Home > Q&A by Experts > Literature >
Q

Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?

A

During a forcible dialogue between Hamlet and Gertrude at the end of act 3, Polonius revealed his presence. The protagonist pierced the tapestry hoping that Claudius was hiding behind it. Therefore, one may say that the murder happened by accident.

Detailed answer:

An attentive reader may notice that William Shakespeare uses madness as a literary device. There are two versions regarding the insane state of Hamlet. They are whether it is real or pretense. For example, in Act 1, Hamlet communicated with the ghost of his father. After the king’s death and Gertrude’s new marriage, the protagonist wasn’t feeling well. The encounter with his deceased father and Ophelia’s betrayal could lead him to madness. Then, all his further actions are also due to insanity. However, being a skilled actor, Hamlet could consciously pretend. He realized that his madness could’ve helped him to accomplish his revenge plan. So, in the play, he could’ve fake his insanity for this purpose. Hamlet could rationalize his actions and reject the moral burden of guilt.

We will adhere to the point of view that the protagonist is genuinely insane. The question is what kind of mental disorder Hamlet has. Researchers point out that this is bipolar disorder. The presence of both manic and depressive behaviors hint at this. The reader may notice manic mental traits in the dialogue scene with Gertrude. A hint of depressive disorder occurs in Hamlet’s famous phrase. This phrase is “to be or not to be?” It expresses not only apathy and melancholy. It is also about the suicidal tendencies of the protagonist.

Polonius’s murder happened during the conversation in act 3, scene 4 when Hamlet scolded Gertrude. Before that moment, Hamlet was watching King Claudius pray. The protagonist intended to kill his sworn enemy. However, he refused to assassinate him since Hamlet came to a specific conclusion. It is that if he killed the king, now his soul would go to heaven. Imagine that your sworn enemy would have won psychologically and morally. Therefore, the last word would be left to him.

During the scene between Hamlet and Gertrude, the protagonist said that she could not leave while he is holding a mirror in front of her soul. Polonius was watching the conversation hiding. Polonius was there as he spied on Hamlet for Claudius. The king desired to find out the true intentions of the protagonist. Polonius also wanted to know why the protagonist behaves like a lunatic. Gertrude screamed in exertion, causing Polonius to shout out. This was a fateful moment when Hamlet pierced the tapestry with his sword. From Hamlet’s perspective, it happened instinctively.

The irony of the Polonius murder scene has two dimensions. First of all, death is ironic because Hamlet does not kill the person he intended. He sincerely thought that it is Claudius who was behind the tapestry:

I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so,
To punish me with this and this with me,
That I must be their scourge and minister.
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him. So, again, good night.
I must be cruel, only to be kind:
Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.
One word more, good lady.
(Act 3, Scene 4)

The murder of Polonius is accidental. Secondly, having killed Polonius, the protagonist metaphorically becomes his sworn enemy. Therefore, the man whose father was murdered becomes the killer of the father. This situation provoked feelings of guilt in Hamlet.

Answer's rating:
Updated:
Ask your Question
(We won’t publish it)
Cite This page
You're welcome to use this expert's answer in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2024, August 20). Why does Hamlet kill Polonius? https://ivypanda.com/q/why-does-hamlet-kill-polonius/

Work Cited

"Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?" IvyPanda, 20 Aug. 2024, ivypanda.com/q/why-does-hamlet-kill-polonius/.

References

IvyPanda. (2024) 'Why does Hamlet kill Polonius'. 20 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2024. "Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/why-does-hamlet-kill-polonius/.

1. IvyPanda. "Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/why-does-hamlet-kill-polonius/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/why-does-hamlet-kill-polonius/.

Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.