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Act 2 of Hamlet deepens the play’s tension through surveillance, deception, and performance. This guide breaks down the plot, characters, and ideas you need for class discussions, quizzes, and essays.
The act opens with secret monitoring: a father sends a servant to spy on his son in Paris. At court, the king and queen recruit two of Hamlet’s friends to observe him. Hamlet then mocks a courtier, suggesting his sharp mind is intact. The act ends with traveling actors arriving, giving Hamlet a plan to test the truth behind the ghost’s claim.
Polonius believes Hamlet’s behavior comes from rejected love and tries to prove it. Claudius and Gertrude want reassurance and control, so they rely on surveillance. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern seek favor by complying. Hamlet appears erratic but remains purposeful, masking strategy with wit.
Appearance vs. reality dominates the act as characters perform roles to hide intentions. Surveillance shows a corrupt court culture. Performance and theater emerge as tools for truth, suggesting that acting can reveal what power conceals.
Act 2 sets up the play-within-the-play and clarifies Hamlet’s method: evidence before action. It shifts the conflict from private grief to public testing, raising stakes for the entire court.
He adopts an antic behavior to confuse observers while he gathers proof about the king. The act shows this is strategic, not madness.
They enable Hamlet’s plan to stage a performance that mirrors the alleged crime, using art to provoke a reaction.
Focus on surveillance and performance. Argue how spying fails to uncover truth, while theater becomes a more effective test.
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