William Pawelko
Mr. Johnson
AP Lit, Period 4
17 February 2015
Act 2 Scene 2: Hamlet’s Soliloquy Scene 2 of Act 2 ends with Hamlet’s soliloquy in which Hamlet expresses his confusion and frustration. Hamlet feels to an extent obligated to kill the king who he suspects has murdered his father however doesn’t feel okay with killing the king. In addition to seeing Hamlets frustration we are introduced to his plan to get revenge on the king. We are able to see all this through the careful wording in soliloquy. Frustration is immediately prevalent when Hamlet calls himself a “rouge” and a “peasant slave”. Hamlet was previously speaking to actors that perform a play. He continues to go on and question the difference in the emotional effect received by the audience when the players perform the play as opposed to himself. Someone who truly can connect to the characters and feels what they are going through. He concludes that the audience would have a far greater emotional state if it were him. Hamlet then asks himself, “Am I a coward?” How could he not kill the very man that killed his father? Hamlet battles with himself and can’t bring himself to murdering the king. He then says he “must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words…” This line reveals Hamlets plan to get the king to admit his acts himself through tongue. Hamlet continues to explain what should happen saying, “…been struck so to the soul that presently they have proclaimed their malefactions…”. With his plan
