Hamlet - 2.1

1. At the opening of this scene, to where is Polonius sending Reynaldo?

Paris, France.

2. Why does Polonius send him on this journey?

Polonius is suspicious of what Laertes is doing in France, and so he sends Reynaldo to spy on him.

3. By what trick is Reynaldo supposed to get information about Laertes?

He is supposed to talk to other people in the area and spread lies about Laertes to see how he reacts to them. The rumors aren't supposed to be too bad, so that Polonius doesn't get shamed, but bad enough to see what Laertes will do about them.

4. What does this reveal about Polonius' character?

He doesn't trust even his own son. He is suspicious, sneaky, dishonest, and untrustworthy.He cares only for himself and his own reputation.

5. How would you describe the effect of Polonius's rambling speech to Reynaldo?

Reynaldo really just wants Polonius to shut up. Polonius goes on and on, and Reynaldo gets rather sick of hearing him talk. He doesn't really care about what he has to do as long as Polonius stops rambling to him.

6. How does Ophelia describe Hamlet's appearance to her?

She describes him as being mad, like he had just returned from Hell. His shirt was unbuttoned; he wore no hat; his stockings fell around his ankles; he was pale; his knees were knocking together. He acted very strangely and left without saying a word.

7. What is Polonius's conclusion about Hamlet?

Polonius tells everyone that he thinks Hamlet is madly in love with Ophelia and that is what is causing him to act so strange, however I don't think that Polonius actually puts much thought into Hamlet's actions, he's just going to go along with this idea because he wants to be the center of attention and get more involved with the royal family.