Hamlet Act III: Climax

The main conflict in Shakespeares play Hamlet is Hamlets lack of proof that his

uncle, King Claudius, is the one that killed his father. This conflict is resolved during Act

III, Scene ii, right as Claudius stands with guilt when a character in the play pours

poison into the ear of another. This is when Claudius realizes that Hamlet knows that he

killed his father. This is also when Hamlet receives the definitive proof that Claudius was

the one who did it and that he did it with poison.

Throughout the play, we see that two of Hamlets main characteristics are his

indecisiveness and overthinking. These are most notably seen in his to be or not to be

soliloquy where he wishes for death because of all of the overwhelming things that have

happened (Act III, scene i). He contemplates suicide because he wants to avoid his

problems, that is, until he realizes for in that sleep of death what dreams may come,

when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause (Act III, scene i). In other

words, he does not know what follows after death. It is better to live knowing what might

come than to die in uncertainty.

This indecisiveness and overthinking is Hamlets main problem. His fathers

ghost has asked him to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder (Act I, scene v),

which many people would do as soon as they possibly could, despite the consequences

that might follow. An example of such a person would be Laertes who was quick to plan

his attack to avenge his father, Poloniuss, death. However, after hearing of his fathers

murder, Hamlet decides that he will pretend to be crazy, so that he might find proof

that his uncle truly did kill his father. After a while with no definitive proof, Hamlet

arranges a play with a group of actors to see how his uncle will react when watching a
scene with poison-through-the-ear murder. His quest to find proof demonstrates that his

main conflict is not knowing whether Claudius killed his father or not.

With a lack of proof being Hamlets main conflict, we see this resolved when

Claudius reacts with guilt and surprise when watching the play. After Claudius calls the

play off, Guildenstern tells Hamlet that the king is in his retirement marvelous

distempered...with choler (Act III, scene ii). Why would the king be angry with the play

and call it off if he were an innocent man? Claudius standing with surprise, calling off the

play, and feeling intense anger are Hamlets proof that Claudius killed the king. Having

this proof resolves Hamlets main conflict.

With Shakespeares play structure, we find that Act IV contains the

consequences of this resolve.