Hamlet: Scene Analysis

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Hamlet: The Nunnery Scene
One of William Shakespeare’s most celebrated works is Hamlet. Although the play is filled with captivating soliloquies and mind-boggling narrations, the playwright’s most prominent strengths lied in his excellent scenes. In Hamlet, the nunnery scene is one such magnificent scene. It features Hamlet confronting Ophelia and giving her a very candid talk about what he feels and further, what he sees in her as his potential wife. The protagonist’s words leave Ophelia shocked and hurt as he comes off as callous and insensitive. Ultimately Act 3 Scene 1, popularly referred to as the nunnery scene, presents the audience with a chance to understand both Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s characters as well as the feelings they shared for each other.
The word ‘nunnery’ in the play has two possible interpretations. The most obvious is a school for nuns. Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to the school so that she does not have to give birth to sinners. By shutting herself away from men, then she avoids the temptation of being with one and ultimately having children that will grow up to be sinners like him and many others who are just like him. In Hamlet’s scathing attack and description of how she must desist from giving birth, he tells her, “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (Shakespeare 1814)
Nunnery could also refer to a place of prostitution or a brothel as this was an accepted meaning during Shakespeare’s time.

If indeed Hamlet refers to a brothel then it would only mean he is merely attempting to be crueler to Ophelia. This meaning also seems to be in line with his utterances during the rest of the scene as he goes on to accuse women of being nothing but flirtatious. He says, “You gig, you amble, and you lisp; you nickname God’s creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance.” (Shakespeare 1835) Regardless of whatever meaning he intends, Ophelia is deeply offended and hurt by his comments.
Hamlet perfectly balances between tenderness and cruelty. He first begins by telling Ophelia that he loved her and that he wants to take his love away. In an apparent contradiction, he then says that he never once loved her. This confuses her just as much as those who are around them. She fails to realize that the entire thing is an act by Hamlet meant for Polonius, and the King whom he knew was secretly watching. He wanted to tell them that he was aware of their presence and is bold enough to disguise an insult and hurl it at one of the spies. “Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool nowhere but in his own house” (Shakespeare 1824) He is aware of their presence throughout the scene but does not want to give anything away. At the end of it, Ophelia is left so much pain and anguish. He was cruel to her, and he has changed so much. The scene serves as an indicator of how much the two loved each other; Ophelia by the hurt she felt from Hamlet’s harsh words and Hamlet by his desire to keep everything secret.
In conclusion, the scene is widely known for the possible multiple interpretations. Hamlet is depicted as a loving yet cruel individual and Ophelia as meek. However, further reading reveals that Hamlet is intelligent enough to know that spies are watching him and he resolves not to give anything away. In the process, Hamlet is forced to be cruel to the woman he loves. The harsh insults leave her heartbroken and questioning whether he is the man that she once knew and it is hard for her to believe what she goes through.
Work Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. London: Low, Son & Company, 1860. Print.