Hamlet Act Two

To France

At the opening scene, where is Polonius sending Reynaldo?

He looks like he’s loose from hell, disheveled, trashed, messy clothing

How does Ophelia describe Hamlet’s appearance?

Polonius concludes that Hamlet is love sick and full of madness due to Ophelia

What is Polonius’s conclusion about Hamlet?

The Uncle of Fortinbras has stopped young Fortinbras from attacking Denmark

What news do Voltimand and Cornelius bring back to Norway?

They ask Claudius if young Fortinbras can walk through Denmark to attack Poland

What request does Norway make of Claudius?

This line is ironic from the play since Polonius talks so much

What is humorously ironic about Polonius saying “Brevity is the soul of wit”

Hamlet bursted into her room looking disheveled. He grabbed her wrists and shook her. Then he backed out of the room. Didn’t say one word

What did Hamlet do to Ophelia to frighten her?

Ophelia tells him Hamlet is acting strangely

What does Ophelia tell her father?

He wants them to spy on Hamlet and find out why he has been acting so differently and strangely

King Claudius gives what reason for sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

A love letter that shows Hamlet’s love for Ophelia

After Voltimand and Cornelius have left, what piece of writing does Polonius share with Claudius and Gertrude to prove his theory?

Polonius thinks that Hamlet is mad

Polonius thinks that Hamlet is what?

Asking them why are they here to visit him? What is their reasoning to visit him?

What does Hamlet repeatedly request of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

He wants to go back to school but his mother and uncle want him to stay and he has to follow their orders so he can’t leave

Why does Hamlet tell Rosencrantz and Guildstern, that “Denmark’s a prison?”

The players speech is about the Trojan War

What is the players speech about?

Polonius interprets the encounter as a sign that Hamlet has gone mad because of unrequited love

Polonius interprets Hamlet’s encounter with Ophelia as what?

Hamlet is expected to trust them because they grew up together

Hamlet could be expected to trust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because?

A group of poor traveling actors/enteratiners

Who are the players?

He’s making a reference to the Bible character who sacrificed his own daughter and mistreated her in the book of Judges. Comparing him to Polonius

Why does Hamlet call Polonius “Jephthah?”

He is plotting to avenge his father’s murder but he hasn’t followed through yet

Hamlet and the First Player recite lines from a play. This play tells how Pyrrhus slays the Trojan king Priam to avenge his father’s murder. How is Hamlet like Phyrrus? How is he unlike Phyrrhus?

He sees himself as dull and coward because he has not avenged his father’s death yet or confronted his uncle

What causes Hamlet to exclaim “O, what a rouge and peasant slave am I”

To make a trap for Claudius by reenacting his father’s death

In this passage with line 611, what plan does Hamlet devise?

The ghost could just be the devil trying to get him to do wrong that is why he has to have evidence

Why does Hamlet feel he must have evidence of Claudius’s guilt?

Reynaldo spies on Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildstern spy on Hamlet

In thinking about act 2, list examples of one or more characters spying on another character

King Hamlet’s death and her hasty marriage to Claudius

What does Queen Gertrude think is the reason for Hamlet going mad?

To prove or disapprove the claims of the ghost

What is the purpose of the play that will be staged by the players?

The Murder of Gonzago

What play does Hamlet ask the players to perform?

He asks if some lines he wrote could be added to the play

What special request does Hamlet make for the play?

By the end of Act Two, Hamlet says he is going to make sure that the Ghost was telling the truth. How does he plan to do this?

He plans to have a play acted in front of the king where the same murder is committed on stage

Hamlet has no doubt about his love for Ophelia

In this love letter to Ophelia, Hamlet has many doubts except what?

He feels like a coward because he’s done nothing to get revenge on Claudius

What is Hamlet’s soliloquoy about (2.2)

What plan is formed to test Polonius hypothesis that Hamlet is made born from rejected love?

They plan to use Ophelia as bait. They will have Ophelia run into Hamlet and his reaction to her will prove that he is made from rejected love

He is upset about the breakup with Ophelia. The King and Queen

What is Polonius’ theory about why Hamlet is acting crazy? And who does he tell this?

The queen says they’ll be rewarded. Not being good friends to Hamlet

Why do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern agree to spy on Hamlet? What does this show?

His father’s death and their hasty marriage. This is true

What does the queen say she thinks is the reason for Hamlet being upset? Is this true or false?

He’ll think about it (not yes, not no)

How does King Claudius respond to Fortinbras?

Reynaldo is supposed to tell subtle lies about Laertes to see if people will agree with it. Polonius wants to know if these things are true. That he is sneaky and can not be trusted

By what trick is Reynaldo supposed to get information about Laertes? What does this reveal about Polonius?

Hamlet calls Polonius a fishmonger because his frustration with Polonius meddling into Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship

Hamlet calls Polonius a fishmonger? Why?

Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildstern that he had lost all sense of fun, and sees the world as empty after the death of his father

What reason does Hamlet give to his friends for his current condition?

That he knows his Uncle sent him to spy on him. Also that they are not true friends and weak for following his rule

Hamlet realizes that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cannot be trusted. What does he let them know?

He says that when a person is mad, he responds to things quickly, so if Hamlet responds quickly, there is evidence that he is crazy

What does Polonius say about the contrast between madness and sanity?

That he locked up his daughter and because of this Hamlet went crazy

What lie does Polonius tell the Queen and King?