1) What is does Polonius tell Reynaldo in the opening of Act II? How does he plan to trap his son?
Polonius wants Reynaldo to trap his son by spreading rumors about him. If he spreads rumors and people react to them in a way that confirms that rumors, then he’ll know what his son is up to. This is Polonius’s way of spying on his son while he’s away in France.
2) What does this say about Polonius?
Polonius really only cares about himself – if he finds out that his son is doing something that will disgrace himself and his family, he would freak out. Polonius doesn’t want to lose his position in the kingdom, especially because of his son.
3) What particularly in Act II scene 1 has disturbed Ophelia?
Hamlet showed up in Ophelia’s room looking ragged and pale. He didn’t say anything and instead just stood there and stared at her… for a long time. Hamlet shook her arm a little, moved his head up and down, sighed, and then left without looking back at her or saying anything.
4) Why have Rosencrantez and Guildenstern been sent to Denmark?
They were sent for by Claudius because Hamlet had started to act crazy and he believed that he was losing it. Claudius knew that they had all grown up together and knew each other’s personalities so well so he wanted them to stay at the castle for a while and try to figure out what was bothering him. He wanted them to try to make Hamlet have some fun, and fix whatever that was wrong.
5) What does Hamlet ask the players to recite? How does the allusion mimic Hamlet’s position?
He wanted them to recite the speech when Aeneas told Dido about Priam’s murder. Like Pyrrus, Hamlet is trapped in an unwanted situation. He doesn’t know what to do about the ghost and what it has asked of him – he’s not sure if killing his uncle is going to be the right decision.
Later, he asks them to recite The Murder of Gonzago which he would add another 12-16 more lines for. He wants a play that will make his uncle/father react to or one that will make him admit to killing King Hamlet.
Polonius wants Reynaldo to trap his son by spreading rumors about him. If he spreads rumors and people react to them in a way that confirms that rumors, then he’ll know what his son is up to. This is Polonius’s way of spying on his son while he’s away in France.
2) What does this say about Polonius?
Polonius really only cares about himself – if he finds out that his son is doing something that will disgrace himself and his family, he would freak out. Polonius doesn’t want to lose his position in the kingdom, especially because of his son.
3) What particularly in Act II scene 1 has disturbed Ophelia?
Hamlet showed up in Ophelia’s room looking ragged and pale. He didn’t say anything and instead just stood there and stared at her… for a long time. Hamlet shook her arm a little, moved his head up and down, sighed, and then left without looking back at her or saying anything.
4) Why have Rosencrantez and Guildenstern been sent to Denmark?
They were sent for by Claudius because Hamlet had started to act crazy and he believed that he was losing it. Claudius knew that they had all grown up together and knew each other’s personalities so well so he wanted them to stay at the castle for a while and try to figure out what was bothering him. He wanted them to try to make Hamlet have some fun, and fix whatever that was wrong.
5) What does Hamlet ask the players to recite? How does the allusion mimic Hamlet’s position?
He wanted them to recite the speech when Aeneas told Dido about Priam’s murder. Like Pyrrus, Hamlet is trapped in an unwanted situation. He doesn’t know what to do about the ghost and what it has asked of him – he’s not sure if killing his uncle is going to be the right decision.
Later, he asks them to recite The Murder of Gonzago which he would add another 12-16 more lines for. He wants a play that will make his uncle/father react to or one that will make him admit to killing King Hamlet.
Identify the following speaker of the following lines and discuss to whom the lines are being delivered, and what do the lines mean?
6) “No, my lord, but as you did command/ I did repel his letter, and denied his access to me”
Ophelia is talking to her father Polonius. She’s telling him that she did what she was told; she sent back Hamlet’s letters and didn’t allow him to come and visit her.
6) “No, my lord, but as you did command/ I did repel his letter, and denied his access to me”
Ophelia is talking to her father Polonius. She’s telling him that she did what she was told; she sent back Hamlet’s letters and didn’t allow him to come and visit her.
7) “More matter less art”
The queen, Gertrude, is talking to Polonius. She knows that he’s crazy, and he wants to tell her something but he won’t just get to the point, so he says, ‘more matter less art’. Say something relevant and stop trying to over exaggerate what’s not needed to be.
The queen, Gertrude, is talking to Polonius. She knows that he’s crazy, and he wants to tell her something but he won’t just get to the point, so he says, ‘more matter less art’. Say something relevant and stop trying to over exaggerate what’s not needed to be.
8) “That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell/ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words,
Hamlet is by talking to himself (soliloquy). This is the first time he feels he may actually be going crazy. He is trying to understand what he’s doing; his father has been murdered, and he’s been asked to seek revenge by heaven and hell (one or the other or perhaps both) and all is doing is cursing in the streets like a whore. He’s all talk but hasn’t had any action.
9) “Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth/ And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,/ with windlasses and with assays of bias,/ By directions find directions out.”
Polonius is speaking to Reynaldo about his mission to spy on his son, Laertes. He wants Reynaldo to spread lies about Laertes so they either confirm or straighten out the lies that he’s telling.
10) “For if the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?”
Hamlet is asking Polonius whether or not he has a daughter, even though he obviously knows that he does. He’s saying that the sun can bring about bad things as well as good. He’s criticizing Polonius and trying to act a little crazy himself.
11) List three metaphors (1 direct, 1 implied, 1 extended) from the play.
Direct: Denmark is a prison!
Implied: Hamlet uses ‘Fishmonger’ for Polonius
Extended: Lies are poison
12) What proof does Polonius have that he believe indicates Hamlet’s love for Ophelia?
Polonius’s evidence is when Hamlet went to Ophelia half-naked. He believes that it’s because he loves her and because she told him what happened (staring at her, lightly shaking her, acting crazy) made him believe it and that Hamlet was going mad.
13) Explain the quote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” How does this relate to Hamlet.
Hamlet is telling Guildenstern and Rosencrantz that Denmark is one of the worst prisons. Rosencrantz disagreed with him saying that he didn’t believe it was. The quote, means that everything is pretty neutral, nothing is really good or bad in itself. You make things a specific way by the way you think of them, and Hamlet thinks that Denmark is a prison.
14) What is a fishmonger?
A fishmonger is pretty much a pimp. Hamlet calls Polonius a fishmonger because he has the intuition that he forced Ophelia to leave him alone. His actions are for his own personal gain, and he doesn’t care about his daughters happiness – just his status to the king.
15) Who was Jephthah?
Jephthah was a man who loved his daughter very much. Hamlet compares him to Polonius in a way that would insult him. It could be seen in the way that Polonius is too overprotective of Ophelia and that he does love her, or that he doesn’t love her enough and is indeed a ‘fishmonger’.
Hamlet is by talking to himself (soliloquy). This is the first time he feels he may actually be going crazy. He is trying to understand what he’s doing; his father has been murdered, and he’s been asked to seek revenge by heaven and hell (one or the other or perhaps both) and all is doing is cursing in the streets like a whore. He’s all talk but hasn’t had any action.
9) “Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth/ And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,/ with windlasses and with assays of bias,/ By directions find directions out.”
Polonius is speaking to Reynaldo about his mission to spy on his son, Laertes. He wants Reynaldo to spread lies about Laertes so they either confirm or straighten out the lies that he’s telling.
10) “For if the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?”
Hamlet is asking Polonius whether or not he has a daughter, even though he obviously knows that he does. He’s saying that the sun can bring about bad things as well as good. He’s criticizing Polonius and trying to act a little crazy himself.
11) List three metaphors (1 direct, 1 implied, 1 extended) from the play.
Direct: Denmark is a prison!
Implied: Hamlet uses ‘Fishmonger’ for Polonius
Extended: Lies are poison
12) What proof does Polonius have that he believe indicates Hamlet’s love for Ophelia?
Polonius’s evidence is when Hamlet went to Ophelia half-naked. He believes that it’s because he loves her and because she told him what happened (staring at her, lightly shaking her, acting crazy) made him believe it and that Hamlet was going mad.
13) Explain the quote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” How does this relate to Hamlet.
Hamlet is telling Guildenstern and Rosencrantz that Denmark is one of the worst prisons. Rosencrantz disagreed with him saying that he didn’t believe it was. The quote, means that everything is pretty neutral, nothing is really good or bad in itself. You make things a specific way by the way you think of them, and Hamlet thinks that Denmark is a prison.
14) What is a fishmonger?
A fishmonger is pretty much a pimp. Hamlet calls Polonius a fishmonger because he has the intuition that he forced Ophelia to leave him alone. His actions are for his own personal gain, and he doesn’t care about his daughters happiness – just his status to the king.
15) Who was Jephthah?
Jephthah was a man who loved his daughter very much. Hamlet compares him to Polonius in a way that would insult him. It could be seen in the way that Polonius is too overprotective of Ophelia and that he does love her, or that he doesn’t love her enough and is indeed a ‘fishmonger’.
Look at question 15. Remember it is an allusion to the Bible.
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