Claudius Is Selfish, Concerned About His Reputation
Hamlet
Act IV
Scene 1
Frantic after her confrontation with Hamlet, Gertrude tells Claudius about her encounter with Hamlet and says that he is as mad as the sea during a violent storm and also tells Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius
- Claudius thinks about how he will handle this crisis without damaging Denmark
(Claudius is selfish, concerned about his reputation)
- He tells Gertrude they must send Hamlet to England at once
Scene 2
- Hamlet just finished disposing of Polonius’ body
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern asks Hamlet what he has done with the body
- Hamlet doesn’t give them a straight answer and accuses them of being spies
- Hamlet allows R & G to escort him to Claudius
Scene 3
- Hamlet reveals that Polonius’ body is under the stairs in the lobby
- King tells Hamlet that he must leave for England immediately and Hamlet agrees
- Claudius hopes that England will obey his orders and kill Hamlet when he arrives
Scene 4
- Hamlet runs into Fortinbras in Denmark as Fortinbras makes his way to attack Poland
- Hamlet is amazed that human beings are able to act so violently and purposefully for little gain (Fortinbras doesn’t have good reason to attack Poland)
- Hamlet is disgusted with himself for having failed to gain his revenge on Claudius, now declares that his thoughts will be bloody
Scene 5
- Gertrude and Horatio discuss Opheliabecause Ophelia seems to have gone mad
- Ophelia’s grief stems from her father’s death
- Laertes has secretly sailed back from France with a mob of commoners who call him Lord
- A furious Laertes storms in to avenge his father’s death
- Claudius attempts to soothe him
- Gertrude tells Laertes that Claudius is innocent in his father’s death
- When Ophelia enters and is obviously insane, Laertes plunges into a rage again
- Claudius seconds Laertes’ desire to achieve justice in Polonius’ death
Scene 6
- Sailors bring a letter from Hamlet telling the King that his ship was captured by pirates and that he has returned to Denmark
Scene 7
- Claudius and Laertes discuss Polonius’ death
- Claudius explains why he didn’t punish Hamlet for the murder (because the commoners and the Queen love his so much and didn’t want to upset either of them)
- Laertes is pleased to hear that Hamlet has returned to Denmark because this gives him an opportunity to avenge his father’s death
- Claudius agrees that Laertes deserves to avenge his father’s death because Hamlet’s erratic behavior is now a threat to the King’s reign
- Hamlet has been jealous of Laertes use of a sword, so he will be tempted into a duel with Laertes, which gives Laertes a chance to kill Hamlet
- Laertes will use a sharpened sword instead of the traditional dull fencing sword, also he will poison the tip of it so a scratch will kill him
- As a backup plan in case Hamlet wins the sword fight, the King will put poison in the celebratory wine
- Ophelia mad with grief, has drowned in the river