Hamlet Group

Question:

cvw
cvw
Student
Community / Jr. College

How does Polonius interpret Ophelia's frightening visit from Hamlet in Act II,i,lines 77-102? What does the audience know that Polonius does not?

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Posted by cvw on Monday April 13, 2009 at 8:03 AM and tagged with act ii, characters, hamlet, ophelia, polonius, visit.

Answers:

  1. soph17
    soph17 Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

      Polonius thinks that Hamlet has gone mad due to his love for Ophelia. He is having an attack of conscience about his orders to Ophelia regarding Hamlet and decides he must go at once to inform the king.

      The audience knows that Hamlet is simply acting mad. We learn of his plan in Act 1, Scene 5, when he instructs Horatio and Marcellus to swear an oath of secrecy and not to "reveal the truth if he appears to be acting “odd” later on."

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/act-ii-scene-1-summary-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/act-scene-5-summary-analysis

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    Posted by soph17 on Monday April 13, 2009 at 10:21 AM