Scene
1
Gertrude is truly worried about her son Hamlet and his madness.
Claudius starts to worry about the damage Hamlet can do to his reputation.
Claudius is hoping that slander will spare him and his wife.
Scene
2
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try their hardest to get a straight
answer out of Hamlet without being aggressive. Hamlet's answers only
confuses the two.
Scene
3
Claudius is now truly worried about his safety around Hamlet and
wants him dead. The King thinks he can now get rid of Hamlet for good.
Scene
4
Hamlet is curious as to why he is going to England and has to
remind himself that he must carry out his revenge as quickly as possible.
Scene
5
Gertrude is reluctant to speak with Ophelia, but eventually gives
in because Horatio convinces Gertrude that Ophelia's evil intentions
might turn to dangerous conclusions if she doesn't speak with her.
Ophelia is deeply troubled by her father's death. She has conflicting
emotions over the fact that the man she loved killed her father. Laertes
is also extremely upset over the death of his father and automatically
assumes the King did it. Knowing Laertes would not harm him, Claudius
speaks to Laertes about the death of Polonius. Laertes is surprised
to find that his sister has become insane and feels sorry for her.
Scene
6
Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet explaining that his boat
to England was attacked a pirate ship and is now the only prisoner
on board. Hamlet tells Horatio to deliver some letters to the King
and that Hamlet has important information to tell Horatio. Hamlet
wants to meet Horatio and tells him that the sailors of the pirate
ship will take him to see Hamlet.
Scene
7
The King and Laertes have suspicion that Hamlet did not write
the letter because it states that Hamlet will return to Denmark. They
determine that Hamlet did write the letter and therefore must think
of another plan to kill Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet will have a fencing
match and Laertes will receive a sharpened sword, but Hamlet will
not. For safe measure Laertes says he will put poison on the end of
his sword so that if he even scratches Hamlet, he would die. They
also come up with a back up plan incase the first doesn't work. Claudius
assumes that Hamlet will ask for a drink during the fight and the
drink he will have ready for Hamlet will be poisoned. Laertes also
finds out his sister has drowned, but does not want to shed tears
for his sister. He leaves and Claudius is worried that all his work
to calm Laertes down will be in vain, so Claudius and Gertrude follow
Laertes.