Read the excerpt from Act III of Hamlet.Claudius:Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in ’t?Hamlet:No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i’ the world.Claudius:What do you call the play?Hamlet:The Mouse-trap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is the duke’s name; his wife, Baptista. You shall see anon; ’tis a knavish piece of work: but what of that? your majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not: let the galle
Answer
h
he is unable to explain the play.
h
his actions symbolize cruelty.
h
he conceals his true motivation.
h
his play provides a spiritual lesson.
Explanation
Hamlet says the play is a depiction of a murder, but then pretends it cannot affect Claudius or anyone with a “free soul.” In reality, Hamlet has arranged the performance to resemble the murder of his father and watch Claudius’s reaction. His casual, joking words conceal his true purpose: to test whether Claudius is guilty.
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