Hamlet Act 2 Sections

SCENE 1. 

Pgs. 36-40.

     The start of Act II starts off with Polonius and Reynaldo. Polonius asks Reynaldo to go spread rumors about his son, Laertes, so he knows what he’s up to. Polonius is selfish and worries too much about his status in the kingdom that could be disrupted by his son’s doings in France. Polonius thinks he is being very wise even though Reynaldo knows otherwise.
     After Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia enters and tells her father about her frightening encounter with Hamlet. He held her, shook her, stared at her in silence, and then left. Polonius believes that Hamlet may be going crazy because he’s in love with his daughter. PERHAPS Hamlet acted out in such a way towards Ophelia so that she would tell Polonius and prove that he was actually going insane.

SCENE 2.

Part 1. Pgs. 41-44 ( → Ln 86)

      Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are set up to spy on Hamlet for the king. The king wanted Hamlet’s friends to try to help him by finding out what was wrong or by making him have some fun. Claudius knew that they grew up together so they knew his personality and would be much more helpful than anyone else.

Part 2. Pgs. 45-48 (→Ln. 216)

       Polonius tries to make it seem like he actually has something important to say to the queen. He says, “I will be brief,” yet he drags out what he’s actually trying to say which irritates Gertrude. Polonius believes that Hamlet’s madness is out of love for his daughter because Hamlet showed up at Ophelia’s room half naked and ragged, also, because of the letters he sent her. The letter could be questioned as to whether or not Hamlet actually wrote it, or maybe that he did intending it to be read by Polonius so he would tell Claudius. The king, queen, and Polonius all believe that he’s going insane because he’s in love with Ophelia but has been forbidden to see him.
      Hamlet calls Polonius a fishmonger, aka a pimp. He sort of knows that Polonius told Ophelia to stay away from him, making it seemed like he actually cares for the well being of his daughter. His actions are for his own personal gain, and he doesn’t care about his daughter’s happiness – just his status to the king.
     Hamlet asks Polonius whether or not he has a daughter, even though he obviously knows that he does. He’s compares Ophelia to a dead dog that breeds maggots in the sun – he’s trying to say that the sun can bring about bad things as well as good. He’s criticizing Polonius and trying to make it seem like he’s crazy.

Part 3. Pgs. 49-54 (→ 358)

     Hamlet tries to explain to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Denmark is one of the worst prisons. He says that things in general are pretty neutral and that nothing is really good or bad in itself. Hamlet thinks that you make things a specific way by the way you think of them.
     Hamlet asks why his friends came to Elsinore. They say it was to simply visit him, but Hamlet knows better than that and calls them out. He asks them to be honest because he knows that they were sent for. He believes that their past and their friendship should give them a good enough reason to tell the truth.
     Hamlet’s monologue is between himself in two different ways: the humanist scholar who loves theatre and the son of the king. He can’t figure out who he is or what he should do, he’s realizing that acting on his plans is rather difficult. 
     Rosencrantz tells Hamlet that he saw the actors on their way to Elsinore.

Part 4. Pgs. 55-63 (→592)

     The players show up at Elsinore, and Polonius comes to tell Hamlet that they have arrived. Hamlet tells Guildenstern and Rosencrantz that Polonius is a baby, and then pretends to care and carry on a conversation with Polonius.
    Hamlet asks the players to recite the speech where Aeneas told Dido about Priam’s murder. Like Pyrrus, Hamlet is trapped in an unwanted situation. Hamlet is questioning himself on whether or not killing his uncle is the right decision.
    Later, he asks them to recite The Murder of Gonzago which he asks to add another 12-16 lines to. He wants a play that will make his uncle/father react to or one that will make him admit to killing King Hamlet.
     Hamlet’s soliloquy 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 he is doing is cursing in the streets like a whore. He’s all talk but hasn’t had any action.