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