Hamlet

Act 3, Sc. 1, lines 158-183: What effect does Hamlet's exchange with Ophelia have on Claudius?

Ophelia. O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!

The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword,

Th'expectancy and rose of the fair state,

The glass of fashion and the mould of form,

The'observed of all observers, quite, quite down!

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

That sucked the honey of his music vows,

Now see that noble and most sovereign reason

Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh,

That unmatched form and feature of blown youth

Blasted with ecstasy. O woe is me

T'have seen what I have seen, see what I see.

[Enter King and Polonius]

King. Love! His affections do not that way tend,

Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little,

Was not like madness. There's something in his soul

O'er which his melancholy sits on brood,

And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose

Will be some danger; which for to prevent,

I have in quick determination

Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England

For the demand of our neglected tribute.

Haply the seas and countries different,

With variable objects, shall expel

This something-settled matter in his heart,

Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus

From fashion of himself. What think you on't?

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Hamlet's words convince Claudius that he is not mad.... that his cruelty had nothing to do with sadness, but rather proved he was hatching a plan of some kind. Claudius' immediate reaction is to send Hamlet away to England.... to get him out of the way.

Source(s)

Hamlet