Scene 2
Claudius and Gertrude have summoned Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends, to keep Hamlet company. Polonius enters the scene and informs the king and queen that he has found out the cause of Hamlet’s insanity and gives proof, but not before the king and queen give audience to Cornelius and Voltemand who have returned from Norway with good news. The news is Fortinbras has turned his aggression against Poland and he only requires that Denmark permit his troops to march through to Poland. Claudius dismisses the ambassadors from Norway and turns to the business of his insane nephew. Polonius produces a love letter. Polonius says that the cause of Hamlet’s insanity can be no other than his love for Opehlia. To prove it, Polonius proposes to engage Hamlet directly while the king and queen hide and observe. The scheme is agreed to and is carried out by. The proof is scarcely produced but there’s no persuading Polonius who will test his theory again.
Meanwhile Hamlet finds himself in the company of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. His suspicion proves to be right as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern confess that their visit is actually a performance of a duty as by the king and queen. Without going into specifics, Hamlet explains on his insanity, which is interrupted, however temporarily, by the appearance of a troop of traveling actors. Hamlet welcomes the actors. He escorts them to the city gate where they are all greeted by Polonius. Recalling their earlier encounter, Hamlet baits and humors Polonius with a reference to Ophelia when, out of the corner of his eyes, Hamlet sees an actor whose face is familiar. Hamlet goes to the actor and has him to recite Aeneas’ speech to Dido, which speech Hamlet had once before witnessed the actor perform. The speech involves the fall of Troy, by the instant when Pyrrhus slaughters Priam. The actor performing it weeps, so moving is the speech. Polonius finds its length unbearable, however, and as a result he is at odds with Hamlet. It’s not the only thing for which the two are at odds, however. Indeed, Hamlet finds Polonius’ manners and attitude with respect to the actors bothersome and tells him so.
Hamlet is alone again. Hamlet accuses himself of being a coward, a kitchen wench, and that he would erase any doubts as to the ghost’s intentions. He will stage a play depicting a king’s murder at the hands of the king’s brother. And if uncle Claudius betrays a guilty conscience, vengeance will have its day.
