Hamlet Act 2 Summary

Act 2.1 Character List Polonius Reynaldo Ophelia Hamlet

Scene 1 Details Polonius sends Reynaldo to France to inquire about and spy on Laertes’ personal life. Ophelia, visibly upset, tells Polonius that Hamlet, unkempt and wild-eyed, has grabbed her, & shaken her, but did not speak to her. Polonius says that Hamlet must be mad with his love for Ophelia because she has distanced herself from him. Polonius speculates that this lovesickness might be the cause of Hamlet’s moodiness, and he hurries out to tell Claudius of his idea.

Act 2.2 Character List King Claudius Queen Gertrude Cornelius/Voltemand---messengers sent to Norway Laertes Polonius Hamlet The Players-traveling actors

Scene 2 Details Claudius & Gertrude welcome Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. The king and queen have asked his friends to Elsinore to cheer up Hamlet or at least discover the cause of it. Polonius enters, announcing the return of the ambassadors whom Claudius sent to Norway.

Scene 2 Details Voltimand and Cornelius return & describe what took place with the aged and ailing king of Norway. Fortinbras rebuked nephew; they won’t attack Denmark The Norwegian king gives his nephew money to attack Poland instead The Norwegian king asks that his nephew be allowed to pass through Denmark on his way to attack Poland Claudius is relieved and will answer later

Scene 2 Details Polonius declares that the prince is mad with love for Ophelia & shows the king & queen letters and love poems Hamlet has given to Ophelia. Polonius proposes a plan: hide while Ophelia confronts Hamlet, allowing them (he & Claudius) to see whether Hamlet’s madness really comes from his love for her. The king declares that they will try the plan as Hamlet enters. Polonius attempts to converse with Hamlet, who appears insane.

Scene 2 Details Polonius hurries away to arrange the meeting between Hamlet & Ophelia. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter. They ask about his unhappiness; Hamlet asks why they have come. R & G at first say they are there to check up on him, but then admit they were sent for by Claudius. Hamlet admits he has lost all of his joy & descended into a state of melancholy in which everything (& everyone) appears sterile and worthless.

Scene 2 Details Hamlet tells his friends they are welcome to stay at Elsinore, and he is mad only some of the time and at other times is sane. Polonius enters to announce the arrival of the traveling actors; Hamlet asks one of them to give him a speech about the fall of Troy. Impressed with the player’s speech, Hamlet announces that the next night they will hear “The Murder of Gonzago” performed, with an additional short speech that he will write himself.

Scene 2 Details Hamlet curses himself, bitterly commenting that the player who gave the speech was able to summon a depth of feeling and expression for long-dead figures who mean nothing to him, while Hamlet is unable to take action even with his far more powerful motives. He resolves to devise a trap for Claudius, forcing the king to watch a play whose plot closely resembles the murder of Hamlet’s father “The play’s the thing,” he declares, “wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.581– 582).