notes

Kaitlyn and Jordan acted out the scene from Act 2 Scene 1 that was described by Ophelia to Polonious. Jordan, as Hamlet, acted crazy and fascinated in Ophelia. Hamlet was not naked.

Why was this scene not acted out and the scene with Ophelia and her father was?
-because the audience knows that Hamlet will be crazy and it builds suspicion for the audience to create their own opinion of the situation
-shows naivety of Ophelia (who is upset and will exaggerate the real happenings)


A couple weeks go by from when Laertes is sent to Paris, this allows Hamlet to realize what is going on with him and Ophelia.

The whole point of going crazy towards Ophelia is for her to tell Polonious who will tell the King and so Hamlet does not have to.

Hamlet is a tragic hero who has allies: one being Ophelia, who should stand by his side
Another theme in the play is the Old characters vs. the Young characters (Generational Warfare) because it is all about identity and how a young individual changes depending on who they are around and what they want from the situation.
-the older characters (Polonious, Gertrude, and Claudius) want obedience, respect, and they want to be in control of the the younger characters (Ophelia, Hamlet, Laertes)

Act 1 Scene 2

Does the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet why they are there make them on Hamlets side?
-no
They are being bribed to watch over Hamlet and see what is wrong with him

Why does Hamlet talk to Polonious like he doesn't know about Ophelia?
-it brings some comedy into the tragic mind set of the audience and allows comparisons, they become indifferent to it [garden of Eden: tree of knowledge of good and evil (recognizable elements)]

Tanya