Question

Summarize hamlet's comments about the first player's performance in scene 2. what internal conflict is expressed in this soliloquy?

Answer 1

Hamlet praises the first player's emotive performance while simultaneously expressing his frustration over his own inaction and moral deliberations, revealing his inner conflict between thought and action.

Step-by-step explanation:

In his soliloquy following the first player's performance in Act II, Scene 2 of Hamlet, Hamlet expresses admiration for the player's ability to deeply emote for Hecuba, a character in a story the player has no true connection to. This contrasts starkly with Hamlet's own internal struggle to take action against his uncle Claudius, despite having a personal vendetta. Hamlet marvels at the player who can display such strong emotions for fiction while he, Hamlet, struggles to muster resolve against a real criminal. This soliloquy reveals Hamlet's internal conflict; he is fraught with indecision and self-reproach for his inability to carry out revenge, questioning the validity of his emotions and actions.

The internal conflict expressed is Hamlet's frustration at his perceived cowardice and inaction, especially when compared to the actor's display of passion over a fictional narrative. Furthermore, it underscores the disparity between thought and action, a recurring theme in the play. Hamlet's contemplative nature and moral deliberation prevent him from acting impulsively, leading to his indecisiveness and the delay in exacting his revenge.

Answer 2

This scene incorporates one of Shakespeare's more smart account improvements, as Hamlet, apparently energized by the entry of a voyaging theater troupe, particular demands of the meeting on-screen characters that they play out Virgil's epic Aeneid. In that story, Pyrrhus, the child of Achilles, effectively retaliates for his dad's passing on account of Paris, whose activities hastened the whole wicked issue when he stole Helen.