e act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would have been contemplating his revenge. So, instead of playing the part of the vengeful son, he stays 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.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 assigned him? When the characters come in a short while later, his attitude changes. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by one of the characters. He makes a big buildup of what he should have done and how he will be revenged. After all of his swearing and support of the value of acting and words, he backs out of it again. He can't decide whether or not to play the role. Words are a further condemned when he says, "Must, like a whore, unpack my hart with Words" (2.2.587). So, he is now condemning role playing. Being caught in the middle, he decides that he needs more proof of the Kings guilt when he says, "The play is the thing? Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King" (2.2.606-607). Before the mousetrap is to be played, Hamlet runs into Ophelia and makes the telling statements. Upon the issue of Ophelia's beauty, Hamlet says, "That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty" (3.1.109-110). He is saying that Ophelia can be honest and fair, but that, honesty being an inward trait, and fairness being an outward trait, but the two ...
