Act II - Hamlet

What’s really wrong with Hamlet?

“The play’s the thing…”

• IIi– Polonius’s house• Polonius sends off Reynaldo to monitor Laertes’

behavior and actions• Ophelia enters and reports on “unusual”

behavior by Hamlet• After reporting that she did as commanded and

spurned him with notes, Polonius concludes that Hamlet’s depressed and crazy b/c he’s mad in love with Ophelia

• They exit to inform the king

• IIii – a room in castle Ellsinore• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (boyhood friends

of Hamlet’s) are asked by the king and queen to visit with Hamlet, try to cheer him up and find out what’s up with him

• They go• Polonius enters – Norway report• Voltimand• Polonius tells king that Hamlet’s mad in love

• King and Queen exit• Hamlet enters and abuses and mocks Polonius• Polonius exits• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern visit and Hamlet

figures out their motive• He confesses to them that he’s only pretending

to be crazy and tries to explain his melancholy (in prose)

• Players enter

• They’ll perform the next eve

• Hamlet is going to set up a scene to “catch the conscience of the king”