and with out demonstrated reason, become mired in confusion. When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the Act walking around, reading, and talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would have been working on his vengeance. So, instead of playing the part of vengeful son, or dropping the issue entirely, he hangs out in the middle, pretending to be mad. This is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern "I know not-lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercise" (2.2.298-299). Later he tells them that he is just feigning madness when he says, "I am but mad north-north-west, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw"(2.2.380-381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only feigning madness would imply that he is comfortable with it. He also seems to be generally comfortable with acting This is evident when he says, "there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so" (2.2.251-252). Hamlet is saying that behavior shapes reality. It is puzzling that, at this point, Hamlet is comfortable with acting, but not with the role that he said he would play earlier. If he is to play a role, why not the one that his father gave him? When the players come in a short wile later his attitude changes. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by one of the players. About this speech he says, "What is Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba that he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive and cue for passion that I have?" (2.2.561-564). In this praise of this players ability to act, Hamlet is saying that, if he were such an actor, he would have killed Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting tha...
