Hamlet--Act II

Answer the following question on paper.
Turn the answers in Monday at the beginning of class.

1. Who is Reynaldo, and what is his job?
2. What does Ophelia report to her father concerning Hamlet's "antic disposition"?
3. How is Claudius's speech to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern like Polonius"s speech to
Reynaldo? (Tip: remember parallel scenes.)
4. What trap does Polonius set to get Hamlet to reveal what may be on the young man's
(Hamlet's) mind?
5. What is the source of Hamlet's "transformation," according to Polonius?
6. How does Hamlet propose to use the visiting actors in his conflict with Claudius?
7. Which character in Act II impresses you most--either positively or negatively? Support your answer.
8. UPDATE: We will answer this one in class. If you already have attempted the answer, be prepared to offer examples in class. Cite examples of Hamlet's sense of humor in his exchanges with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In each instance, what is the joke? (Use footnotes and look for explanations on the internet.)
9. Based on information provided in this act, what can you infer about Polonius's character?
10. What examples of madness does Hamlet exhibit? What other explanation might be offered for these behaviors?
11. What reasons can you give for Hamlet's rejection of Ophelia?
12. In what ways does Hamlet discover that "the time is out of joint"? What does that mean?
13. As the plot develops in Act II, several "fishing parties" have been organized: one by Claudius, one by Polonius, and one by Hamlet himself. Whom is each man using, and what information or truth is he seeking?
14. How do the actions in Act II convey the theme of life as theatre (life as a play)? Which characters are not involved in the make-believe? Which characters are "wearing" masks of one kind or another? What kind of act are they putting on?
15. How does America react to the issue of social hierarchy: people belonging to certain classes, with little opportunity to move freely from one level to another through marriage or personal accomplishment? How does the issue of social hierarchy impact certain characters in the play?
Define and know the following vocabulary words: piteous, perusal, brevity, satirical, pastoral.