Class notes

An analysis of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" Act 2

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Course
English

Institution
Sixth Year / 12th Grade

This document provides an in-depth analysis and summary of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" Act 2. These notes will provide lots of inspiration for essay writing, as well as an excellent revision aid. With these notes you can gain top grades in your exam like I did.

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Uploaded on June 21, 2024
Number of pages 3
Written in 2023/2024
Type Class notes
Professor(s) Harding
Contains All classes

william shakespeare
exam revision
hamlet
quotes
analysis
summary

Institution Secondary school
Course
English
School year 5

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Act 2 Scene II
30/01/2023
We also see Claudius thank the ambassadors for their work. “We thank you for your well-took
labour”. As well as this, he tells them there will be a celebration that night where he will honour
their good work; “go to your rest, at night we’ll feast together, most welcome home”.
A sign of a good leader is someone who acknowledges their subject’s good work. Claudius
makes these men feel valued. We know he does this because he is clever. But it does indicate he
is a good leader of people.
After this, we see Polonius speak to the king, he is sure that Hamlet’s madness is caused by love.
We see that Ophelia is a loyal daughter. Her father says how obedient she is in not seeing
Hamlet; “this in obedience hath my father shown me”. Polonius told her to have nothing to do
with Hamlet, and he believes this is the reason Hamlet “fell into a sadness”.
Hamlet arrives after this. Polonius tries to get information from him. Hamlet is making fun of
Polonius, but Polonius doesn’t realise this. We see Hamlet is very witty, he calls Polonius a
fishmonger. Hamlet is telling him he is a pimp for Claudius. Polonius is too stupid to realise he
has been made a fool of.

07/02/2023
We can see from the way that Hamlet speaks to Polonius that he is not a happy person. He says
he lives in a world where people aren't honest; “ay sir, to be honest, as this world goes, is to be
one man picked out of ten thousand”. At this stage we realise that Polonius can be quite foolish
at times, but even he realises there is something behind Hamlet’s madness. That there is
something bothering Hamlet. “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t”
In his conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, we continue to see Hamlet’s sadness
with the world around him. He says to his old friends “Denmark’s a prison” he continues this by
saying “Denmark being one o’ the worst” Very quickly he begins to suspect that these two men
were sent for. In a world where people have let him down, he asks them to be honest with hi. He
says, “deal justly with me”. We already know that for Hamlet, honesty is very important. Hamlet
openly tells his two old friends that he is feeling down; “I have of late – but wherefore I know
not – lost all my mirth”. He goes on to say that man is a wonderful creation, he stands out among
other creatures; “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason!.........how like an
angel!......how like a God!..... The paragon of animals!”. However, despite this, Hamlet tells his
friends that all of this means nothing to him. Nothing around him makes him feel good; “man
delights not me; no, nor woman neither”. The reference to woman could relate to his mother.
Shortly after this, we see Hamlet get a little more animated. Actors are approaching the castle
and Hamlet is excited by this. In his excitement, Hamlet tells his friends that he isn’t as mad as
the king and queen think he is; “but my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived.” he follows
this by saying “I am but mad north-north west”.

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