Olivia Conti - AP Lit - 2A - 1/17/15 - Hamlet Act II Response

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare during Act II, Hamlet is now beginning to attempt planning
his revenge against his uncle for the murder of his father. Also, the recently made king, his
uncle, is starting to suspect that Hamlet knows the truth. Claudius, the recently made king, had
asked two of Hamlets friends to see what really has him acting so out of character for him.
There were many different aspects and components to Act II, however allusion drove the plot
forwards.
Allusion held the most significance because they moved the plot along. "O Jephthah, judge of
Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!(H l.ii)" Jephthah, who was a character in the Old Testament,
sacrificed his daughter in order to keep a vow he made. This quote was said by Hamlet to
Polonius who is using his daughter to gain favor with Claudius. It would be only name calling
and sarcasm from Hamlet is actually an insult to Polonius with this allusion and his fickle ways
to gain favor with the king.
Another allusion is when Hamlet asked the lead actor do the play Priam and Pyrrhus in the end
of Act II. Priam was a king in the Trojan war that was murdered by Pyrrhus, in my opinion,
Hamlet asked for this play specifically to test Claudius. Claudius has been trying to find out if
Hamlet knows what he did to King Hamlet and it is ironic when taking the parallels in
consideration.
Both allusions have proved to move the plot forwards, referring to Polonius's play for favor with
the king to Hamlet asking for Prias and Pyrrhus.

Comment [OC1]: Good quote