Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
1
Hamlet Analysis Guide
Act II, Scenes i and ii
Questions
1. Discuss Hamlet’s position at court now that he knows that his father has been
murdered by the reigning king.
His position at court has been compromised and he is unsure of what to do, “to be or not
to be”.
2. What is Hamlet’s dilemma?
His mother married Hamlet’s uncle within four weeks after his father’s death.
3. How is it almost predictable that the theme of appearance and reality should become
so important in the play?
Reality has been skewed for Hamlet, the play is an illusion.
4. What advantages does acting hold for Hamlet? What disadvantages?
An advantage is that Hamlet can create a “mouse trap” to trap Claudius, and protect his
character. A disadvantage would be that it makes him look crazy.
5. Do you think Hamlet has shown any predisposition (tendency) toward insanity?
Yes, he cant reveal his true feelings for Ophelia and he lost his intellective due to the loss
of his father.
6. As Hamlet confronts the characters who are trying to entrap him (Polonius,
Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern), his facility with puns and his ability to turn
apparently simple words into ironic expressions become more and more apparent.
Discuss how the fundamental ambiguity of these verbal gymnastics is relevant to
Hamlet’s character and to the dilemma that he faces in the play.
He doesn’t think he is insane, but he is insane. He cant reason his world.
Theme: Appearance and Reality
1. What do Polonius’s instructions to Reynaldo to spy on Laertes and thus “by
indirections find directions out” show about his regard for his son?
He doesn’t trust his son, so Polonius doesn’t see Laeters as trustworthy yet.
2. What does Reynaldo, the sly courtier, resort to when he objects to Polonius’ plan,
saying that it might dishonor Laertes?
He rejects Polonius situation.
Theme: Madness
1. How do Ophelia and Polonius ironically both misinterpret Hamlet’s behavior?
They misinterpret Hamlet’s behavior for that of one who is madly in love.
2. Discuss Hamlet’s feelings toward Ophelia.
He wants to marry her, but he tells her to get away for protection.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
2
3. Has Hamlet assumed the role of the melancholy lover to deceive Polonius by
convincing Ophelia that he is mad? Defend your opinion with examples from the text.
Yes, because he calls the “fish manager”.
4. The Elizabethan figure of the melancholy lover, part comical, part pathetic, was a
stock character in the popular imagination. He appeared precisely the way Hamlet
does. Describe Hamlet’s appearance here.
Hamlet’s appearance is that he is insane and the simple things around the castle. He is
making himself see m pathetic and mad.
Theme: Appearance and Reality
1. As Polonius instructed Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in the preceding scene, Claudius
charges the fawning (flattering; brown-nosing) courtiers Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to do what?
Spy on Hamlet because they have been friends since childhood.
2. How does Claudius careful to mask his intentions?
Claudius is careful to mask his intentions by plotting to spy on Hamlet by means of
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whom were childhood friends of Hamlet.
3. What ironic effect is produced by the echoes in lines 33-34?
Guildenstern says that Rosencrantz and he are entirely at Claudius’s command and that
they will obey him. While Claudius is thanking Rosencrantz and worthy Guildenstern.
Characterization: Gertrude
1. How much does Gertrude know about Claudius’ role in King Hamlet’s death?
Gertrude doubts it’s anything but the obvious reason, of his father dying and Gertrude
and Claudius’s quick marriage.
2. To what extent is she Claudius’ accomplice?
She’s Claudius’s accomplice because of their quick marriage, but she was not involved in
the death.
3. What is the tone of her response to Claudius in her lines?
Gertrude’s tone is that she is begging Claudius to disscus.
Characterization: Fortinbras
1. Why do you think this scene was inserted?
The scene was inserted to show that in brief Fortinbras obeys his uncle.
2. What does his acceptance of his uncle—father’s instructions reveal about his
character?
Fortinbras wants to raise a army against his majesty shows that he is a character that likes
to take charge.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
3
3. His quick agreement show that his thirst for action is stronger than his desire for
what?
The quick agreement shows that he doesn’t think out or consider the future, just the
present; therefore he has a thirst for action.
4. Fortinbras’ action is intended as a contrast to Hamlet’s what?
Fortinbras’ action is contrary to Hamlet’s long thought out process against whom who
killed his father. Hamlet analysis unlike Fortinbras who acts at the moment.
Characterization: Polonius
1. What instances of verbal play can you identify in Polonius’ speeches?
The verbal play I can identify in Polonius’ speech is “Why day is day, night is night, and
time is time.” He is talking about how crazy Hamlet has gone.
2. How does this playing with words compare and contrast with Hamlet’s fondness for
puns?
Hamlet’s fondness with puns and Polonius speech are alike because they both like to
have a cryptic message and do a play on words, while their different because Polonius
speaks of how crazy Hamlet has gone; on the contrary Hamlet speaks about revenge.
Theme: Appearance and Reality
1. Appearance and reality runs like a leitmotif through this long scene. What is a
leitmotif?
A leitmotif is a theme or motif associated sometimes with music dramas with a particular
person, situation, or idea.
2. The following are all parallels of this theme. Give an example of each.
 In the beginning Claudius claims to mourn for his brother’s death, when he was
actually the murderer; this shows hypocrisy and pretense.
 Hamlet eavesdropped when Polonius commands his daughter Ophelia to repel
Hamlet’s letters and to not see him anymore.
 Hamlet puns from the beginning when he states a paradox that Claudius is twice
related to him, as uncle and stepfather, but not really his kin or kind at all.
 Claudius forms an alliance with Laertes to take revenge on Hamlet for the murder,
but Claudius is just acting this way to manipulating Laertes to get rid of his
biggest threat which is Hamlet.
3. Give two examples of the multiple ironies found in the scene.
One example would be Hamlet’s delay and killing Claudius.
Another example would be Polonius coming to the conclusion that Hamlet is madly in
love with Ophelia because of his strange behavior.
4. What is the tone of this passage?
The tone of this passage is dark, ironic, melancholy, and contemplative.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
4
5. How is humor underscored in this scene?
The humor underscored would be in the scene between Hamlet and Polonius in the
library and the scene with the grave diggers (clowns).
Characterization: Hamlet (47:240-389)
1. What do Hamlet’s words reveal about his state of mind?
The words reveal that Hamlet
Hamlet is talking about the feelings of being trapped in a imperfect physical body. He
wants to escape his life.
2. What literary device does he use to unburden his heart?
The literary device he uses to unburden his heart is humor, inventive jokes, and full of
wild puns.
3. Hamlet’s “antic disposition” allows him to play the role of the court jester in the
Elizabethan court. In performing his role, what was the jester allowed to expose?
The jester exposed the hollowness of the political talk.
Allusion
The scene is full of allusions to classical drama and mythology.
1. Who is the Roman actor Roscius?
He was a remarkable master of acting in comedies, and was considered outstanding in
dramas.
2. Who is Seneca?
Seneca is the Roman poet and philosopher, with a tremendous influence on Shakespeare.
3. Who is Plautus?
Plautus a Roman writer and his use of Latin language made him Rome’s greatest comic
playwright.
4. Who is Virgil?
Virgil told exactly how Priam was killed, drawing a horrible picture of what happened to
the old king.
5. What is his work Aeneid about?
6. Virgil wrote the epic “Aeneid” to make Romans proud of their divine heritage, as
well as to teach them to appreciate the sacrifices suffered by their ancestors.
7. Might Shakespeare be alluding to aspects of the Elizabethan theater in this scene?
Explain.
8. What is his criticism of Elizabethan audiences?
Shakespeare’s criticism of the Elizabethan audiences was that they comprehended the
puns in the dramas.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
5
Soliloquy
This speech is the second of Hamlet’s four great soliloquies.
1. What is the link with the theme of appearance and reality as the prince contrasts
himself with one of the actors?
Hamlet speaks of the man on stage who has shown such an outpouring of emotion for
Hecuba while he has every reason to show such grief himself, remains cold and reluctant
to act. It also seems almost as though Hamlet “knows” that he is in a play. He does not
hurry along the revenge because he knows there is nothing really to revenge; nothing
really happened; it has all been staged.
2. How does this speech contrast with Hamlet’s first soliloquy?
In the first soliloquy Hamlet talks about his personality and his feelings. So that we can
form an opinion on Hamlet as a person, on the other hand his speech is asking questions
about his personality.
Theme: Doubt
1. For what does Hamlet reproach himself in this speech?
He reproaches himself for not showing grief of his father’s death.
2. Why is it reasonable for Hamlet to suspect that the ghost may be the devil?
It’s reasonable for Hamlet to suspect the ghost to be the devil, because it keeps on trying
to get rid of Hamlet or cause him harm.
3. Does Hamlet seem cowardly at this point in the play?
I wouldn’t say cowardly, but Hamlet seems to be questioning what to do next.
4. Does his method for proving the king’s guilt seem reasonable?
The method seems reasonable for proving the king’s guilt and quite clever.
5. Why is Hamlet’s plan clever?
Hamlet’s plan is clever because it would show all the people and would prove his point.
Overall Questions:
1. What behavior of Hamlet has alarmed Ophelia?
Hamlet’s strange behaviors, for instance how he has changed. In Act I we saw Hamlet as
a person who takes action and command, while in Act II he is being pensive and
questions everything.
2. How does Hamlet propose to test Claudius further?
Hamlet proposes to tease Claudius further to see how far Claudius can be pushed being
getting full revenge.
3. How does the opening of Scene ii parallel the opening of Scene I in this act?
Both openings of Scene ii and Scene i have Hamlet’s soliloquy.
4. In his second soliloquy, why does Hamlet unfavorable compare himself with the
players?
Hamlet unfavorably compares himself with the players because he wants the audience to
understand him, and get his point across.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
6
5. Do you sympathize with Hamlet’s doubts and delay at this point in the play? Explain.
No, I don’t sympathize with Hamlet’s doubts and delay because he was first a man of
action but then became too analytical in this act.
Writing Assignment:
Polonius, the father of Laertes and Ophelia, is a difficult character in
Shakespeare's Hamlet. Through the play it seemed like we were reading about two
different characters but were only speaking of one; a senile old man who cannot open his
mouth doing a great speech, and then a malevolent figure that has tons of spies.
In Act Two, Scene Two, Polonius reads a love-letter, written by Hamlet to
Ophelia, but when he is reading it he stalls upon the word "beautified" claiming it to be
"an ill phrase, a vile phrase”. Before reading the letter, Polonius says that he will not
waste time "since brevity is the soul of wit". In these lines, Polonius establishes that
Hamlet is mad and he, Polonius, has a daughter.
At other points during the play Polonius is a clever who turns people against each other,
and is in control of the King and Queen. Although it seems that the King is in control of
Polonius. One time when we see him as a politician is in his acceptance of the new King,
Claudius. Although he does not tell us that he accepts the King, when Claudius says that
the court has "freely gone with this affair along", Polonius is present. Polonius apparently
adapts easily to the new leadership of Denmark, could be a hint that he was part of the
conspiracy to murder King Hamlet. Polonius speaks cruelly to his daughter, telling her to
"tender yourself more dearly". He is calling her a prostitute for seeing Hamlet, although
there is no other evidence in the play to suggest that she slept with him. He is also
confusing her by changing the meaning of her words, like "fashion" and "tenders".
In my view, Polonius is a difficult character. He attempts to rival the other main
characters of the play such as Hamlet and Claudius by giving long speeches and using
eloquent language; but makes a fool out of himself. However, he is still not completely
stupid, because he is spying through the play.
Mayra Munoz
Vogt
AP. Literature English
October 26, 2010
7