It starts with Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were discussing Hamlet’s melancholy. Polonius enters and says that he has figured out the cause of Hamlet’s lunacy to which the others believe it is related to his father’s death later be believed to be his lovesickness when Polonius reads out some love letters. Polonius and the ambassadors arrive to talk to Claudius about allowing Fortinbras’ go through Denmark to attack the Poles without attacking the Danes to which he agrees to. Polonius proposes that they stage a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia and spy on it to test his theory. Hamlet arrives and the King and Queen leave Polonius alone to talk with him only for him to change topics between pregnancy, death, and also referred to Denmark, Ophelia and Polonius. Polonius later leaves and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive. He begins a long speech about the beauty of the world and nobility of man. Hamlet wonders why they came only to think that they were sent by the King and Queen which they agreed to.

Hamlet cheers up a slightly when Rosencrantz informs him of the troupe of players/actors that have arrived to put on a show. Hamlet mocks Polonius as he enters with the players, but welcomes the players that follow. He asks the First player to act a speech about the Trojan queen Hecuba’s grief at the death of her husband Priam and the Player does, to a remarkable extent. Hamlet later asks the First Player to perform a certain scene, The Murder of Gonzago, on the following night, with a script he ‘adjusted’ himself. Hamlet is with Player and is somewhat upset that that the player cannot perform to the standard he desires. It is later revealed that Hamlet intends to reenact the scene to look similar to how Claudius murdered his father.