SCENE III

Enter Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia and other guests.

Hamlet comes back to the wedding reception. He looks strange. Ophelia waves him, but he doesn´t notice her. He has absent look. Hamlet goes through the hall straight to the new-married couple. He pulls down the tablecloth and everything is on the floor. Hamlet jumps over the table to Claudius.

Hamlet: How could you? How could you dare? It was your brother. He would have never done such thing to you. You are not more than a mud which people step on and get off their shoes immediately. You are mud! Listen to me!

Gertrude tries to tear them off.

Claudius: Calm down. Nothing is happening. Son has just drunk too much. Everything is alright.

Hamlet: I am not your son. And I am not drunk at all.

Claudius: It would be better if it was so, for your own good.

Four men take Hamlet away.

Claudius: As I said. Young man doesn´t know when he has enough.

Gertrude: But he wasn´t drunk.

Polonius: His mind may be quite twisted after his father´s death.

Gertrude: You don´t want to say he´s gone mad, do you?

Polonius: You said it. Unfortunately, I think so.

Claudius: Don´t be afraid. I have one very close friend in mental hospital. He will treat your son like a prince.

Gertrude: Don´t you want to send him to the madhouse?

Polonius: After all we have seen today, he is dangerous to us and himself, too.

Claudius: I don´t want to see him to do anything bad to you. He will get better there for sure. As soon as he will be fine, we will get him back home. Everything will be alright. You will see.

Gertrude: Just to be true.

Claudius: You don´t have to be afraid, now. We are together, my love.

Polonius leaves them. He comes back to his table.

Ophelia: What happened?

Polonius: Nothing happened. Don´t worry.

Ophelia: Don´t talk like this to me. I have my eyes to see. Something is wrong with Hamlet. He hasn´t even looked at me.

Polonius: How many times I say you to leave this lad? He is not suitable for you. Hamlet is quite unwell.

Ophelia: Just tell me. I will cope with it.

Polonius: Well. It seems he has gone mad.

Ophelia: It´s impossible to change so much in one day. He was completely normal yesterday. I don´t believe you. It can´t be true.

Polonius: But it is. Hamlet is lost.

Ophelia burst into tears.