Hamlet, Act I, scene iii
The Other Family
Lines 1-56: Ophelia and Laertes
1. What advice does Laertes give Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet?
2. How does Ophelia reply to this (lines 49-55)?
3. How should Ophelia speak lines 49-55? Is she being submissive or ironic? How would the actress’s choice here reveal something about her interpretation of the character?
Lines 56-93: Laertes and Polonius
1. Polonius gives his son advice as the boy heads off to college. Make a list from 1-8. Identify the eight pieces of advice he gives to Laertes and order them from the most useful to the least so.
2. How should Polonius speak these lines? In various productions, the actor has been variously comic, authoritarian, loving, sincere, pompous or aloof. Which of those interpretations would you use? And what would your choice reveal about the character?
Lines 95-145: Polonius and Ophelia
1. Follow the various uses of the word “tender” in lines 108-118. Which different definitions of the word do Ophelia and Polonius use?
2. What does Polonius say to Ophelia in lines 141-144? Is this advice, or an order? Compare Polonius’s treatment of Ophelia with how he treats Laertes. Is there a double standard here?
3. How should the actors playing Ophelia and Laertes respond to Polonius’s various pieces of advice? In some productions, they listen dutifully and respectfully, while in others they mock him by making faces behind his back. Which interpretation would you choose, and why?
