Read the excerpt from Act II of Hamlet.Ophelia: Alas! my lord, I have been so affrighted.Polonius: With what, in the name of God
?Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd; No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd, Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosed out of hell To speak of horrors, he comes before me.What is the most likely reason Shakespeare included this passage? He explains Hamlet’s behavior through Ophelia’s dialogue, thereby tying up loose ends in the plot. He introduces the conflict between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby adding suspense and advancing the plot. He characterizes the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius, thereby adding to the exposition in the plot. He describes the background between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby escalating the tension to its highest point in the plot.
He explains Hamlet’s behavior through Ophelia’s dialogue, thereby tying up loose ends in the plot.
Explanation:
Thanks to this excerpt, the reader is able to visualize a crucial situation between two characters in a specific point in the story.
Ophelia's horrified reaction to her encounter with Hamlet allowed for a very detailed and critical description of Hamlet's behavior and his then current state of mind, which might have been perceived as a loose end by the reader.
