Introducing Hamlet
Analysing Act I, Scene ii
1. What bothers Claudius and Gertrude about Hamlet's dress?
2. William Shakespeare is known for the way in which he plays with language, and Hamlet is
no exception. Among its numerous forms of wordplay, Hamlet includes many puns. A
pun is a play on words that sound the same, but have different meanings. In this scene,
Claudius calls Hamlet his “son” and asks him why his mood is so cloudy. Hamlet replies
that he is actually “too much in the sun” (creating a pun between sun and son). What is
the significance of this particular example of word play in this scene?
3. The conflict between appearance and reality is a theme that is continually explored
throughout this play. How is this theme introduced in this scene?
4. A soliloquy is a literary device that is often used in drama in order to allow a character to
divulge his or her thoughts or emotions to the audience. Hamlet frequently gives the
audience insight into his thoughts through soliloquies, the first of which appears in this
scene. What moral dilemma is Hamlet grappling with in the first half of this soliloquy?
5. Approximately how long has Hamlet's father been dead?
6. Hamlet uses a metaphor of an unweeded garden in this scene. What is Hamlet comparing
to the garden? What/who are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden?
7. Explain why Hamlet says, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” and what does this line reveal
about Hamlet's attitude towards women?
8. What is Hamlet's final request at the end of the scene?