Act II, Scene i

"This is most brave,/That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,/ Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words/ And fall a-cursing like a very drab,/ A scullion! Fie upon ’t, foh!/ About, my brain."

-Hamlet (I.ii.545-51)

This quote informs the reader that Hamlet is holding a lot of the responsibility of the revenge of his fathers death upon himself. Hamlet feels almost hopeless, as he does nothing to the man who he believes killed his father. He feels that heaven and hell are prompting this revenge, yet he is not doing anything about it. It shows that he is moral, because he is too weak to kill without evidence.This foreshadows the the thematic concerns of his revenge on Claudius, and his urgency to act his part to get away with his plans to get away with his crime. It is a large part of the appearance versus reality theme of the play.

• Discuss a reference to any of the four themes that Shakespeare is exploring in Hamlet.

One of the most evident themes in Hamlet is seeming versus being or appearance versus reality. In this scene in particular, the appearance of Hamlet is shown through the perspectives of many friends and family members. Polonius thinks that he is mad with love. Gertrude thinks that he is sad over the death of his father. Claudius is unsure. The reality is unknown, whether it be that Hamlet really is crazy, or if it is all a part of his act to get revenge upon his fathers death.  

Claudius and Gertrude appear to be concerned about Hamlets well being. The reality, is again not quite clear, as to whether they are truly concerned or if they know that Hamlet knows the truth about his fathers death. 

• Pretend that you are an actor preparing to play the scene. What would your motivations be? What would you focus on? What would your delivery emphasize? Journal your specific thoughts on your ideas and preparation.

If I were an actor playing Claudius in this scene, my motivation would be to convince the audience that I am genuinely concerned about the health of my stepson. I would focus on acting as though I desperate to hear answers. I would be very dramatic. My lines would be delivered in a way that was demanding, to emphasize my power as king, and to show protection over my new family. 

I think that the more concern I show, the more clearly I will be able to convey to the audience that I need the solution to this problem.
  

• Choose a character and write a COMPLETE characterization of him or her. What do others say about the character? What do the character's soliloquies reveal about him or her? How do the character's actions provide insight? Who is this character's foil and why?

 -Hamlet
 Hamlet is the main character in the play, the tragic hero. He is a very complex character that leaves the reader questioning what his true intentions were.

Hamlet was generally liked, before he went mad. Ophelia loved him, and he had friends such as Horatio. However, by act II, everyone was saying how crazy he was. His mother and stepfather thought that he was losing control of himself. Polonius said that he was mad with love. Ophelia thought he was crazy and scary. 

Hamlet's soliloquies reveal all of his inner feelings. They tell of his regrets, his wishes, his sadness. Although none of the other characters know how he truly feels, through his soliloquies the reader is let in. They show his true feelings, the reality of things, despite what his appearance may show. 

His actions provide insight because they show that he is very smart, and moral. He is so smart that not even the reader is sure if he is putting on an act to get away with the crime that he wants to commit, or if he is actually crazy. His morality shows through his actions because he does not kill his uncle at first suspicion of his fathers murder. Even when he is given the chance he does not, because he had no definitive proof.

I think that Hamlet's foil is Horatio. Horatio is precarious and wary, whereas Hamlet is more naive. Horatio is more sensible than Hamlet is. For example, upon the initial meeting of the ghost, Horatio is worried and tells Hamlet not to go, whereas Hamlet disregards him and goes anyways.