Hamlet, Act 2

1)Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, but not exactly spy. Polonius's plan is for Reynaldo is to go around telling small lies about Laertes and see how people respond and getting the real truth from people, rather than just the opinions of the people he asks. This is a neat idea as you would never really guess somebody is spying but rather just making conversation. 

2) This proves Polonius is a very selfish and demanding person and doesn't really like to take any burden or blame onto himself. For example he tells Ophelia to not be with Hamlet and instead of spying for himself he makes Laertes. He doesn't deal with problems himself or directly but beats around the bush. His plan is also supposed to make him seem like a fool as it is a completely inefficient and very indirect way of finding things out. However i think it would work very well, but what does that say about me?

3) Ophelia was disturbed because Hamlet came into her room slightly underdressed and grabbed onto her hand and starred at her for a while until he let go. He acted like he was possessed and didn't use his eyes to navigate. While many may find this romantic it is apparently frowned upon by Ophelia.

4) Why have Rosencrantez and Guildenstern been sent to Denmark?

The King has called Rosencrantez and Guildenstern to Denmark because he wants them to find out why Hamlet has been acting crazy. Rosencrantez and Guildenstern are old friends of Hamlet and the the King thinks that they will be the best sources for getting information out of him.

5) What does Hamlet ask the players to recite? How does the allusion mimic Hamlet’s position?
Hamlet asks the players to recite Aeneas's tale to Dido. The story alludes to Pyrrus and how he must avenge his fathers death much like Hamlet must avenge his fathers. I think there is also a connection with Hecuba. In one version of her tale she goes insane after seeing the corpses of her sons. Can this be connected with Hamlet thinking she is insane because she married his uncle and in a way Hamlet is dead as he is Insane? having a hard time with this connection fielding.

Identify the following speaker of the following lines and discuss to whom the lines are being delivered, and what the lines mean?

6) “No, my lord, but as you did command/ I did repel his letter, and denied his access to me”

Ophelia says this line. It shows us that she obeyed Polonius's order and has not let herself fall in love with Hamlet or Hamlet with her.

7) “More matter less art”

The Queen says these lines. She is telling Polonius to stop flowering up his sentences and just tell her about Hamlet. It is funny because Polonius thinks he's smart and says a bunch of crap thinking he's smart but the Queen sees right through this.

8) “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,

Hamlet is telling how he feels he must avenge his fathers death. He believes that both heaven and hell are telling him to. These are interesting lines for two reasons. One the idea of heaven tells us that it may be a Ghost of his father but hte idea of hell may tell us its an evil spirit. Two the idea of words come out again "unpack my heart with words" the idea that words are what kill people.

9) “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 is telling Reynaldo about his plan to trick people into telling him about Laertes. Once again Polonius thinks he is brilliant and tries to show off but end up looking stupid.

10) “For if the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?”

Hamlet. Hamlet is playing the "im a insane" card and calling Polonius out while polonius cant do anything about it. He makes the pun by saying "the sun" will breed maggots in a dead dog which is Hamlets way of saying he is going to knock up any woman, like Ophelia, if he gets anywhere near them.

11) List three metaphors (1 direct, 1 implied, 1 extended) from the play.

Direct. Denmark as a garden starting to rot.

Implied. Incest within the families.

Extended. Lies are like Poisen

12) What proof does Polonius have that he believe indicates Hamlet’s love for Ophelia? 

Polonius thinks that Hamlet went to Ophelia half naked because he loves her. Her story about him holding onto her and acting crazy makes him believe this, which really doesn't seem to far off from a likely thing to me but I guess I'm just bonding with the Polonius character.

13) Hamlet is trying to explain why he thinks Denmark is a horrible place for him now because of what he knows and how much he hast to think about it. He now knows that Cluadius killed his father and he has to think about his mother marrying his uncle and the more he thinks about it the worse it becomes. Neat idea as there is always two sides to an opinion and unless somebody starts thinking about it. It is not good or bad and the only thing that would make it otherwise would be a persons thoughts.

14) A fishmonger is a person or a store that sells fish. However Hamlet reefers to woman as fish and mongers to pimps. Efficiently offending most woman and giving pimps a nifty nick name.

15) Jephthah was a judge of israel who sacrificed his own daughter because he said he would sacrifice the first living thing he came in contact with when he returned from battle if he was victorious.