Hamlets Predicaments

The main players of the play arrive in Act2 Scene2. They are announced by a flourish of trumpets, which is the usual occurrence upon the arrival of actors. Yet, this is the second time in the scene we have heard such a grand entrance the first being that of the King and Queen at the start of the scene and therefore it imparts a similar feeling of importance for the players immediately. Hamlet himself welcomes them with great warmth and “entertainment.” He has great admiration for these people and their lifestyle, which has the freedom from duties and of expression that Hamlet lacks.

Already in Act2 scene2, we see that Hamlet is conceiving plans and deception, as he warns of his contrived madness:
“I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw”, and so we see that he is already taking on some of the ...