After Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report their failure to find the cause of Hamlet's madness, Polonius places Ophelia where he and Claudius may secretly observe a meeting between her and Hamlet. Hamlet is at first courteous to Ophelia, but suddenly turns on her: he denies having loved her, attacks womankind, and tells her to enter a nunnery. After Hamlet exits, Claudius decides his erratic behavior is not caused by love and plans to send him to England. Polonius persuades Claudius to wait until Gertrude has spoken with Hamlet after the play.
After Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report their failure to find the cause of Hamlet's madness, Polonius places Ophelia where he and Claudius may secretly observe a meeting between her and Hamlet. Hamlet is at first courteous to Ophelia, but suddenly turns on her: he denies having loved her, attacks womankind, and tells her to enter a nunnery. After Hamlet exits, Claudius decides his erratic behavior is not caused by love and plans to send him to England. Polonius persuades Claudius to wait until Gertrude has spoken with Hamlet after the play.