1. Hamlet's Soliloquy (3.1): In a famous soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates suicide and questions the purpose of life. He is torn between taking action to avenge his father's death and the moral implications of killing.
2. The Play Within the Play: Hamlet devises a plan to expose Claudius's guilt. He organizes a group of actors to perform a play called "The Murder of Gonzago," which closely parallels the circumstances of King Hamlet's death.
3. Ophelia's Madness: Ophelia's descent into madness intensifies. Distraught by her father Polonius's death and Hamlet's erratic behavior, she becomes incoherent and sings fragmented songs.
4. Confrontation with Gertrude: Hamlet confronts his mother, Queen Gertrude, in her private chambers. He accuses her of infidelity and moral corruption, and he urges her to repent and seek forgiveness.
5. The Mousetrap: The play-within-the-play, "The Murder of Gonzago," is performed before the court. As Hamlet had intended, Claudius's guilt is revealed when he reacts with horror and abruptly leaves the performance.
6. Claudius's Prayer (3.3): Claudius, alone in the chapel, attempts to pray and ask for forgiveness for his crimes. However, his guilt weighs heavily on him, and he is unable to find true repentance.
7. Hamlet's Encounter with Claudius: Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius while he is praying, but he hesitates, thinking that Claudius might be seeking forgiveness and therefore might be in a state of grace.
8. Polonius's Death (3.4): Claudius sends Hamlet to his mother's chambers to speak with her further. Hamlet discovers Polonius hiding behind the arras, mistaking him for Claudius, and impulsively kills him.