them until he has found a way to repay them. (9) One of the Amazon’s men arranged for Wilhelm and Philine, the “married couple,” to stay with a village pastor. Philine ingratiates herself to the hosts while looking after Wilhelm. During his convalescence, Wilhelm replays the encounter with the Amazon in his head over and over. (10) Eventually all the actors come to visit. Laertes asks for a letter of recommendation to join Serlo’s troupe. Wilhelm and Philine have several spats about the money he is spending on others, and she leaves in the night. (11-12) Before going to see Serlo himself, Wilhelm sends the harper to inquire about the Amazon. No information is discovered, but Wilhelm notes a similarity between his Amazon and the countess. He constantly rebukes himself for how he let the troupe down and sets off to join them. (13) Wilhelm arrives and hears from Serlo that the actors have proven disappointing. Wilhelm gives an exegesis of Hamlet’s character to Serlo and his sister, Aurelie:"In these words ['the time is out of joint; O cursed spite! That ever I was born to set it right!'], so I believe, lies the key to Hamlet's whole behavior; and it is clear to me what Shakespeare set out to portray: a heavy deed placed on a soul which is not adequate to cope with it." (Trans. Blackall & Lange, 1989)(14) Aurelie takes Wilhelm to the adjoining room and asks for his thoughts on Ophelia. Midway through, she bursts into tears. Serlo enters with Philine, and when the brother and sister absent themselves, Philine shares hints about Aurelie’s unrequited love and her 3 year-old son. (15) Wilhelm spends the next few evenings watching Serlo’s impressive troupe perform, and Philine tries to flatter him into acting. Aurelie takes Wilhelm aside one day and begins to reveal her past. Serlo comes in and Wilhelm attempts to justify the overall plan of Hamlet. (16) Wilhelm and Aurelie resume their discussion of Ophelia’s part when Serlo snatches a dagger from Aurelie’s table—which she wrestles away from him. Aurelie compliments Wilhelm on his poetic insight, yet criticizes his lack of judgment about people. She picks up her life story, which involves a deceased husband, who was Serlo’s partner in the theater, and a more recent lover, Lothario, who reinvigorated her hope for the German public and nation. (17) Wilhelm finally decides to pick up the