Question

Hamlet has his moment and kills Polonius, believing it to be Claudius. This is his act of revenge, for all purposes, and now he must tell his mother that he has killed his uncle. In response to his mother, he states: “I must be cruel only to be kind: Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind." (Act III, scene iv) He wanted revenge, so he put good behind him, acting “cruel to be kind” to his father’s memory. The second half of the line implies that there’s worse to come: “worse remains behind”.
What does this act and line from the play show the audience in regard to Hamlet’s character development?

Question 3 options:


Hamlet finally made a decision and acted on it, which he had not been able to do up to this point.


Hamlet was afraid of Polonius, so he killed him while hiding behind a curtain so he would not retaliate against him.


Polonius was the main driving force behind Hamlet’s anger, so killing Polonius was a turning point in Hamlet’s character.


Hamlet killing Polonius was accidental, and killing him was kindness due to the type of wound he endured.

Answer 1

Answer: Hamlet finally made a decision and acted on it, which he had not been able to do up to this point.

Hamlet's tragic flaw is his indecisiveness. Throughout the play, we see that Hamlet is struggling to come to terms with the decisions he has to make, particularly, deciding whether to avenge his father's death or not. This excerpt is a turning point for Hamlet, as he finally decides to attack the person he believes to be Claudius. He is mistaken, however, and ends up killing Polonius. Nevertheless, it is the first moment in which Hamlet has made a choice and acted on it, and therefore a significant event in the development of the character.