Hamlet Act 2

Polonius dispatches his servant Reynaldo to France with money and written notes for Laertes. What does he order him to do? to inquire about and spy on Laertes’ personal life.
What does he do before sending him on his way? He gives him explicit directions as to how to pursue his investigations.
Who enters as Reynaldo leaves and how does she feel? Ophelia enters, visibly upset.
What does she tell Polonius that Hamlet, unkept and wild-eyed, had accosted her.
How did Hamlet do this? He grabbed her, held her, and sighed heavily, but did not speak to her.
Why does Polonius think he is mad at his love for Ophelia? because she has distanced herself from him ever since Polonius ordered her to do so.
Polonius speculates that this lovesickness might be the cause of Hamlet’s moodiness. Who does he hurry to tell this to? Claudius
Who is welcomed by Claudius and Gertrude within the castle? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s friends from Wittenburg
Why have they summoned his friends? Increasingly concerned about Hamlet’s erratic behavior and his apparent inability to recover from his father’s death, the king and queen have summoned his friends to Elsinore in the hope that they might be able to cheer Hamlet out of his melancholy, or at least discover the cause of it.
Rosencratz and Guildenstern agree to investigate. What does the queen order? the queen orders attendants to take them to her “too much changed” son.
What does Polonius announce as he enters? the return of the ambassadors whom Claudius sent to Norway.
Voltimand and Cornelius enter and describe what took place with the aged and ailing king of Norway. What took place with the aged and ailing king of Norway? the king rebuked Fortinbras for attempting to make war on Denmark, and Fortinbras swore he would never again attack the Danes.
The Norwegian King, overjoyed, bequeathed upon Fortinbras a large annuity, and what did he urge him to do? to use the army he assembled to attack the Poles instead of the Danes.
What does he therefore request Claudius? that Prince Fortinbras’s armies be allowed safe passage through Denmark on their way to attack the Poles.
What does Claudius declare now that he is relieved to have averted a war with Fortenbras’s army? he declares that he will see to this business later.
Who leaves? Voltimand and Cornelius
Turning to the subject of Hamlet, what does Polonius declare by giving a wordy preamble? that the prince is mad with love for Ophelia
What does he do after he shows the king and queen letters and love poems Hamlet has given to Ophelia? he proposes a plan to test his theory
Hamlet often walks alone through the lobby of the castle, and, at such a time, they could hide behind a curtain or wall hanging while Ophelia confronts Hamlet. What would this allow them to do? It would allow them to see for themselves whether Hamlet’s madness really emanates from his love for her.
What does the king declare? that they will try the plan?
Gertrude notices that Hamlet is approaching, reading a book as he walks, and what does Polonius say he’ll do? speak to the prince.
Gertrude and Claudius exit, who is now alone with Hamlet? Polonius
What makes Hamlet appear insane as he converses with Polonius? he calls the old man a “fishmonger” and answers his questions irrationally
What do many of Hamlet’s seemingly lunatic statements hide barbed observations about? Polonius’s pomposity and old age
What does Polonius believe despite the fact that Hamlet is clearly mad? his replies are often “pregnant” with meaning
What is he determined to do as he runs away? to arrange the meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia
As Polonius leaves, who enters that Hamlet is pleased to see? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
What do they discuss? Hamlet’s unhappiness about recent affairs in Denmark
What does Hamlet ask them? why they have come
Sheepishly, the two men claim they have come merely to visit Hamlet, but what does Hamlet declare? He sternly declares that he knows that the king and queen sent for them.
They confess this to be true, but how does Hamlet know why? because he has lost all of his joy and descended into a state of melancholy in which everything (and everyone) appears sterile and worthless.
Rosencrantz smiles and what does he say he wonders about Hamlet? He wonders how Hamlet will receive a theatrical troupe that is currently traveling toward the castle.
What do they announce when the trumpets blow? the arrival of the actors
What does Hamlet tell his friends? they are welcome to stay at Elsinore, but that his “uncle-father and aunt-mother” are deceived in his madness
What does Hamlet say about his own madness? that he is mad only some of the time and at other times completely sane
Polonius enters to announce the arrival of the players. What do the players do? They follow him into the room.
Hamlet welcomes them and entreats one of them to give him a speech. What is the speech about? the fall of Troy and the death of the Trojan king and queen, Priam and Hecuba
What does Hamlet do when he is impressed with the player’s speech? He orders Polonius to see them escorted to guestrooms.
What does he announce that they will see next night? He announces that the next night they will hear The Murder of Gonzogo performed, with an additional short speech he will write himself.
Who leaves Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leaving himself alone in a room? Hamlet
Why does he begin cursing himself? He bitterly comments that the player who gave the speech was able to summon a depth of feeling and expression for long-dead figures who mean nothing to him, while Hamlet is unable to take action even with his more powerful motives.
What is his plan to devise a trap for Claudius? He will force the king to watch a play whose plot closely resembles the murder of Hamlet’s father; if the king is guilty, he thinks, he will surely show some visible sign of guilt when he sees his sin reenacted on stage.
What does Hamlet reason will come out of this? He will obtain definite proof of his father’s guilt.
What does he say? “The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”
July 17, 2019