Hamlet - Act 2 Summary
Uploaded by Admin on Jan 22, 1999
I have succeeded in tricking the whole royal family into thinking I am 'mad.' Ophilia, Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius, and all the rest of them believe that I am heart-broken and losing my mind. This should play right into my trap. Since I now know of the players that are in town, I can continue my plan that consists of disposing of Claudius.
Fooling the royal family was a simple task. They believe that I have become mad because of the forbiddance of Ophilia to see me. I even expressed a will to die, rather then be left without her. All of this I am doing, because I see no other way. I must deceive the king, until I am ready to kill him.
I was having doubts of the ghost recently. At first, I figured it to be a legitimate specter. Showing up at a time very shortly after my great father's death and wearing his shining armor. He seemed to speak of wisdom that only my dead king could portray. Now, I wonder if it wasn't a phantom sent from hell to lure me into killing my mother's lover and king. If true, I would never be able to live with myself, for that would be a horrible deed, done wrong. Yet, I cannot just dismiss this apparition, so I will carry out my plan.
I have decided, that with the help of the players and a little improvising on my part with the script they will read, to check on Claudius' conscience. They shall perform a play in which the king is slain and shall watch my new king very closely, for if he so much as flinches I can be sure that the ghost has spake the truth. With that confirmation, I shall begin constructing my play to kill him.