Here's how Hamlet plans to use the troupe:
* He will have them perform a play: Hamlet asks the players to perform a play that closely mirrors the circumstances of his father's death. The play, called "The Mousetrap," depicts a king being poisoned in his garden by his brother, who then marries the king's widow.
* He will observe Claudius's reaction: Hamlet plans to watch Claudius's reaction to the play very carefully. He expects Claudius to feel guilty and react in a way that reveals his involvement in the murder.
* He will use the play to gain information: If Claudius does react suspiciously, Hamlet will use the play to gather more information about the crime. He might, for example, ask the players to improvise lines that would reveal specific details about the murder.
Essentially, Hamlet wants to use the play as a form of psychological torture to expose Claudius's guilt and manipulate him into revealing his secrets. He sees the players as his pawns in a game of deception and psychological warfare.