RALPH:  Hamlet has just carried out his plan to stage a play where we see a murder just like the murder of Hamlet’s father. Claudius was totally freaked out, and he ran out of the room

SARAH:  …giving Hamlet proof that the ghost had been telling the truth:  Claudius murdered King Hamlet.

RALPH:  So once again Hamlet seems ready to take revenge. As he puts it, “Now could I drink hot blood, and do such bitter business as the day would quake to look on.” Wow.

SARAH:  In any case, doing nothing is no longer an option; Claudius surely realizes now that Hamlet knows his crime, and, having committed murder already, he’s likely to protect his position at all costs.

RALPH:  And yet, being presented with his crime in the form of the play has also reminded him of his terrible guilt.

SARAH:  This time it’s Claudius who is alone on the stage, sharing his thoughts with us in a soliloquy of his own.