All novels have a literary device know as a climax in them. A climax is the point in a book which is the peak of the story and where everything after it leads to the conclusion of the novel. In the play, "Hamlet", by William Shakespeare, three things are said to be this turning point. The play-within-a-play, the prayer scene, and the scene in Gertrude's room are usually picked as these three turning points. Although each of these serves its purpose in making the conclusion of the story that much more inevitable, the one that does the best job of accomplishing this goal is the prayer scene.
             Although the prayer scene is less than four pages long and contains only 99 lines of dialogue, it accomplishes more in terms of setting up the ending of the play than any other scene does. It is clear that tension between Claudius and Hamlet is rising. Hamlet continues with his antic disposition, which further aggravates Claudius. Things can not stay the way they are and with this Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England. He does this because he fears that Hamlet's madness will continue and eventually escalate into something much larger than what it already is. (82) "I like him not, nor stands it safe with us to let his madness range. Therefore prepare you, I your commission will forthwith dispatch, and he to England shall along with you." Claudius says this to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in regard to sending Hamlet to England among their company. Clearly this plan will not go smoothly, much like everything else in the play either Hamlet or Claudius plans. This set's up many things to go wrong, which all will lead to the conclusion of the play.
             The next plan which will not go smoothly will be a plan that the one and only pompous ass himself, Polonius, has thought up. His plan is to hide behind an arras, or tapestry, in Gertrude's room while Gertrude and Hamlet talk. (83) "My lord, ...