Hamlet Act 2 Questions

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Hamlet Act II Questions

  1. What is does Polonius tell Reynaldo in the opening of Act II?  How does he plan to trap his son?
He tells Reynaldo to spread lies about Laertes in Paris in the hopes that it will bring some form of truth about Laertes's actual actions and if he actually does get into some kind of trouble, that Polonius is aware of it.
  1. What does this say about Polonius?
He is extremely controlling and distrustful of his son; possibly obsessed with him.
  1. What particularly in Act II scene 1 has disturbed Ophelia?
Hamlet came into her chambers with a completely disheveled appearance; wearing no hat, his shirt unbuttoned, and his stockings dirty, undone, and down around his ankles. He was pale as his undershirt, and his knees were knocking together. He also acted very unusually with Ophelia, staring at her and not saying anything, which made her think he might've descended into madness, scaring her still.
  1. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern been sent to Denmark?
Since they are the closest friends Hamlet has, the King and Queen believe that they can be used to interpret Hamlet's unusual actions and spy on him at the same time.
  1. What does Hamlet ask the players to recite?  How does the allusion mimic Hamlet’s position?
He asks the players to recite a speech about when Aeneas told Dido about Priam's murder. Hamlet compares himself to Pyrrus, of the tale. Where his uncle-father Claudius is Pyrrus's grandfather Priam, he fantasizes through the story of what he will do to Priam/Claudius to avenge his father's--which in terms of the Pyrrus's tale and Hamlet's mother's unkindness can be called his true family--death.
Identify the following speaker of the following lines and discuss to whom the lines are being delivered,
and what do the lines mean?
  1. “No, my lord, but as you did command/ I did repel his letter, and denied his access to me”
Ophelia says this, to her father Polonius to assure him that she did what he told her to do. This leads Polonius to believe that this action by Ophelia is what drove Hamlet to "madness".
  1. “More matter less art."
The line is delivered to Polonius by Gertrude to prompt him to get to the point instead of going around it, rambling.
  1. “That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell/ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words,
This line is an exclamation of the frozen anger inside Hamlet. He speaks this line during his soliloquy when he talks about his father's murder; exclaiming that when he knows his dear father has been murdered, the only thing he wants to do is take revenge on his murderer; yet the only thing he can do is yell his heart out like a whore on the streets, not achieving anything. 

  1. “Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth/ And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,/ with windlasses and with assays of bias,/ By directions find directions out.”
Polonius says the line to tell Reynaldo that by spreading rumors about him, he will place the bait so that the actual truth of Laertes's actions in Paris may be revealed.
  1. “For if the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?”
Since the topic of Polonius's daughter Ophelia is raised, Hamlet delivers this line to Polonius indicating himself; that like the sun can be as harmful as beneficial, Hamlet too can be good for his daughter, but there's no promising that he won't be bad for her as well.
  1. List three metaphors (1 direct, 1 implied, 1 extended) from the play.
Direct: "Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth."
Indirect: "Oh, Jephthah, judge of ancient Israel, what a treasure you had!"Extended: "I am too much in the sun."
  1. What proof does Polonius have that he believe indicates Hamlet’s love for Ophelia?  
He has the letters that Hamlet sent to Ophelia professing his love for her. 
  1. Explain the quote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”  How does this relate to Hamlet.
This quote by Hamlet shows that he is aware of the fact that not everybody will agree with what he considers good or bad. But it also reinforces the idea that because they don't agree doesn't mean Hamlet is wrong, rather it emboldens what he thinks of Claudius. He also alludes to the fact that he hates Claudius because he murdered his father by this line.
  1. What is a fishmonger?
A person who owns a business dealing with prostitutes; a pimp.
  1.  Who was Jephthah?

Ancient judge of Israel. Hamlet alludes to him because Jephthah sells his daughter over a vow; referring to how Polonius treats his daughter.

Comments

  1. KentJanuary 28, 2020 at 5:18 PM

    11) Your direct metaphor is an implied metaphor. Fishing for the truth.

    ReplyDelete

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