Hamlet Act IV scene i

1
Hamlet Act IV scene i

• Gertrude deceives Claudius about Hamlets
  madness.
• Claudius reveals to the audience that he knew it
  was meant to be his death It had been so with
  us, had we been there
• Claudius asserts that His liberty is full of
  threats to us all the image of disease is
  raised again, this time regarding Hamlet

2
Hamlet Act IV scene i

• Claudius remark that The sun no sooner shall
  the mountains touch reminds the audience that it
  is still night.
• He tells R and G to fetch the body to the chapel

3
Hamlet Act IV scene ii

• Hamlet speaks in riddles to R and G he appears
  to be ridiculing their authority (line16) R
  cannot understand and Hamlet says that a
  witty/sarcastic remark is wasted on a fool.
• Note the use of prose in this scene.
• Hamlets lines The King is a thing
• Of nothing. seem threatening to Claudius he
  is doomed to death.

4
Hamlet Act IV scene iii

• Claudius muses about Hamlet he cannot be
  arrested he is too much loved, even to be
  punished for murder instead he must be sent
  away a desperate problem needs a desperate
  solution
• R and G come on with all the rest a stage
  direction that makes the stage very crowded!

5
Hamlet Act IV scene iii

• Think of the dramatic effect of such a multitude
  of people on stage.
• Hamlets comments about Polonius being where a
  is eaten and being with a convocation of
  politic worms are riddling, but tell that
  Polonius is to be eaten by worms. He comments on
  the mortality of all

6
Hamlet Act IV scene iii

• Hamlet refuses to tell where the body is, but
  gives a clue that they shall nose himup the
  stairs. he is under the stairs and they will
  soon smell him.
• The unpleasant images appear to show Hamlet in a
  different light to the audience would he be a
  suitable king?

7
Hamlet Act IV scene iii

• Claudius warns that Hamlet must leave for England
  with R and G.
• As he leaves, Hamlet ironically uses words from
  the marriage service one flesh
• Claudius warns R and G to follow, everything is
  sealed and done refers to the letters of line
  66 that order, the present death of Hamlet,
  presumably by England (the English king)

8
Hamlet Act IV scene iv

• Fortinbras arrives with army to cross Denmark
  remember the parallel of Fortinbras/Hamlet
  fighting spirit/inability to act
• Fortinbras accepts the authority of the king
  We shall express our duty in his eye

9
Hamlet Act IV scene iv

• Hamlet enters and questions a captain on stage
  the parallel is emphasised by Shakespeare (lines
  43- 50)
• The coming battle appears pointless the land is
  worth nothing and Hamlet comments that it is like
  an abscess pus accumulates unseen during peace,
  ready to burst out!!!!

10
Hamlet Act IV scene iv

• Shakespeare gives Hamlet a soliloquy here he is
  about to be absent from stage for a while, so
  this is important
• Hamlet draws his own parallels between himself
  and Fortinbras. One critic feels that it allows
  his developing maturity to show through.

11
Hamlet Act IV scene iv

• Shakespeare presents Hamlet here as feeling that
  he looks bad in comparison
• He bemoans the fact that he is still to carry out
  his revenge thinking about this for too long is
  a little like cowardice
• He feels that Fortinbras, in going to war over
  something trivial because it affects his honour,
  is a far greater prince than he

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Hamlet Act IV scene iv

• He wonders, How stand I then,/that have a father
  killled, a mother stained and lets things carry
  on
• while to my shame I see
• the imminent death ofmen
• He avows
• O, from this time forth,
• My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!
• (lines 65-6)