Act 2 Scene 2 Flashcards
What device is used in ‘Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’?
Claudius’ flattery presents him as machiavellian/scheming.
Who is referenced in ‘two men there is not living/To whom he more adheres’ ?
Cecil and Walsingham - known to have a huge network of double agents for Queen Elizabeth I, linked to the idea of machiavellian rulers.
How does ‘My news shall be the fruit to that great feast’ present Polonius?
The use of dramatic irony presents him as a typical fool in his elevated status.
How is Claudius presented in ‘he hath found/ The head and source of all your son’s distemper’ ?
Duplicitous - Claudius distances himself from Hamlet through the impersonal pronoun.
How does Gertrude get Polonius to stop being a verbose fool?
She says ‘More matter with less art’.
What device is used in ‘tis true; ‘tis true ‘tis pity; /And pity ‘tis ‘tis true. A foolish figure’ ?
Anadiplosis - presents Polonius as a fool.
What quotes shows Polonius using a Ophelia and being a sycophant?
‘To the celestial and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia… these; in her excellent white bosom’ ‘What do you think of me?’
What context can be linked to ‘Be you and I behind an arras then, Mark the encounter’ ?
The theme of surveillance and Cecil being known to use cunning tricks, like pigeon stools, to discover the truth of situations.
How does Hamlet present Polonius in ‘fishmonger’ ?
The pun is used to insult Polonius as Hamlet knows he prides himself on perceived importance so by referring to him as a bawd he is lowering Polonius’ status - offensive and belittling.
What does ‘is to be one man picked out of ten thousand’ highlight?
It displays the dishonesty of the court - P as feigning interest for his own reasons.
What device is used in ‘Though this be madness, yet there is method in it’ ?
Dramatic irony as audience knows there is a method and with Polonius believing it, sets him up as a fool.
What does ‘tedious old fools’ show about Hamlet?
Perhaps evidence of his ‘antic disposition’ however because he says it after Polonius leaves perhaps it is evidence he is really mad.
How does ‘Man delights not me’ present Hamlet and how is Hamlet speaking?
It displays a profound expression of depression as he is looking at human worthlessness. Also Hamlet speaks in prose, which is typical of Shakespeare to use when he is suggesting madness.
What does ‘north-north west’ and ‘I know a hawk from a handsaw’ suggest about Hamlet?
Hamlet is suggesting he is occasionally mad, just like the wind but we question whether his ‘antic disposition’ is true or not.
How is Hamlet presented in ‘rogue and peasant slave’ ?
Hamlet as self-deprecating as he compares himself to someone base born/ of low status. Question whether he is trapped or victim to filial duty. Hamlet as lacking agency/ being ignoble due to his hamartia of procrastination.
