Scene i
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz report to the King that they can't figure out why Hamlet is mad. They say that they know he is mad, but he won't say why. Cladius and Polonius eavesdrop on a conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia, which Polonius had set up. By the end of the conversation, Hamlet denies that he ever loved Ophelia. He even asks where her father is. She says he is at home, even though she knows that he is hiding nearby. Cladiud decides to send Hamlet to England, but decides to wait until after Gertrude tals with Hamlet after the play.
Scene ii
Hamlet gives last minute directions to the actors and then asks Horatio if he will Hamlet by watching King Cladius's reaction to the play. After the murder of the King onstage, Cladius stops the play and runs out of the room. Hamlet is happy that he found out the truth and that the Ghost was telling the truth. That was the turning point of the story. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern approach Hamlet and say that Cladius is furius with him and Gertrude wants to talk to him. Hamlet promises that he will not harm his mother, but he does promise to "speak daggers."
Scene iii
Cladius orders Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to take Hamlet to England as soon as possible. Polonius tells Cladius that he intends to spy on Gertrude and Hamlet's conversation. He hopes to learn what caused his madness. In the King's soliloquiy, he states that he feels remorse for killing Old Hamlet. He then tries to pray. Hamlet comes up behind him and is going to kill him, but sees that he is praying. He decides to wait until Cladius is in the middle of a sin before killing him, so he can be sure that Cladius goes to Hell. After Hamlet leaves, Cladius says that he wasn't really praying, because he hadn't meant it.
Scene iv
Polonius hides behind some tapestries in Gertrude's room, before Hamlet walks in. When he does, Hamlet startles Gertrude and she cries for help. Polonius also cries for help. When Hamlet heard him, he stabbed Polonius. Hamlet goes on a verbal assault against Gertrude, until the Ghost wanders in the room and reminds Hamlet that he should be trying to kill Cladius. Gertrude thinks Hamlet is totally insane because he is talking with air. Before he leaves the room, Hamlet tells her his suspicions of the trip to England. He draps Polonius's body out Gertrude's room.