"Hamlet" Act 2: My excellent good friends!

Quiz

Find out who says the following lines in Act 1, to whom and what they are about:

1. "What art thou that usurp'st this time of night...?" (1.1)
2. "This above all - to thine own self be true" (1.3)
3. "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain" (1.5)
4. "O cursed spite/That ever I was born to set it right" (1.5)
5. "My lord, he hath importuned me with love" (1.3)
6. "O Hamlet, what a falling off was there!" (1.5)
7. "Good Hamlet, cast thy nightly colour off" (1.2)
8. "Now sir, young Fortinbras,/Of unimproved mettle hot and full" (1.1)
9. "And in the morn and liquid dew of youth/Contagious blastments are most imminemt" (1.3)
10. "Angels and ministers of grace defend us!" (1.4)

Be prepared to explain your ideas to the class.

"Hamlet" Act 2

Act 2 is divided into five sections:

1. Polonius the diligent father?
2. Who are Rosencranz and Guildenstern?
3. Hamlet’s Love Letter
4. My excellent good friends!
5. Hamlet and the Players

If you did your homework last week and read Act 2, you should be able to work with a partner/small group on one of these sections to present your ideas about:

• What happens
• What we learn about major characters
• What themes seem to be becoming important in the play?

Work together to present your findings; please inclde what you think are at least five key quotations from your section to explain for their significance.

HOMEWORK 10th October 2008

Language Focus: Shakespeare's Imagery

"Hamlet" contains many sets of related images. These are, for example of:

• Death
• Disease and corruption
• Madness
• Good and evil
• Love
• Kingship and royalty
• Nature
• Sexuality

Choose one of these and build notes about as many examples you can find in Acts 1 and 2 of the play.

Good luck!
Dr. Milne.