Hamlet Group

Question:

shehbaz
shehbaz
Student
High School - 11th Grade

In Act 2.2 of Hamlet, is there is evidence that Hamlet is acting?

How is this evidence made more solid in the discussion with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

also what is Hamlet's response to the news about the players

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Posted by shehbaz on Sunday February 22, 2009 at 12:47 PM and tagged with act 2 scene 2, guildenstern, hamlet, players, rosencratz, themes.

Answers:


  1. danylyshen Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The beauty of Hamlet's "madness" is that it is a feigned "antic disposition" to baffle his adversaries, gain proof of his Uncle's regicide, and have free reign to act in any manner he wishes. Hamlet plays with Polonius linguistically and semantically, but Polonius notices that "though this be madness yet there be method in't" and wonders  if it's madness "how pregnant sometimes his replies are."

    Hamlet's talk with Rozencrantz and Guildenstern is full of sincerity, existentialism, and honesty. He discusses his antic disposition and assures them that

    I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is
    southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.

    Hamlet knows about the players even before Polonius comes to tell him they've arrived. In response to the news Hamlet continues verbally jousting with Polonius. He says "buzz, buzz" implying that Polonius is a meddlesome and annoying as a fly. The players are good for Hamlet and his plans. It is how he will set the "mouse-trap" and catch the conscience of the (false) king.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-ii-scene-ii?start=4

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    Posted by danylyshen on Sunday February 22, 2009 at 5:20 PM


  2. jagtig

    The actor who plays Hamlet is acting, and the play traces some sort of descent from a Norse or Danish story of a prince who plays at being mad to avoid being murdered (Amleth).

    However, there is not one line in Shakespeare's story which indicates that Hamlet's madness is anything but real.

    On the other hand, there are so many lines indicating the opposite, that I have to link you to a collection of these, and you may click on each and every one to determine that they are accurate and in context.

    http://shakespeare.wikia.com/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Hamlet%2C_Prince_of_Denmark_You_Decide_Page#Mental_Illness_in_Hamlet:_Is_Hamlet_Truly_Insane.3F

    That should do it. - I'm not going to knock on other people's proofs, except to say that the great preponderance of evidence is for a diagnosis of "mad, mad, mad."

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    Posted by jagtig on Tuesday February 24, 2009 at 1:38 PM