Hamlethurriedlywalkedtoherroomwhereshewasuneasilywaitingforhim.Onthewaytohismother』sroom,HamletsawClaudiuskneelingdowntoprayinhisroom.Hethoughthecouldkillhimrightthen.Buthedidnotdoit.Hesaidtohimself,「IfIkillhimwhenheisprayingtoGod,hewillnotgotohell.Ihadbetterkillhimwhenheisangryordoingsomethingbad.Thenheissuretogotohell.」SohestoppedthinkingofkillingClaudiusforthemoment.
HamletdidnotknowthatthedoubtingkinghadcommandedPoloniustohidebehindthecurtainsinthequeen』sroomsothathecouldseewhatmighthappenthere.AssoonasHamletcameintoherroom,hismotherbegantoscoldhimforwhathehaddonetotheking.Shesaidangrily,「Youhavemadeyourfatherveryangry.Youmustbeghispardon.」
Hamletwouldnotlistentoher,butansweredback.Hesaid,「Itisyouwhoaretoblame.Youmarriedthatunkindandunkinglyuncleofminesosoonaftermyfather』sdeath.Youshouldbeashamedofyourdeed.Iwillneveraccepthimasmyfather.HedoesnotdeservetobeKingofDenmark.Iwilltellyouagain.ItisnotIbutyouandthatdirtyClaudiusthatshouldrepent.」
Thequeenbecameexcitedathearingthisandtriedtorunoutoftheroom.Hamletgrabbedherbythewristsoroughlythatshewasfrightenedandcriedout,「Areyougoingtokillme?Help!Help!」
Onhearingthequeen』scryforhelp,Polonius,whowashidingbehindthecurtains,alsocried,「Hamlet!Don』thurtthequeen.Someone!Helpthequeen!」
Hamletshouted,「Whatisthat?Arat?」ThinkingthatitwasClaudius,hedrewhisswordandrushedtothecurtains.Themanbehindthecurtainsfelldead.HamletwasshockedtoseethedeadbodyofPolonius,Ophelia』sfather,there.
「Oh,Hamlet.Whatacruelthingyouhavedone!」criedthequeeninterror.
Hamletanswered,「No,itisnotIbutyouthathavedoneacruelthing.」
Thensuddenly,theghostofhisfatherappearedbeforethem.Hismothercouldneitherseenorhearit.Itsaid,「Hamlet,donotharmthequeen,becausesheisyourmother;killClaudiusasquicklyaspossible.Now,Hamlet,getoutofthisroom!」
「Yes,Iwill,Father,」saidHamlettotheghost.ThequeenthoughtthatHamletwasreallymad.Hamletobeyedhisfather』sadviceandleftthequeenandthedeadbodyofPolonius.
ThequeenhurriedtothekingandtoldhimthatHamlethadkilledPoloniusinhismadness.Uponhearingthis,hethoughtofanevilplan.Hesaidtohimself,「Hamletwasmadenoughtokillhislover』sfather.Hemaykillme,too.Imustsendhimsomewhereelse.Icannotlivewithsuchadangerousperson.」
ClaudiusmadeuphismindtosendHamletovertoEnglandwithhistwomenwhousedtobeHamlet』soldfriends.HehadthetwomendeliveralettertotheEnglishking,inwhichheaskedhimtokillHamletassoonastheyarrivedinEngland.ThoughHamlethadkilledoneofClaudius』snoblemen,allthepeopleinthenationlovedhimverymuch.ThatwaswhyClaudiuscouldnotkillHamlet.
HamletandthetwomensetsailforEngland.Whileonboardtheship,Hamletaskedhimselfwhyhewassentabroad.Hebecameveryuneasy.HesuspectedthatClaudiusmusthaveplannedsomethingbad.Hedidn』ttrusthistwooldfriends,either.
Whilethetwomenweresleepingintheship,Hamletfoundtheletterwrittenbytheking.Hereaditandknewtheking』splan.HamlethadagoodIdea.Herubbedouthisnameandwrotethenamesofthetwomeninstead.
ThenextdayHamlet』sshipwasattackedbypirates.Hamletwassobravethathejumpedontothepirates』shipandfoughtagainstthem.WhileHamletwasfighting,hisshipsailedaway.Atlasthewascaughtasaprisonerbyseveralstrongpirates.HetoldthemthathewasthePrinceofDenmark.ThentheysuddenlybecamekindtohimandpromisedhissafereturntoDenmark.HamletthankedthemandpromisedtorewardthemafterhebecamekingofDenmark.
WhenHamletwentashore,hewrotetoClaudius,tellinghimofhisreturntoDenmark.Hesaidintheletterthathewouldliketotellhimeverythingthathadhappenedatsea.HedidnotrefertotheletterwrittentotheEnglishking.Healsowrotetohisbestfriend,Horatio,askinghimtocometomeethimthenextday.
ThefollowingdaytheymetandHamlettoldHoratiothatthekinghadplannedtokillhiminEngland.Theybeganwalkingtowardthecastle.
Astheycamenearthecastle,theysawtwooldmendiggingagrave.「Whosegraveareyoudigging,oldmen?」askedHamlet.TheyansweredsouncertainlyandstrangelythatHamletcouldnotunderstandwhattheyweresaying.LittledidhethinkthatitwasagraveforhisdearOphelia?
WhileHamletwasawayfromDenmark,averysadthinghadhappenedtoOphelia.ShebegantolosehermindaftershelearnedthatherfatherhadbeenkilledbyHamlet.Fromthenonsheoftenwalkedaroundthecastlealone,singingsadly.Onedaywhenshewaswalkingnearastream,singingasadlovesong,shefoundsomeprettyflowersthere.TryingTopickthemup,sheslippeddownthebankintothestream.Sometimelatershewasfounddrowned.NeitherHamletnorHoratioknewaboutthisunhappyevent.
Afewminuteslater,agroupofmenandwomencametothegrave.HamletandHoratiosaw,amongthem,thekingandqueen,andLaertes,Ophelia』sbrother.TheywerecarryingthedeadbodyofOphelia.HamletandHoratiohidthemselvesbehindthebushesinorderthattheymightnotbeseenbythem.