The Tapestry in Hamlet refers to the play within the play, also known as "The Mousetrap." This play is performed by Hamlet in an attempt to confirm Claudius' guilt in the murder of King Hamlet. The Tapestry serves as a metaphorical device within the play to mirror the events taking place in the actual story of Hamlet, highlighting themes of deception, manipulation, and the blurred lines between reality and performance.
When Prince Hamlet goes to confront Gertrude (the queen) after the actors perform, Polonius, the king's adviser runs and hides behind a tapestry that is hanging on a wall in the queen's room. As Hamlet yells at Gertrude, she feels threatened and screams for help. At the sound of this, Polonius is worried and calls for help also. Hamlet hears this, and thinking it's Claudius, runs toward the tapestry and pierces through it with his sword, accidentally stabbing Polonius.
Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, the father of his love interest Ophelia and the advisor to King Claudius, Hamlet's deceased father's brother who recently married Hamlet's mother. Polonius is hiding behind a tapestry in the room of Hamlet's mother Gertrude, planning to eavesdrop on their discussion about Hamlet's apparent madness of late. They all assume it is because Ophelia has broken up with him. However, in reality it is a ploy to keep from arousing suspicion as he plots to kill Claudius, because Hamlet was visited by the ghost of his father telling him that Claudius had murdered him to usurp the throne and instructing Hamlet to avenge his death. When Hamlet hears a noise behind the tapestry, he assumes it is Claudius and stabs into the curtain, killing Polonius. This occurs at the beginning of Act 3, Scene 4.
Prior to Hamlet's entry into Gertrude's (Hamlet's mother) chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with the queen. As Hamlet enters his mother's room rather abruptly, Polonius chooses to hide behind a tapestry on the wall. When Hamlet begins to threaten his mother, Polonius believes Hamlet is trying to kill her, and so Polonius cries for help. Hamlet "thinking it was King Claudius" (it is unclear as to whether he actually believes its the King or not), stabs Polonius through the tapestry, killing him. As he dies he lets out his iconically obvious line "Oh, I am slain".
Before Hamlet enters his mother's chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with Hamlet's mother Gertrude. As Hamlet enters the room, Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry hanging from the wall. When he hears Gertrude begin to feel threatened by Hamlet, he cries out for help, thinking that he would kill them both. Hamlet hears Polonius, and believes him to be a rat/spy (possibly even King Claudius, but it is unclear if he truly believes this). Hamlet stabs through the tapestry killing Polonius, who remarks "O, I am slain".
He stabs with a rapier through a tapestry. Hamlet, like many nobles, went around with a sword at all times. He hears Polonius, pretends to think he's a rat but really thinks he's the king, and stabs at the source of the noise, getting in a lucky blind hit and killing him almost instantaneously.
Hamlet's father was also named Hamlet. Throughout the play they may refer to them as "Old Hamlet" and "Young Hamlet," or, in the father's case "Denmark" as a reference to his royalty and the country he ruled.
It's like a curtain. The word Shakespeare uses is "arras" which means, well, it means a curtain.
Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, the father of his love interest Ophelia and the advisor to King Claudius, Hamlet's deceased father's brother who recently married Hamlet's mother. Polonius is hiding behind a tapestry in the room of Hamlet's mother Gertrude, planning to eavesdrop on their discussion about Hamlet's apparent madness of late. They all assume it is because Ophelia has broken up with him. However, in reality it is a ploy to keep from arousing suspicion as he plots to kill Claudius, because Hamlet was visited by the ghost of his father telling him that Claudius had murdered him to usurp the throne and instructing Hamlet to avenge his death. When Hamlet hears a noise behind the tapestry, he assumes it is Claudius and stabs into the curtain, killing Polonius. This occurs at the beginning of Act 3, Scene 4.
Prior to Hamlet's entry into Gertrude's (Hamlet's mother) chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with the queen. As Hamlet enters his mother's room rather abruptly, Polonius chooses to hide behind a tapestry on the wall. When Hamlet begins to threaten his mother, Polonius believes Hamlet is trying to kill her, and so Polonius cries for help. Hamlet "thinking it was King Claudius" (it is unclear as to whether he actually believes its the King or not), stabs Polonius through the tapestry, killing him. As he dies he lets out his iconically obvious line "Oh, I am slain".
Before Hamlet enters his mother's chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with Hamlet's mother Gertrude. As Hamlet enters the room, Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry hanging from the wall. When he hears Gertrude begin to feel threatened by Hamlet, he cries out for help, thinking that he would kill them both. Hamlet hears Polonius, and believes him to be a rat/spy (possibly even King Claudius, but it is unclear if he truly believes this). Hamlet stabs through the tapestry killing Polonius, who remarks "O, I am slain".
It's actually an arras that Polonius hides behind. Both times Polonius hides behind an arras, he does so to eavesdrop on what Hamlet says to somebody else. First, Polonius hides to listen to Hamlet talk to Ophelia, then later, he hides to listen to Hamlet talk to Gertrude.
He stabs with a rapier through a tapestry. Hamlet, like many nobles, went around with a sword at all times. He hears Polonius, pretends to think he's a rat but really thinks he's the king, and stabs at the source of the noise, getting in a lucky blind hit and killing him almost instantaneously.
Ophelia's father is Polonius, who is Claudius' advisor. Polonius is killed by Hamlet when he is hiding behind a tapestry, spying on Hamlet as he talks to his mother, Gertrude. After Polonius' death, Ophelia goes mad and eventually dies after she falls from a tree into a brook and drowns.
Tapestries were often known by the name of their city or factory of origin. In Hamlet, Polonius hides (and is stabbed) behind the Arras; Arras is a town in northern France famous for tapestry production. Similarly, one might speak of a fine Gobelins, if the tapestry was made at the Royal (now State) factory in Paris. Notes: 1: Polonius could hide behind the Arras because tapestries were hung about a foot from the wall, to keep them out of the rising damp. 2: Note that tapestry is woven, not stitched. Other decorative fabrics, such as petit point or Berlin work, are sometimes mistakenly referred to as tapestry.
Hamlet's father was also named Hamlet. Throughout the play they may refer to them as "Old Hamlet" and "Young Hamlet," or, in the father's case "Denmark" as a reference to his royalty and the country he ruled.
A tapestry is a piece of woven work, the bio tapestry was not woven therefore it can't be a tapestry and instead is a embroidery.
An example of a medieval tapestry is the Bayeux tapestry, which was all about the battle of hastings
tapestry ancestry vestry