Asked by r

Read the excerpt from Act III of Hamlet.

Rosencrantz:My lord, you once did love me.

Hamlet:So I do still, by these pickers and stealers.

Rosencrantz:Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do surely bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend.

Hamlet:Sir, I lack advancement.

Rosencrantz:How can that be when you have the voice of the king himself for your succession in Denmark?

Hamlet: Ay, sir, but ‘While the grass grows,’—the proverb is something musty.

Hamlet’s character is complex in the excerpt because

his loyalty to his ally endures hardship.
his erratic behavior confuses his friend.
his desire for revenge defines him.
his quest for political power is unwavering.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
his erratic behavior confuses his friend.

Rosencrantz’s questions get ironic, evasive, and cryptic replies (“So I do still, by these pickers and stealers,” “While the grass grows…”), showing Hamlet’s odd, mocking manner that leaves Rosencrantz puzzled rather than answered.