Scene 1: The scene starts off with Polonius and a new Character called Reynaldo as they are both discussing about Reynaldo going to Paris to get some inside information on Laertes, Polonius says that he should pretend to know him so that he can get access to him. Polonius then bids farewell to Reynaldo and he exits.
Ophelia then enters and tells us that he thinks Hamlet has gone mad and that he came to her with his clothes undone with the quote ” My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced; No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosèd out of hell To speak of horrors—he comes before me. ” Polonius then says that maybe he is turning crazy because he loves you and has been denied access after I told you to stop seeing him, he then apologies for not allowing Ophelia to be with Hamlet and they both go to the King and the scene ends.
Scene 2: The scene takes place in the castle where Claudius and Gertrude are welcoming Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. all the characters are deeply concerned with his madness expect for the king who seems to take some delight in hamlet going mad as he doesn’t like him anyway. The reason Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are at the castle is to help cheer up hamlet in his hard times after finding out that his uncle/father killed his actual father and king.
Polonius then enters whilst also announcing the return of the ambassadors whom the king sent to Norway. during their visit they find out that the king of Norway is angry that Fortinbras wanted to attack the Danes where he swore to the king he wound not attack Denmark again. The Norwegian king then asks for the request that he will be allowed safe passage through Denmark to get to Poland to attack the real enemies instead of Norway . Claudius then tells us that he will look over the plans later. Voltimand and Cornelius then leave.
Polonius then declares to the king that hamlet has gone mad over his love for Ophelia that has been rejected due to Ophelia being told by Polonius that she should stop seeing him, Hamlet then arrives and is flat-out rude to Polonius which is likely to be fuelled by his rejection by Ophelia (It should be noted that his speech pattern comes out of iambic pentameter and then back into iambic pentameter when Polonius leaves)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern then enter and Hamlet goes back to normal and is now in a very positive mood and is no longer making rude comments. Both characters talk about his unhappiness until hamlet asks if they have been summoned to spy on him which they both disagree until Hamlet basically tells them that they have been sent by the king and queen. Trumpets sound and the players start making their way to the castle as we find out that hamlet wants to put a play on about how his father died ( This is not known to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). Polonius then enters and along with hamlet welcomes the players to the castle and tells us that a new play will be performed which is The Murder of Gonzaga with apparent extra lines and content added by himself.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are left in an empty room and work out that the plot is very similar to hamlets death and work out that if the king has a reaction this means he is guilty and killed hamlet father, end of scene.
React!