Hamlet and The Mousetrap

Sarah Siripreechapong
IB English Mr. Fitz.
September 29, 2002
Hamlet’s Astute Plan to Catch the Guilty Conscience of the King and the Queen
Astutely, Hamlet plans out an opportunity for Claudius to indicate some guilt, therefore allowing his conscience to freely carry out the murder of Claudius. "Well, my lord. If he steal aught the whilst this play is playing, / And 'scape detecting, I will pay the theft. (III, ii, 90-91) As the plot rises in action, Hamlet discovers enough through the play within Hamlet, known as The Mousetrap. In response to the King's inquiry as to the name of the performance, Hamlet replies: "The Mousetrap. 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 o' that? Your Majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not. Let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung." (III, ii 235-241).
As Hamlet finds out, the not al...