Act 2 scene 2

 a pivotal scene that involves Hamlet's interactions with Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern, two childhood friends who have been sent by King Claudius and Queen
Gertrude to spy on him. The scene also introduces the idea of a play within a play,
setting the stage for Hamlet's plan to expose Claudius's guilt
 The scene begins with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern trying to understand the cause
of Hamlet's madness
 Hamlet realises that they are spies and decides to turn the tables on them
 He engages in a series of clever wordplays, avoiding direct answers to their questions
and expressing his distrust – he acts mad, so they don’t realise that he knows
 The players arrive, and Hamlet welcomes them
 He decides to use the troupe to stage a play that mimics the circumstances of King
Hamlet's murder
 Hamlet believes that if Claudius is guilty, his reaction to the play will reveal the truth
 Aim of hamlets plan is to reveal Claudius through the actors
 AO2 = Hamlet = “Man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though by your
smiling you seem to say so." - Hamlet expresses his disillusionment with humanity.
Despite his earlier admiration, he now dismisses the delight he finds in both men and
women, further indicating his troubled state of mind.
 AO2 = Hamlet = "What a rogue and peasant slave am I!" - Hamlet's self-critical
soliloquy reveals his frustration at his own inaction, He compares himself to the
player who, in a fictional portrayal, displays intense emotions while Hamlet struggles
to take decisive action – he realises he is messing up and must do something
 Act 2, Scene 2 is significant for its exploration of Hamlet's mental state, his strategic
thinking, and the introduction of the play within a play as a crucial plot device. The
scene sets the stage for the unfolding drama and the eventual confrontation
between Hamlet and Claudius.
 The introduction of the players allows Shakespeare to raise questions about theatre
– almost as if the play hamlet is commenting on itself
 Hamlet’s use of the players/play to reveal an essential truth also might make the
audience question what ‘truths’ this play ‘hamlet’ might be revealing about life,
revenge, tragedies, the audience, and society
 AO5 = Benedict Cumberbatch interprets hamlets soliloquies ‘a conversation with
different synapses in his brain’