SPEECH+ACT+II

Communication and speech as a motif is demonstrated by the following lines:

> And how, and who, what means, and where they keep, What company, at what expense” In the first example it becomes obvious that communication is key. Polonius is talking to Reynaldo and telling him exactly how to spy on Laertes. He tells him to ask general questions about their lives. Polonius enforces to Reynaldo that it must be done this way because if its not, the Danskers might know that he is actually there to spy on Laertes. Polonius stresses that by his careful choice of words and questions, he will be able to find out the information he wants. In the second example, Polonius is talking to the King and Queen reporting that he thinks Hamlet is mad and also suggests why. However, in communicating this to Gertrude and Claudius, Polonius says he will be very brief yet he then chooses to make his speech much wordier than it needs to be. Here, he is trying to impress the King and Queen, both people above him, by using lots of words and fancy speech. Unsuccessful, the Queen makes a statement to him to get to the point. In the third example, Hamlet is warning Polonius to watch his daughter. But because Hamlet chooses his words very carefully, knowing that he can mess with Polonius’s mind, much of what Hamlet is saying is going right about his head. In reality, Hamlet is more so mocking Polonius and his lack of intelligence. ** Andrea Gableman **
 * 1) Act 2, scene 1, lines 7-9: Polonius- “Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
 * 1) Act 2, scene 2, line 96: Gertrude- “More matter, with less art.”
 * 2) Act 2, scene 2, line 175: Hamlet- “Excellent well; you’re a fishmonger.”

Robyn Goettelman II.ii.50 "O, speak of that! That do I long to hear." In this line, the King is urging Polonius to tell him why Hamlet is acting so strange, as Polonius says he knows of the reason. This shows how important the subject is to Claudius as his urgency for Polonius to speak is quite obvious with his words. This makes the upcoming communication between the two important, for as Hamlet is not telling anyone why he is acting so peculiar, Claudius and Gertrude must rely on others to tell them if they truly wish to find out the source of Hamlet's distress, but as they find out, Polonius only tells them he knows, he truly does not. II.ii.278 "Were you not sent for? Is it at your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, come, deal justly with me. Come, come; nay, speak." Here, Hamlet is speaking with his old friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of their unexpected visit to Elsinore. He is urging them to tell him the reason for their visit, but up until now, they have been avoiding telling him the real reason. As he interprets their nonverbal communication (expressions), he comes to the conclusion that they must have been sent for and wants them to tell him truthfully by whom. The King and Queen have asked them to inquire of Hamlet, to once again try to find out why he is acting so strangely. Before Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell him the reason though, Hamlet has figured out that the king and queen have made the order, and has persuaded them to concur. This shows how Hamlet can read what people are thinking without them actually having to say it, even though he could still get them to speak. II.ii.605 "I'll observe his looks; I'll tent him to the quick. If he do blench, I know my course." Here Hamlet decides that at the play that reenacts a king's murder, he will look for visual clues that will tell him, via Claudius' reaction, if he is guilty of murdering King Hamlet. This soliloquy of Hamlet's is one where he decides that he will have to rely on nonverbal communication to tell him if Claudius has killed his father, for he can't directly ask him if he has killed Hamlet, knowing he will only get an honest answer from Claudius' emotions, not the actual words he is speaking.