Act 2 Scene 2 Summaries

Part 1

(Ln. 1-86) The King calls upon Hamlet’s childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, both of whom serve no real importance, meaning they are interchangeable characters. The King asks them to observe and spy on Hamlet to see what’s going on with him. Since they are friends they know him pretty well and will be able to tell if something is up with him.

Part 2

(Ln. 86-216) Polonius starts rambling to the Queen but eventually he made his point, saying that Hamlet has gone mad. He shows the Queen the love letter that Hamlet supposedly sent Ophelia. I say supposedly because Hamlet was huge fan of the theater and was very elaborate in his writing, and he gave this crappy letter to Ophelia, it just doesn’t quite make sense. Unless of course his was only writing it to write it and not actually writing his true feelings. And then Polonius talks to Hamlet. Hamlet acts as if he doesn’t know who Polonius is and just insults him repeatedly, with terms such as a fishmonger: a pimp.

Part 3

(Ln. 217-358) Hamlet starts talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He tells them how he sees Denmark as a prison. Since he is a prince he has an obligation to Denmark therefore he cannot leave and his life is hell right now because his father has died and his mother married his uncle. It is a terrible place and he wishes he can escape from it, much like being in a prison. Then Hamlet addresses the fact that they have been sent there to spy on him. In Hamlet’s monologue he says that there are many great things about mankind but Hamlet can only see dust. Then Rosencrantz says that the actors are coming, this makes Hamlet happy because he loves the theater.

Part 4

(Ln. 358-592) Polonius comes and tells Hamlet that the players are in Elsinore and they welcome them to the kingdom. Polonius tells Hamlet the kind of work that these players do, but Hamlet already knows. Hamlet again bashes on Polonius, comparing him to Jephthah, which is an allusion to the bible. Jephthah sacrificed his daughter for politics, much like Polonius is doing to Ophelia. The players start off by doing a play based on the fall of troy but then one of them gets all emotional and instead Hamlet has them perform a play that he has written. Then they go there separate ways and Hamlet gives a soliloquy. In it he talks about how he wants revenge and that heaven and hell are telling him to get revenge (the ghost), but instead all he is doing is walking around whining about everything and not getting anything done. This is ok that he is being cautious because we really don’t know if this ghost is really his father or an evil demon that is just tempting and tricking him