Hamlet · Chapter
Scene I explained
King Claudius and Queen Gertrude discuss Hamlet's madness after he kills Polonius.
What happens
King Claudius and Queen Gertrude discuss Hamlet's madness after he kills Polonius. Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England and seeks to manage the political fallout.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological and moral peak of King Claudius’s interna…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Madness and Melancholy
Hamlet's madness is described as a 'lawless fit' that leads to Polonius's death.
- Deception and Spying
Claudius and Gertrude discuss hiding the truth of Polonius's death to avoid slander.
Characters to notice
- King Claudius
Expresses concern over Hamlet's madness and plots to send him to England.
- Queen Gertrude
Reports Hamlet's killing of Polonius and defends his remorse.
- Rosencrantz
Summoned by Claudius to help find Hamlet and bring Polonius's body.
- Guildenstern
Summoned alongside Rosencrantz to assist in the search for Hamlet.
Key passages
“Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend Which is the mightier”
Hamlet is as wild and uncontrollable as a storm at sea.
Gertrude describes Hamlet's madness.
“O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there”
This is a terrible act; it could have been me if I had been there.
Claudius reacts to the news of Polonius's death.
