HehardlyeverspoketoOphelia,abeautifulladywhomhehaddeeplyloved.Before,theywouldtalkhappilyandtakewalksinthewoodsnearthecastle.HewouldtalktohersosweetlyandgentlythatOpheliawasdeeplyinlovewithhim.Butnowhewasquitedifferent.Therefore,Polonius,Ophelia』sfather,didnotwanthisdaughtertoloveHamletanymorebecauseofhisstrangebehavior.
OnedayHamletcametoOphelia,whowasknittinginherroom,andspokewildlytoher.Heappearedhalf-naked,wearingadirtyshirtwithnohatonhishead.ShegavebackallthelettersandvaluableringsthatshehadreceivedfromHamlet.
「Iwillnotmeetyouanymore,」shesaidtohim.Hamletlefther,feelingevenmoremiserable.
Shetoldherfathereverythingthathadoccurredinherroom.WhenPoloniusheardthisfromhisdaughter,hebelievedheknewwhathadmadeHamletgomad.HethoughtthatHamlethadgonemadbecauseofhisloveforOphelia.PoloniuswenttoClaudiusandGertrudetoletthemknowwhatcausedHamlet』smadness.HetoldthemthattheloveaffairbetweenHamletandOpheliawasthetruecauseofhismadness.
Claudiusalwaysdoubtedwhatheheardfromhismen.HecommandedtwomenwhousedtobeHamlet』sfriendswhentheywerechildrentofindoutthetruereasonwhyhehadbeenactingsostrangelyrecently.HealsoaskedPoloniustoarrangeanunexpectedmeetingofthetwoloverssothattheycouldcarefullyobserveHamlet』sbehavior.
Hamlet』stwooldfriendsmethimwhenhewassayingsomestrangethingstohimselfaloneinthehallofthecastle.Theybeggedhimtotellthemthetruecauseofhismadness.Buthewouldnottellthemanything,andinsteadmadefoolsofthem.
OnedaywhenHamletwasunhappyandworriedbythememoryoftheghostandthepromisehehadmade,agroupofactorscametovisithim.TheywerethesameplayersthatHamletusedtoenjoyseeing.Hewelcomedthem.Thentheyactedashortplayforhim.
Itwasasadstoryaboutagoodkingwhowaspoisonedtodeathbyhisbrother.Andthismanbecamekingandmarriedthequeen.Theyplayeditsowell,withtearsintheireyes,thatthesceneseemedreal.WhileHamletwaswatchingthem,hefeltveryangrywithhimself.Hesaidtohimself:「Thoseplayerscancryforthesadkingwhomtheyhavenevermet.ButinmycaseIhavedonenothingatallformypoorfatherwhowaskilledbymyuncleClaudius.WhatacowardIam!」
Whentheplaywasover,hethoughtofagoodplan.Hedecidedtohavethemplayitonceagaininfrontofthekingandqueenthenextday.Healsoaskedthemtoaddafewlinesofhisowntotheplaysothathecouldmaketheplaymorelikewhathadhappenedtohisfather.Hamletsaidtohimself,「IfClaudiusisreallyguilty,hisfacewillturnpalewhileheiswatchingtheplay.ThenIwillknowthatwhattheghosttoldmeistrue.Iwillwatchhisfaceverycarefully.」
HetoldhisplantoHoratio,hisbestfriendinthecastle,andalsoaskedhimtowatchtheking』sfacewiththegreatestcare.
Hamletwenttothekingandqueentotellthemthathewouldliketoinvitethemtoaplaythenextevening.Theyagreedtoseetheplay.TheyhopedthatHamletwasatlastgettingbetterandwouldcometoacceptthemashisfatherandmother.HesaidgoodnighttoClaudiusandGertrude,pretendingthathewashappythatnight.
Onhiswaybacktohisownroom,hemetOphelia,wholookedsosadandunhappyinthehall.ThekingandPoloniuswerehidingbehindthecurtainsofthehall,tryingtolistentotheirconversation.
HamletsaidtoOphelia,「Idon』tloveyouanymore.Wearealldirtyanimalsonthisearth.Ophelia,youareoneofthesedirtyones,too.Gotoanunnery.Goawayrightnow,youdirtywoman!」
Opheliawastoosurprisedathiswordstosayanythingtohim.Itwassuchastrangeandmadthingtosay.Poloniusthoughthisguesswasright.ButthekingstilldoubtedHamlet』smadness.
Theking,thequeenandPoloniusenteredalargeroomwheretheplaywastobeshowntothewholecourt.Thekingsatwiththequeen.HamletsatbythesideofOphelia.Horatiosatfacingthekinginordertowatchhimcarefully.
Theplaybegan.Intheplaythekingandqueenweretalkingonthebenchinthebeautifulgarden.Thequeensaidtotheking,「Iwillloveyouforever.Iwillnevermarryanothermanifyoushoulddiebeforeme.Onlywomenthatkilltheirhusbandsmarryagain.」Thekingintheplaywasverygladtohearthis.Asthekingfellasleep,thequeenlefthimalone.Justaftersheleft,theking』sbrothercamenearthesleepingkingandpouredadeadlypoisonintohisear.Hewassoonkilledbythiscunningbrotherwhohadlongwantedtobecomekingandmarrythequeen.
Seeingthisscene,Claudiusturnedpaleandbecameveryangry.Heshouted,「Stoptheplayatonce.」Hestoodupandwentoutoftheroomwiththequeen.
HoratioandHamletsawthekingshoweverysignoffearandanger.Hamletwasnowquitesurethattheghosthadtoldhimthetruth.Hehimselfbecameexcitedandfirmlydecidedtorevengehisfatherassoonashecould.Whenthequeencamebackintoherroom,shewasveryworriedaboutherson,whohadmadethekingfurious.ShewantedtoknowwhyHamletaskedthegroupofplayerstoshowsuchadisgracefulplaybeforetheking.ShesentforHamlet.