CLAUDIUS      Sweet Gertrude, leave us two.

For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither

That he, as ’twere by accident, may here

Affront Ophelia. Her father and myself –

We’ll so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen,

We may of their encounter frankly judge

And gather by him as he is behaved

If’t be th’affliction of his love or no

That thus he suffers for.        (3.1.28-36)

Claudius is in charge, and this is his show, with Polonius, and they don’t want Gertrude (not least because what they’re doing is likely to be distressing, as well as deeply exploitative). He’s emollient, cajoling: sweet Gertrude, leave us two. Leave this one to the menfolk. For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither—we’ve managed to get him to come here, indirectly, covertly—that he, as ’twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia. That’s the big plan, that he’ll run into her, as if by chance. Affront is slightly odd—it means encounter, confront—but it suggests a kind of insult, too, an outrage—and that’s what this is, really, for both Ophelia and Hamlet. Yes, best if Gertrude doesn’t see it. Her father and myself—is Polonius simply eager to see his plan put into action, pleased to be in the new king’s confidence, not thinking about the impact on his daughter? does he look slightly sheepish, worried, exchange a glance with her, pat her shoulder?—we’ll so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen—we’re going to watch! we’re going to hide ourselves, spy on them, like the pair of middle-aged (at least) voyeurs that we are—we may of their encounter frankly judge. We’ll get a proper sense of what’s what, have a good look, see and hear everything that goes on. And we will gather by him as he is behaved—infer from his actions, what he says and does—if’t be th’affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for. We’ll get to the bottom of this, ascertain whether it’s because he’s just a boy who’s been given the brush-off and reacted badly, or something else.

Does Claudius believe that this is even possibly the case? is he just going along with Polonius, perhaps in the hope that Hamlet has no other reason for his strange behaviour but suspecting more and more that Hamlet Knows something? Is he trying to put Polonius off the case too? Whatever, neither of them is thinking much or at all of Ophelia, who presumably wants the ground to open up and swallow her at this point, but can’t say no, because it’s her father and the actual king, because Laertes isn’t there to protect her, because her father’s worried about his job, because she’s worried that it’s all her fault, because she’s worried about Hamlet and this at least gives her a chance to see him.