Act II Scene II

Part i

The King sends Rozencrats and Guildenstern to find out why Hamlet is acting so sad. Polonius thinks he knows why Hamlet is so down and on his way to tell the King we find out that the King of Norway wants to invade Denmark. Norway grants Fortinbras permission to levy war against the Polish. Finally, the ambassadors report that Norway needs Claudius’ permission to allow Fortinbras to pass through Denmark to attack Polland, and he agrees. Polonius then gets to tell why he thinks Hamlet is sad, and he says it is because Ophelia left him heart-broken. They then plan to make Ophelia talk to Hamlet so they can spy on him.

Part ii
Polonius tries to talk to Hamlet, but Hamlet plays him and makes a totally fool out of him, avoiding all his questions with clever and witty remarks. Polonius just blames it on his broken heart and leaves so Ophelia can drop by. Before she comes, his two friends come, Rozencrats and Guildenstern. Hamlet asks why they have come to him and gets them to admit they were sent as spies. He then sinks into his deppressed self again and talks about death and taking action. Then Polonius comes back to tell Hamlet the players are coming, and Hamlet just makes fun of him again.

Part iii
Hamlet wants to hear the speech from Virgil’s Aeneid, as related by Aeneas to Dido, telling the death of Priam during the fall of Troy. Hamlet begins the speech and then gives the floor to one of the players, who recites a long description of Priam’s death by the hand of Pyrrhus. The player goes on to speak of the grief of Hecuba, Priam’s wife, after her husband has been killed. While speaking of her agony, the player begins to weep and shake. Polonius finally cuts him off and Hamlet agrees. Before Hamlet is done with the players he asks them if they know “The Murder of Gonzago" because he wants them to recite it with some of his own speeches intertwined. Finally, Hamlet is left alone on stage and he talks about his situatoin, and what he can do about it. He plans to do this play for the reaction of Claudius, determing weather or not he should follow the instructions set fourth by the ghost to kill him.

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