When we acted this scene out in class, I was in the group that performed the second scenario – the one in which Hamlet does not know until later in the scene that he is being watched. Although this option seems the most logical, seeing that there is a shift in Hamlet’s attitude somewhere in the middle of the scene, I personally prefer the third option – the one in which Hamlet never knows he is being watched. I’d like to think that everything he says in this scene is genuine; maybe he’s crazy, but he’s not changing things because he is being watched. But here’s the logical approach to this scene: Hamlet doesn’t know at first that he is being watched. Through his entire to be or not to be soliloquy, he’s speaking from his heart. He is legitimately troubled by the situation of his father’s death and the things that his father’s ghost told him. Therefore, he is actually questioning: is it worth it to have to deal with all of these problems? However, as soon as Ophelia enters, Hamlet realizes that something is up. In act II scene I, Ophelia told her father about the strange thing Hamlet did to her. She made it sound so creepy; she made it sound like she would never want to go near him again. And I’m sure Hamlet knew that at the time, too. I’m sure he realized that things between him and Ophelia could not be normal after what he did. But in this act, Ophelia enters and greets Hamlet as if everything is fine, which is probably what makes him realize that he is being set up. We can see in Hamlet’s words that that he is trying to hide the truth from himself, from Ophelia, and from whoever may be watching. He attempts to show a new attitude towards her, incase anybody is listening. He denies having given her anything. He questions her beauty. He denies his love for her. He calls her a sinner. He mentions marriage in her future without mentioning himself. He criticizes women. Basically, he has a 360-degree turnaround from his last scene with Ophelia. Why? Because he knows that he is being watched. However, here’s my preferred version of the scene: Hamlet never finds out that he is being watched. Through his entire to be or not to be soliloquy, he is speaking what’s really on his mind. Even as Ophelia enters, sure, Hamlet thinks it’s strange that she’s acting normal around him, but he doesn’t give it more thought than that. When she mentions the “remembrances,” he denies ever having given anything to her – not because someone is watching, but because he is crazy and actually does not remember. He knows that she does not love him, so again, out of insanity, he denies his love for her as well and instead insults her, calling her a sinner and telling her to “get [herself] to a nunnery.” Basically, he still has a 360-degree turnaround from his last scene with Ophelia, where he seemed crazy in love with her. Why, though? Not because he is being watched, and not because he doesn’t love her anymore, but merely because he is acting on his emotions. After what he’s been going through, he’s officially entered insanity. It’s much more exciting to think Hamlet is actually insane. It makes me wonder what crazy turnaround he’ll have next. But what happened in this scene was probably the second, more logical scenario: Hamlet didn’t know at first that he was being watched, but eventually realized it when Ophelia entered.
When we acted this scene out in class, I was in the group that performed the second scenario – the one in which Hamlet does not know until later in the scene that he is being watched. Although this option seems the most logical, seeing that there is a shift in Hamlet’s attitude somewhere in the middle of the scene, I personally prefer the third option – the one in which Hamlet never knows he is being watched. I’d like to think that everything he says in this scene is genuine; maybe he’s crazy, but he’s not changing things because he is being watched.
But here’s the logical approach to this scene: Hamlet doesn’t know at first that he is being watched. Through his entire to be or not to be soliloquy, he’s speaking from his heart. He is legitimately troubled by the situation of his father’s death and the things that his father’s ghost told him. Therefore, he is actually questioning: is it worth it to have to deal with all of these problems? However, as soon as Ophelia enters, Hamlet realizes that something is up. In act II scene I, Ophelia told her father about the strange thing Hamlet did to her. She made it sound so creepy; she made it sound like she would never want to go near him again. And I’m sure Hamlet knew that at the time, too. I’m sure he realized that things between him and Ophelia could not be normal after what he did. But in this act, Ophelia enters and greets Hamlet as if everything is fine, which is probably what makes him realize that he is being set up.
We can see in Hamlet’s words that that he is trying to hide the truth from himself, from Ophelia, and from whoever may be watching. He attempts to show a new attitude towards her, incase anybody is listening. He denies having given her anything. He questions her beauty. He denies his love for her. He calls her a sinner. He mentions marriage in her future without mentioning himself. He criticizes women. Basically, he has a 360-degree turnaround from his last scene with Ophelia. Why? Because he knows that he is being watched.
However, here’s my preferred version of the scene: Hamlet never finds out that he is being watched. Through his entire to be or not to be soliloquy, he is speaking what’s really on his mind. Even as Ophelia enters, sure, Hamlet thinks it’s strange that she’s acting normal around him, but he doesn’t give it more thought than that. When she mentions the “remembrances,” he denies ever having given anything to her – not because someone is watching, but because he is crazy and actually does not remember. He knows that she does not love him, so again, out of insanity, he denies his love for her as well and instead insults her, calling her a sinner and telling her to “get [herself] to a nunnery.” Basically, he still has a 360-degree turnaround from his last scene with Ophelia, where he seemed crazy in love with her. Why, though? Not because he is being watched, and not because he doesn’t love her anymore, but merely because he is acting on his emotions. After what he’s been going through, he’s officially entered insanity.
It’s much more exciting to think Hamlet is actually insane. It makes me wonder what crazy turnaround he’ll have next. But what happened in this scene was probably the second, more logical scenario: Hamlet didn’t know at first that he was being watched, but eventually realized it when Ophelia entered.