Hamlet Catch The King Speech Analysis

This speech is relevant to the scene because it describes how Hamlet wants the players to act out his scene that will supposedly catch king Claudius. Hamlet wants to use this play to get some sort of reaction out of the king and to do so the players must perform it excellently and naturally: “hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature” (3.2.320-1). Within the whole act this speech is important because it describes how Hamlet wants the actors to act in the play. It also shows how important this play is to him. Hamlet seems to be obsessed or crazed by catching the king.Hamlet's plan to catch the king stretches over multiple acts. In act two scene two Hamlet comes up with the play the will catch the king: “The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” (2.2.583-4). This is significant to the whole play because this is Hamlet’s first big scheme to catch Claudius and this is first chance to see if the ghost is right about him killing Hamlet’s father.
Hamlet wants them to act naturally: “suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature…hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature” (3.2.316-8). When Hamlet says nature he is referring to the fact that he wants the actors to act naturally as if this play was real. Hamlet wants to convey almost exactly what happened so he can startle the king. When Hamlet says, “hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature” He is advising the actors to not act over dramatic and “not too tame neither”