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Hamlet questions, Act 2: FOLGER EDITION
page 73, line 3-5, What does Polonius want Reynaldo to do? Where?
7+, Whom is Reynaldo to talk to there?
15 and16-17, How is Reynaldo to begin his conversation (spying)?
22, Does Polonius want him to lie?
22-29, What kind of stories?
Who seems more worried about Laertes’ reputation?
45, What is Polonius’s purpose? And what literary device/technique is in this line?
51+, What trick does Polonius order, so that people will not be suspicious or maybe
even remember the conversation?
56+, Polonius “loses his place.” What dramatic purpose does this serve? (In other
words, what does Shakespeare want you to think of Polonius?)
70, Explain this metaphor.
71-4, and this metaphor.
79, Explain this line (see footnote).
83, Where is Reynaldo going?
85+, What has frightened Ophelia?
87, “sewing” means handwork, embroidery.
87+, Describe what Hamlet did. Why does Shakespeare tell you instead of show you?
95, Why is this line humorous?
99+, Describe this (or act it out).
114+, What is Polonius’s conclusion?
118+ and 124+, How does Polonius feel now?
127-130, PARAPHRASE these lines, bringing in what they say about old people and
young people.
131 to end, Think of these as 2 lines. What do you notice about them, in terms of
poetry? See footnote for translation of these difficult lines.
Scene 2
1-4, Why are they (R&G) here?
5-7, What do these lines say about appearances and reality?
8, What is the king’s theory (about Hamlet’s behavior)?
11, Why did the king choose R&G?
17-18, Explain the metaphor.
25-6, What does the queen imply (or promise)?
26-34, What do these lines show about R&G?
46-52, What has Polonius figured out?
54-5, How does he postpone his news?
58, Explain the metaphor (the double meaning of “distemper).
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59-60, What is the queen’s theory (about Hamlet’s behavior)?
64+, PARAPHRASE the news from Norway.
86+, What is the king’s response? Would your response be the same? Explain.
92+, Explain the HUMOR and IRONY of this speech, and his next speech.
103, Art means artifice. Explain.
119, Explain why Polonius interrupts his reading of Hamlet’s letter.
124+, What does the poem say about appearances and reality?
137+, How is Polonius changing the subject? (INFERENCE: Why?)
142-3, Why does Polonius say this (INFERENCE)?
148, What is Polonius’s (main) concern?
155, Explain the irony.
156+, What is described here? What do we call it, today?
165-6, How does this relate to his purpose?
168, Read the footnote.
172-82, What is their plan? Whose idea is it? What is an arras?
176, What does “loose” suggest (metaphor)?
189+, This interchange is humorous, ironic, and a bit difficult.
190, Ask me about the double meaning of fishmonger.
194-5, This idea appears in several Shakespeare plays.
197-203, Explain the metaphor. Explain how Hamlet gets from one idea to another.
208-213, Explain the verbal irony. What word does Hamlet shift the meaning of?
214+ What does Hamlet say the book is about? What is his attitude toward the
subject matter?
223-4, What is Polonius nearly figuring out?
224-26, , Explain the verbal irony. What word or phrase does Hamlet shift the
meaning of?
226, Notice the word “pregnant.” What does it mean here.
229-31, What plan does Polonius get back to?
233-5, With these lines, Shakespeare adds something important to the conversation
between Polonius and Hamlet. What feeling would the interchange leave with
you without these lines? With these lines?
How does Hamlet greet R&G?
245-54, PARAPHRASE this. R&G are considered “average” people. Explain.
252, Read the footnote. Fortune means luck or fate.
254, What is a strumpet?
260, Fortune is personified as what?
261-75, Explain the metaphor. Explain what we learn about Hamlet here.
276-285, This is probably an allusion to Glaucon’s cave (Plato’s “Allegory of the
Cave”). Ask about it or explain.
284-5, After all the near-philosophical talk, Hamlet wants to go to court!
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290-1, What does Hamlet want to know? (easy) At what point, in next few lines, does
he become suspicious? Why does he become suspicious?
306, Emphasize the first word of the sentence. What does he mean?
315, What do they finally admit?
316+, Why does Hamlet tell them, instead of the other way around. Why does he?
318-333, FAMOUS LINES. PARAPHRASE THEM.
333-4, What does he think R&G are thinking, as he tells his deep thoughts? Why does
he think they are thinking what they’re thinking? (What do they do, on
stage—333 &337?)
335-42, What were R&J actually thinking (about)?
343+, Does that cheer up Hamlet?
351-2, Has Hamlet ever seen “those” before?
350+, What questions does Hamlet ask? Compare this to his conversation with
Horatio before Hamlet saw the ghost.
355-385, Explain the ANACHRONISM(S).( ASK about them.)
386-91, How does SHAKESPEARE bring the play back to Hamlet, after Shakespeare’s
digression? How does he “connect” the actors (anachronism) to Claudius?
399-403, How does Hamlet show he is not just “cheered up” about the actors?
406-7, How does Polonius look, in his clothes?
410+ Hamlet knows what news Polonius is bringing. How does he tease/manipulate
Polonius?
420-423, How is this like an earlier scene/incident with Polonius?
437-440, What word shows VERBAL IRONY? (Which word does Hamlet play with,
shifting its meaning?) “Connect” this to something earlier he said and did, to
Polonius.
445-456, Hamlet greets the actors. Does he already know them? How do you know?
Be specific. (Relate this to Shakespeare in Love.)
458 ("I heard thee") When and how often has Hamlet heard the speech the player is
about to perform?
Why was this terrific speech not performed more often? What is the image?
462 ("received it") Who insured the play was not performed more?
463-70 ("matters cried") Was it a good play? Explain with examples.
475-490 ("The rugged") Explain the story and the characters.
Explain how the story and characters are like Hamlet's situation. Be specific.
491-2 ("Fore God") What is "silly," inappropriate, about this comment?
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In the following lines (493-522, and 530-544), how does each remind you of
Hamlet, his family, or his situation? (Connect!)
496 "repugnant"
499 "Th' unnerved"
502 "Takes prisoner"
505 "So as a"
506-7 "And like"
509 "A silence"
513 ("Aroused vengeance")
516 ("With less remorse")
518 ("Out, out")
520, ("Break all")
These two (518 and 520) are examples of foreshadowing.
523, ("This is") What does this show about Polonius, again?
528, ("The mobled queen?") Why does Hamlet (for a change) interrupt?
How do the following lines relate to Hamlet?
531-2 ("with bisson")
535 ("Who this had")
540 ("In mincing") (foreshadowing)
550-52 ("for they are they") What is Shakespeare saying about actors?
555+ ("God's bodykins") What is Hamlet saying about humans?
566 ("We'll ha't tomorrow night") What is Hamlet contemplating?
SOLILOQUY:
577+ ("O, what a") What does Hamlet think of himself?
Who is he angry at? Why?
Who does he envy? Why?
585-7 ("For Hecuba") Who is Hecuba and how does she figure into Hamlet’s
argument?
589-93 ("That I have") Explain the hyperbole.
596+)"And can say nothing") What quality in himself does Hamlet criticize?
598-602("A damned defeat") Describe each of the hypothetical actions.
605-7 ("To make oppression") What does Hamlet say should have happened already?
607 ("With this slave's") Who is “this slave”? (Think about it.)
609 ("Remorseless")Connect each word to things said earlier in play.
616 ("A scullion") Explain last sentence.
617, ("About, my brains!") What happens here?
617+, What is Hamlet’s plan?
627-632, ("I know my") What two (or three) things is Hamlet worrying about?
633-4, ("More relative" )Explain the couplet.
Where, in this soliloquy, does Hamlet change the direction of his thoughts?
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