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Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Behind the Curtain:
A good example of the play's use of dramatic irony comes in Act 3, Scene 4, which is a significant turning point in the play. Driven by the escalation of tension, Hamlet arrives to confront his mother. Shortly into their conversation, when she begins to feel threatened, the Queen calls for help, and Hamlet realizes that someone is standing behind the curtain. The audience knows that Polonius is behind the curtain, but Hamlet doesn't, and without knowing who stands there, he kills him. The queen reacts with horror:
Queen: O me, what hast thou done?
Hamlet: Nay, I know not. Is it the King?
Queen: O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
In this scene, dramatic irony is created by the fact that the Queen and the audience know that Polonius is behind the curtain, but Hamlet doesn’t know the identity of the "rat." Therefore, the audience realizes that Polonius is dead before Hamlet does. This is an important moment in the play because Hamlet’s action is the first decisive thing he has done in an effort to avenge his father and himself. Once he discovers that he has killed Polonius, his sense of right and wrong becomes further clouded. Immediately after, he is visited by the ghost, and Elsinore slips further into madness.
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