Transcript Act 2.1.1-83 - Lancaster High School

 Please
read these lines aloud in your group,
talk about significant words and phrases that
reveal Polonius’ values.
 What can you conclude about Polonius’
character? List several character traits that
you have inferred from his actions and words
in this scene.
 Please document the character traits with
direct text references/citation.
Read the above text and mime what is not said
(the subtext). How should the “newly mad”
Hamlet be played?
 In your group have one person read the lines
while the others mime the prescribed actions
(including clothing adjustments).
 What is Hamlet up to in this scene?
 Why is he treating Ophelia this way? Why her, of
all people? Does Hamlet love Ophelia? If not,
how does he show this? What reasons could he
have for putting on this show?
 Does Ophelia love Hamlet? What is her reaction
to his behavior?

 The
use of double entendre (2.2.172-215):
Double entendre is the trick whereby authors
set up words or phrases so that they have
two meanings - a clean one and a ‘bawdy’
one. Search for them in this scene and list.
 Next look at 2.2.220-2. There is a series of
double entendres in the exchange between
Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
who claim to live about the waist of Lady
Fortune. See if you can identify them. Why
might Hamlet be using these words? Does he
mean to be bawdy?
 Look
at 2.2.271-306 (“Were you not sent for”
to “man delights not me”) Note all language
tricks Shakespeare uses in the passage: for
example - metaphors, similes, alliteration,
parallel construction, and anastrophe
(reversals).
 Is there any place in these scenes when
Hamlet stops playing with Polonius or
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and talks
straight from the heart? If so, what happens
to the language tricks?
 If
Hamlet does, in fact, tell some truths in
this scene, what might these be?
 Construct
a soliloquy comprised of only the
truths Hamlet speaks in lines 1 – 306.
 Like
other writers, Shakespeare refers
(alludes) to classical Greek and Roman
literature. Can you find the allusions in this
passage?
 Volunteer? I need three readers and three
actors for lines 423 – 505. please take 5
minutes to pre-read the scene. While players
read, the actors will play out the action of
the story Hamlet and the Player tell.
 Time
to read, paraphrase and physicalize this
soliloquy (2.2.533 – 590), just like you did
with “sullied flesh”, with mime, props,
drawings of important words and emotions
and sounds. This time, though, let’s do it as
one large group.
Read 3.1 and write in your log. Read 3.3.96 –
317 as a random/volunteer group will be
performing it next week.