rises and greets them.
Hamlet: Welcome to Elsinore!
Polonius: It’s a pleasure to see you, gentlemen! This is the most talented actor in the world.
Hamlet: First, a speech, a brief preview.
Player-Leader: Which speech, my lord?
Hamlet: You once performed a speech for me, one that was never staged. Critics praised it as an excellent play. I particularly enjoyed Aeneas’ tale of the fall of Troy, especially the part where he describes Priam’s death.
Polonius: He’s shedding tears! He feigns shock. Alright, that’s enough!
The Player-Leader looks to Hamlet for guidance.
Hamlet: It’s fine, you can continue later. Polonius, ensure the actors are comfortable.
Polonius: Follow me, gentlemen.
Hamlet: We’ll watch a full play tonight. Perform “The Murder of Gonzago.” Could you memorize a short speech I’ve written for that scene?
Hamlet’s Soliloquy
They all exit, leaving Hamlet alone on stage.
Hamlet: He sits down. What a deceitful person I am! How can this actor display more emotion than I? He merely imagined grief, and his face paled, his eyes filled with tears. He managed to affect a broken voice, all with a fictional script! All for nothing. What was Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, that he should weep for her? He stands and paces. And here I am, shrinking from my duties. I’m such a coward! I do nothing but mope around like a dreamer, not even bothering to plan revenge for my father’s murder. Bloody, inhuman villain! That’s all Claudius is! My father’s ghost urged me to seek revenge, yet all I can do is stand around cursing. I have an idea! I’ve heard that guilty individuals watching a play are affected by it and driven to confess their crimes aloud. I’ll have the actors reenact my father’s murder in front of Claudius. If he reacts in any way, even if he flinches, I’ll know he’s guilty, and the ghost wasn’t malevolent.