Wednesday, January 25, 2012

In Hamlet, why does Polonius send Reynaldo after Laertes?

In Act II, Scene i, Polonius's ostensible reason for sending Reynaldo to Paris is to take money and notes to Laertes. His real reason, however, appears to be that he wants Reynaldo to spy on Laertes and find out if he is gaming, drinking, fencing, swearing, or going to brothels. To put it simply, Polonius does not trust his children and keeps an ever-watchful eye on them. In Act I, Scene iii when Laertes is preparing to leave, Polonius is eager to lecture him in great detail about how he should behave abroad. His meddling ways are not limited to his son; Polonius also tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet so that her chastity is not in danger.

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In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet , the proof that Claudius is guilty...