Hamlet Act II

The play within a play worked effectively in Act II, during this "play" Hamlet was reanacting the scene in which Claudius had killed his father to see if he had gotten any reaction because he knew that if Claudius reacted he would know right then and there that Claudius felt guilt and that he actually poisoned his father in the garden. Before, during, and after the play Hamlet acts insane and covers up his jokes to make fun of or exploit the other characters flaws and his pretending to be crazy so he can get closer to Claudius and kill him for what he did to his father. On the other side Hamlet pretends that he is love sick for Ophelia and Polonius believes that is also the reason that Hamlet may be feeling down.