Hamlet

"Were you not sent for?" (II.ii.277). Guildenstern admits the truth to Hamlet that the king sent them. Rosencrantz tells Hamlet about the traveling troupe of players on the way to the court.
             Hamlet wanted to be sure at what the ghost had told him was the truth. He staged the play, "The Mousetrap", to set up Claudius. Hamlet takes his friend, Horatio, into his confidence and has him help watch the king for any signs of guilt. When Claudius became enraged by the play, Hamlet had a guilty verdict. Hamlet had the opportunity to kill Claudius while he was praying. Hamlet did not want to kill Claudius during prayer because he was afraid that Claudius was confessing and would have gone to heaven. .
             Gertrude, upset over the play, asks to see Hamlet in her chambers. Hamlet decides to tell his mother the truth about Claudius having killed his father. Hamlet heard a noise behind the curtain while he was talking with his mother. Hamlet, thinking Claudius was eavesdropping on his conversation with his mother, took out his sword and stabbed the curtains. Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laertes, was spying for Claudius and was behind the curtains. Polonius is accidentally killed. The ghost appears to Hamlet and he talks to it. Gertrude can not see the ghost and thinks that Hamlet has truly gone mad. Hamlet drags Polonius body from the room.
             Gertrude tells Claudius about Hamlet's madness and rage. "Mad as the sea and wind," (IV.i.7). She describes the murder of Polonius. Claudius tells Gertrude that they must get Hamlet out of the country as soon as possible. Gertrude is unaware that Claudius had already arranged to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern take Hamlet out of the country to England. They have letters that they are to deliver to the King of England. The king owes favors to Denmark. Claudius sent letters directing the king to see that Hamlet dies.
             Ophelia is distraught over her father's death and her loss of Hamlet's love.