Hamlet himself is one of the most intriguing characters Shakespeare ever created. Hamlet is cunning, manipulative, and above all else, a character that really irritates the reader. This is key because it keeps the reader involved and interested in the plot line and eager to see how it ends even if they become agitated over time with the character. I truly believe that Hamlet believed he was being watched when he spoke his most famous soliloquy for a few reasons. First, King Claudius stated that he had sent for Hamlet specifically. Also, the way Hamlet acted around Ophelia was interesting. Finally, certain lines in the III.i soliloquy suggest that it’s possible he knew he was being watched.
King Claudius had sent for Hamlet in the beginning of Act 3, so he could “accidentally” bump into Ophelia, who just happened to be there. Stating “For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither that he, as ‘twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia.” (III.i.29-31). Now, Hamlet has proved he is very intelligent throughout the play. With his ability to trick everyone around him that he is insane, but have the ability to convince his close friends Marcellus and Horatio that he is fully sane. With this intelligence, it also goes hand in hand with the ability to notice red flags around him. Having the King call for you and have Ophelia standing there instead of the King can mean a few things. It could mean that Claudius wants to find out, once and for all if Hamlet does love Ophelia and that he could use her as a pawn in a scheme to keep Hamlet out of the picture. It could also be that Polonius wants to find out whether or not there is a relationship between these two so he can use it as an advantage to get a grandchild on the throne. For example, earlier in the play, Polonius states to Ophelia “Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl, unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?” (I.iii.101-103). Here Polonius dismisses Ophelia’s statements that Hamlet loves her. Possibly because it is not enough evidence to convince King Claudius that there is love going on. However, in Act 2, when Ophelia hands over love notes Hamlet had written her that state “Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” (II.ii.115-118). Polonius went straight to Claudius with the evidence. He could believe this is the most convenient time to get Claudius to believe there is a relationship. Either way, there should be red flags raised when he confronts Ophelia there.
The way Hamlet reacted towards Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 1, suggests to me he knew he was being watched and chose his words carefully, with hidden messages and repeated speech to get his point across. For example, Ophelia attempted to give back the love notes Hamlet had given her. He simply responded “No, not I. I never gave you aught.” (III.i.96-97). Now this could mean that Hamlet is simply upset that Ophelia “rejected” him, and chose to say “I never gave you them, what are you talking about?” Like in almost every stupid romantic movie, where people are simply too embarrassed by getting dumped that they claim they never liked the person in the first place. However, it also could be that Hamlet knows Polonius and Claudius are watching and he doesn't want to give them the idea that he loves her so she will remain safe and out of harms way. Also, Hamlet had a few hidden messages in phrases repeated multiple times for emphasis. For instance, the phrase “Get thee to a nunnery” was repeated four times. This could be taken as two ways. Either “Get to a brothel you filthy whore”, or “Get to a church for safety”. Hamlet came across as being insane so that if Polonius and Claudius were watching they would not think much about it, but that statement could also mean he still cares deeply for Ophelia and wants to see her safe, while also convincing Claudius and Polonius he wants nothing to do with her.
Finally, Hamlet’s famous soliloquy has lines that can be interpreted as him knowing he is being watched. For example, the lines “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil” (III.i.66-67). These lines suggest that the sleep of death could mean Hamlet is debating committing suicide. Which gives Claudius the false idea that Hamlet is either going to commit suicide and be out of the picture for good, or that his mental stability (or lack thereof) is so little that he is no longer a threat to the throne. Also, the line “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (III.i.83), this could be interpreted as a pot shot at Claudius, or another point regarding Hamlet’s sanity. The murder of Claudius’ brother was very cowardly, waiting until he was asleep so he could pour poison into his ear. Thus his lack of conscience regarding the murder made him a coward. It could also mean that Hamlet’s conscience to too powerful to take any action regarding avenging his father. So is he a coward for not having any initiative to kill Claudius to avenge his father? Another reason for Claudius not to fear him, giving Claudius a false sense of security if he is such a coward.
You can question whether or not Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius yet. You can question his sanity, and whether or not he knows he is being watched or not. However, he is sly, cunning and even if he told Claudius his plan, he could pull off the avengement of his father.
RE Ben:
I never thought of looking at Hamlet’s speeches and just taking note on the punctuation used. That was a good way to get your point across regarding Ophelia and I agree that it’s not used in anger. Also, it does make sense that Hamlet should not portray love for Ophelia because Claudius could use her against him in a plot. However, you could also say that Hamlet continues to fill the role of the trickster by convincing both Ophelia and Claudius that he doesn't love Ophelia, while at the same time taking note of Ophelia’s well-being by saying “Get thee to a nunnery” multiple times in Act 3, Scene 1. I interpreted the “To be, or not to be… No more” (III.i.56-61). speech as Hamlet questioning the meaning of his life, and if it’s really worth living with his mind flip-flopping between killing Claudius and avenging his father, or not. I didn’t take it as a threat to Claudius but if he did hear it, he could be questioning Hamlet’s sanity.
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