During Act II Scene 1, Polonius met with his servant Reynaldo and told him so go to Paris to watch Laertes. He wants him to find any Danes living in Paris and question them using lies to discover Laertes’s whereabouts. Next, Ophelia comes to tell Polonius that Hamlet is mad. She tells him that his clothes are disheveled and that he was very pale. Polonius thinks that he has become mad because Ophelia has not returned her love to him. Polonius then decides to go talk to the King about Hamlet. This ending scene was very ironic to me. As readers, we know that Hamlet has just seen the ghost of his father and is conflicted over the ghost’s order for revenge. However, the other characters do not know about this encounter and just believe that he is mad over Ophelia. This makes me wonder if the other characters will ever know about the ghost. Also, has Hamlet actually been affected by Ophelia ignoring him or is his madness simply caused by his meeting with the ghost and his decision to revenge his father?

In Act II Scene 2, Hamlet’s school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were brought to Denmark by the king and queen. They were ordered to spy on Hamlet and discover what is causing him to act strange. Polonius then tells the king and queen that he believes his actions are caused by Ophelia’s decision to ignore his love. Next, visitors from Norway came to share news about Fortinbras’s campaign against Poland, and Claudius gives them permission to pass through Denmark to complete this campaign. Once these visitors leave, Polonius returns to his discussion about Hamlet and Ophelia. He pulls out a love letter written by Hamlet to Ophelia which he believes is evidence that she has caused his madness. To test this theory, Polonius suggests setting up a meeting between the two of them. However, he and the king will purposefully use this meeting to spy on them. Hamlet then finally gets to meet with his old friends who tell him the truth about why they were invited. Next, a mini play about the Battle of Troy is preformed which inspires Hamlet. He is inspired to put on the play The Murder of Gonzago. He believes that this play is so similar to the murder of his father that if Claudius flinches when watching it, that will be proof that he murdered his father. The theme of spying on others was very prominent during this act. Not only are Polonius and the king planning on spying on Hamlet and Ophelia, but Hamlet’s friends came to spy on him as well. This causes characters like Hamlet to be more confused than ever. For example, having Hamlet’s friends come visit might have relieved him at first, however, once it was revealed that they came to spy on him, he must feel extremely betrayed. Also, I am wondering how Hamlet’s plan to put on the play will unfold. Will Hamlet be able to convince others that Claudius killed his father?