Nexus resource
Hamlet Act 2
Scene summaries
Subject:
Age range:
Topic:
English
12–14 15–16
Hamlet
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2015
Source | This resource was originally developed by Ruth Wilson for Wolverhampton Local Authority
and has been adapted by EAL Nexus. Images from Self-Made Hero’s Manga Shakespeare series.
Hamlet Act 2:
Scene summaries
Scene 1
Polonius’ house
Polonius doesn’t trust his son Laertes in France, so he sends a spy to
see what Laertes is doing. Ophelia tells Polonius (her father) that
Hamlet is behaving very strangely and is mad.
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Translation
Meaning
strangely
a spy
to spy on
Scene 2
A room in Elsinore Castle
Messengers come back from Norway and tell Claudius that Prince
Fortinbras is not going to invade Denmark.
King Claudius tells Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
to find out why Hamlet is behaving strangely.
Polonius tells Claudius that Hamlet has gone mad because he is in
love with Ophelia.
©British Council 2015
Polonius and Claudius decide to send Ophelia to talk to Hamlet while
they hide in the room and listen to their conversation.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to talk to Hamlet, but Hamlet just
pretends to be mad. Polonius also tries to talk to Hamlet.
Hamlet hears a group of travelling players (actors) who perform a
play about murder and revenge. Hamlet decides to ask the actors to
show their play to the King. Hamlet wants to watch Claudius during
the play to see if he looks guilty.
Hamlet wants to know if Claudius really murdered Hamlet’s father.
Hamlet talks to himself. He talks about how to get revenge for his
father’s murder.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway
travelling players (actors)
Polonius listens to their conversation
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Translation
Meaning
guilty
conversation
©British Council 2015
Word or phrase
Translation
Meaning
a play
to watch
to talk to oneself
(he talks to
himself)
to hide
to listen
to be in love
©British Council 2015