ACT II, 1: THE BEDCHAMBER SCENE
In the first act, Hamlet told Horatio and others that he would pretend to be mad. And he intended to do this in order to get Claudius to reveal the truth about his role in murdering old King Hamlet. In the second act, the first indication of Hamlet’s madness appears (beginning in line 75). In a conversation between Ophelia and Polonius, Ophelia tells her father about Hamlet’s strange behavior in her room or chamber.
Ophelia reports the information. The audience does not actually see the events that occur in her chamber. This is a fine example of storytelling art. The audience is, in this scene, prepared for the odd behavior of Hamlet pretending to be mad. The situation that Ophelia describes is bizarre and wild, and her description causes the audience to be curious and desire to see the mad Hamlet for themselves. And, in the next scene of the play, Shakespeare satisfies that curiosity.
In some movie versions of this play, the bedchamber scene is actually filmed and presented before the audience. This can be effective and artistic as well in a movie because with film the producers have the ability to cut quickly between one scene and another. The audience could then see the actions of mad Hamlet at the same moment as Ophelia tells her father about what had happened.
Such, of course, could not be done as effectively on the live stage. Film and live theater are different mediums that require different approaches to storytelling.
A reader may wonder why Hamlet does not tell Ophelia that he is just pretending to be mad. After all, Hamlet and Ophelia do have a very close relationship. But Hamlet is perhaps wise in not revealing his deception to Ophelia. If Ophelia knew that Hamlet was not really mad, she would not be so flustered and upset when she told her father. And then Polonius himself would not have been convinced that Hamlet was, indeed, truly mad. And Hamlet does need to have the deception to appear real and convincing. On the other hand, though, Hamlet’s deception works too well. Ophelia later believes that Hamlet is not only mad but that he is also no longer in love with her. And that belief will lead to extremely tragic consequences. Hamlet should have thought more about his affect on Ophelia than on his making his deception convincing.
Ophelia’s description is noteworthy: she accurately describes the look and actions of a madman. She notes how Hamlet certainly dresses like a madman: his coat is open, he wears no hat, and his stockings are dirty and hang loosely about his ankles. In the medieval palace, the courtier was always expected to look splendid, clean, and precise. Even a slight fault, like not wearing a hat, would be considered a lowly and dishonorable act. But not only are Hamlet’s clothes unacceptable and offensive, his body language is also equally inappropriate: his knees are knocking together (indicating a lack of selfcontrol), and on his face he has “a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors” (83-85). Ironically, Ophelia’s simile is more accurate than she realizes. Although Hamlet had not just come out of hell, he had been speaking with a creature (his father’s ghost) that had just come out of hell. And Hamlet does have thoughts about horror – the horror of his own father’s murder.
Hamlet’s actions fit his appearance. He stares mutely at Ophelia for several long moments, and then moans a deep and troubled sigh (line 95). Then, as he walks out the door, he keeps his head turned back and his eyes fastened on Ophelia. He does not watch where he is walking, but somehow seems to find the doorway as if directed by some invisible force (line 100). Hamlet’s act is perfect. He convinces Ophelia that he is, indeed, quite mad.
Polonius, the inept advisor, immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion: he believes that Hamlet is mad because of his unrequited love for Ophelia (line 86). He tells Ophelia quite firmly that Hamlet’s behavior “is the very ecstasy of love” (103). By the word ecstasy, Polonius means the irrational and emotional state that the lover experiences. Such an emotional state is a form of madness. Although Polonius is most incorrect about thinking that Hamlet is mad because of unrequited love, the senior advisor does accurately describe the effect of love, especially unrequited love:
… love
Whose violent property fordoes itself
And leads the will to desperate undertakings
As oft as any passion under heaven
That does afflict our natures. (103-07)
This is an idea that Shakespeare expresses over and over again in his plays, especially in his comedies. Shakespeare clearly believed that love was one of the strongest emotions (or passions) that could lead to insane or irrational actions (or desperate undertakings). However, unrequited love is not the cause in Hamlet’s case, and Hamlet is certainly not a comedy.
The scene ends with another brilliantly ironic line. Polonius believes his earlier advice for Ophelia not to take Hamlet’s words of love seriously and to repel his love has led to Hamlet’s madness. Thus, Polonius becomes upset with himself:
But beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. (114-18)
Polonius is stating that older people often jump to conclusions and make the wrong decision about some matter or situation. The irony is that this is exactly what Polonius is doing here. Polonius has incorrectly jumped to the conclusion that Hamlet is mad because of his unrequited love for Ophelia. Polonius has once again cast beyond himself in his opinion.