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Jun 2, 2020 · Act 4, scene 1 Gertrude reports Polonius’s death to Claudius, who sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and recover the body. Act 4, scene 2 Hamlet refuses to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern where he has put Polonius’s body.
- Act 4, Scene 1 Summary
- Act 4, Scene 1 Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 2 Summary
- Act 4, Scene 2 Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 3 Summary
- Act 4, Scene 3 Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 4 Summary
- Act 4, Scene 4 Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 5 Summary
- Act 4, Scene 5 Analysis
Gertrude informs Claudius that Hamlet has gone mad and has slain Polonius. Claudius is worried that they will be blamed for Polonius’ death because they let Hamlet stay in the castle in such a maddened state. Claudius takes stock of this and decides to immediately send Hamlet to England. Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildensternto find Hamlet and ...
After hearing about Polonius’ death and Hamlet’s madness, Claudius wants to get rid of Hamlet immediately. However, Gertrude’s apparent love for her son holds him back. Claudius compares Hamlet to a disease that is spreading rapidly. Further, Claudius is aware that Hamlet is the only one who knows about his sins, and that he could pass this informa...
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet about Polonius’body, but he taunts them and calls them names and does not give a direct answer. He calls them cronies of the king and then runs away bidding them to chase him.
Hamlet, at this point, is able to see through his friends’ and family’s ulterior motives. He is also not afraid to let them know of this.
Claudius lets his advisors know that, since Hamlet is beloved in Denmark, he will not jail him and will only send him to England. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring in Hamlet. Claudius asks about the whereabouts of Polonius’body, but Hamlet uses clever wordplay and does share any concrete information. Claudius asks his attendants to look for the bo...
This is the final attempt by Claudius to get rid of Hamlet and legitimize his claim to the throne. However, he is prudent to not harm Hamlet in front of his subjects; instead, he summons the king of England, his ally, to do the deed. Many critics believe that Hamlet’s descent into madness begins soon after he kills Polonius.
The scene begins with Fortinbras’ army marching through Elsinore. Fortinbras asks his captain to approach the king of Denmark and remind him of the pact to let him pass through Denmark as he marches toward Poland. The captain encounters Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern and shares the reason for his army’s arrival at Elsinore. The captain adds ...
Hamlet is inspired by Fortinbras’ commitment to action and his command over the army. It leads him to ponder more about the need for action to achieve his goal. In weighing the willingness of the Norwegian soldiers to lay down their lives for a worthless piece of land against his own inability to act, he sees that he has been too hesitant.
Gertrude, Horatio, and other court attendants are informed that Ophelia has become mad and wants to meet Gertrude. Although hesitant, Gertrude agrees to meet Ophelia. She thinks that Ophelia’s madness is a sign that something terrible is about to happen. Ophelia enters singing a love song about a dead man. She doesn’t respond to Gertrude’s enquirie...
Gertrude’s reaction toward Ophelia’s madness is a testimony to the stigma and alienation imposed on those with mental health conditions. Ophelia’s songs highlight themes such as the unpredictability of the future, death, grief, and unrequited love. Laertes’ fury and action are in contrast with Hamlet’s slow introspection even when he knows that his...
Act 4 scene 4 Ophelia visits the queen, who does not want to see her but eventually she agrees. Ophelia sings songs and when Claudius comes in he and Gertrude agree that Ophelia is sick and he says that ‘this is the poison of deep grief: it springs / All from her father’s death’.
Hamlet Act 4 Scene 1. Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern enter. Claudius notices Gertrude’s distress and asks her to explain. She dismisses the two young men and tells Claudius about the recent tragic events in her chamber: Hamlet, in a fit of madness, has killed Polonius.
Expert Answers. Laura Guggenheim, M.A. | Certified Educator. Share Cite. In act 4, scenes 1–3, Gertrude begins to deceive her husband, the king, telling him that Hamlet "weeps for what is...
A shaken Gertrude tells Claudius what just happened during her encounter with Hamlet. While Gertrude thinks there’s still hope for her son, Claudius is more interested in the matter at hand. He dispatches Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and get rid of Polonius’s body.
GERTRUDE. As mad as the waves and the wind when they struggle against each other in a storm. In an insane rage, he hears something stir behind the tapestry, whips out his sword, and shouts “A rat, a rat!”. And with this crazy idea, he kills the good old man, who was hidden there.
