act II stuff

1) What does Polonius tell Reynaldo in the opening of Act II? How does he plan to trap his son?
Reynaldo is told to follow Laertes and to see who he associated with. Polonius is afraid that Laertes is committing un-noble deeds and that it will come back to mar his reputation. Reynaldo is supposed to spread false rumors about Laertes, and to gauge the response of Laertes friends in order to determine which rumors are false and which are true.
2) What does this say about Polonius?
this shows that Polonius is more worried about his own reputation and political aspirations than his sons. Instead of confronting his son, he sends reynaldo to spy on him, furthermore he specifically instructs reynaldo to spread these rumors in a way, in which, no evidence will come back to him. This is in concurence with what Hamlet will say about polonius' character, he is a self-loving pimp, and a prostitute.
3) What particularly in Act II scene 1 has disturbed Ophelia?
Hamlet has appeared to Ophelia half naked and acting mad. She doesn't know why he has done this, and is disturbed so she discuses it with her father who tells her that Hamlet is professing his love for her. They must go to the king and arrange a marriage, this is in contrast to last act when polonius told her to stay away from hamlet, but now he sees a chance for political gain.
4) Why have Rosencrantez and Guildenstern been sent to Denmark?
Rosencrantz and guildenstern are sent to denmark by the king and queen. They are Hamlet's childhood friends, and so the king and queen hope they will be trusted. They are told to watch hamlet and to see if his madness stems truly from the death of his father, and if they can fix his illness. Deeper down the king fears that hamlet has somehow discovered the truth of his fathers death, and is coming to kill him.
5) What does Hamlet ask the players to recite? How does the allusion mimic Hamlet’s position?
hamlet asks the players to first recite Aenea's tale to dido, in which the mother watches as the son of Achiles avenges his father and slays Priam. this is almost a perfect parallel to what is happening to Hamlet, but it is more of a though on how his mother will feel. he is afraid that she will be traumatized or die in grief at the loss of so much love.
Identify the following speaker of the following lines and discuss to whom the lines are being delivered, and what the lines mean?
6) “No, my lord, but as you did command/ I did repel his letter, and denied his access to me” Ophelia- Ophelia is telling her father that she has done him well, she has rejected Hamlet's attempts at love.
7) “More matter less art” The queen demands that polonius stops his foolishness and gets to the point, he resoponds with more nonsense.
8) “That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell/ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words,
Hamlets soliloquy
9) “Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth/ And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,/ with windlasses and with assays of bias,/ By directions find directions out.”
Hamlet's speech to polonius, he bashes on polonius and call him a pimp and stupid

10) “For if the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?”
Hamlets crazy speech to Polonius, he knows polonius has a daughter but is attempting to act insane. Very successfully.
11) List three metaphors (1 direct, 1 implied, 1 extended) from the play.
Polonius' comparison of Hamlet's love to burst of fire is a direct metaphor, Hamlet's use of fishmonger is an implied metaphor, and the calling people prositutes is an extended metaphor.
12) What proof does Polonius have that he believe indicates Hamlet’s love for Ophelia?
Polonius believes that Hamlet is in love with ophelia because of Hamlet's naked attempt at their love. Hamlet however is only acting insane not in love, and this is another comment on Polonius' intelligence.
13) Explain the quote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” How does this relate to Hamlet.
this is true of everything, nothing is inherently good or bad, however if you think something is bad it may be so.
14) What is a fishmonger? A fishmonger is someone who sells fish on the wharf, this relates to polonius because he is selling of his daughter... its also a a sexual innuendo.
15) Who was Jephthah? Jephtaph was a character from the bible who sacrificed his daughter in order to save himself. he hopes to achieve political gain through his sacrifice.