Shakespeare | Hamlet Act 2 summary
After the tense and thrilling paranormal activity that closed out act 1 act 2 brings things down a notch beginning in polonius's house but things are still a bit shady because polonius is paying his servant ronaldo to go to france and spy on laertes his son he wants to find out if leotis has been acting honorably or if he has been dirtying the family name he even says it would be okay for ronaldo to use lies to entrap leiotes he's a real father of the year.
suddenly ophelia bursts in she's just had a run-in with hamlet and it's left her pretty shaken remember in the last act polonius and laertes both warned her to stay away from hamlet ophelia tells her father that hamlet seemed half mad she says that his clothes were all dirty and he was pale and trembling and he didn't say a word to her just stumbled about and left great polonius thinks ophelia's rejection has sent hamlet over the edge proving how much he is in love with her he thinks he's misjudged hamlet's intentions towards his daughter and rushes off to update claudius in a room in elsinore a similar scene is unfolding claudius receives two men called rosencrantz and guildenstern who are friends of hamlet he seems really concerned about the huge changes that have occurred in his nephew lately and asks them to spy on him claudius's wife gertrude is also very worried about her son and tells rosencrantz and guildenstern that if they can keep an eye on him they will get a huge reward they leave and polonius arrives bursting to tell the king and queen what has happened between ophelia and hamlet polonius announces that he has found the cause of hamlet's lunacy but before that happens claudius needs to do some kingly things and hear what the ambassadors from norway have to say about the threat fortenbro poses the ambassadors tell him that fortinbra will behave if he gets permission to march his army through denmark on his way to a battle in poland claudia says he needs to think about this and dismisses the ambassadors finally polonius is able to pass on his news about hamlet he reads out a letter from hamlet to his daughter that shows how desperately in love he is with her he argues that it is ophelia's rejection that has plunged the prince into madness polonius.
Remembers that ophelia is meeting with hamlet later to return a bunch of his stuff and suggests that they hide between a tapestry to spy on them after claudius and gertrude leave rosencrantz and guildenstern entered to catch up with their old school friend hamlet suspects that they have been sent to spy on him and is very upset by this a troupe of travelling actors known as players arrive and hamlet perks up a bit he asks one of the players to perform a dramatic speech about a horrible death hamlet is very moved he asks the players to perform another play this time for the whole court the play will be the murder of gonzago to which he will add some original lines when he is alone hamlet wallows in despair and self-hatred as he has been too scared to carry out revenge on claudius he reveals that the play will be a mouth trap as it will include a scene which mimics the way that the ghost said he was murdered when claudius reacts to the scene hamlet will know whether or not he really committed the terrible crime just to make sure that the ghost was telling the truth he hopes that proof will help him be more brave in carrying out his revenge
