Hamlet Act 4

Scene 1 Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern discuss Hamlet Hamlet has just murdered Polonius, so Gertrude is still very distressed by this experience which she is describing to her audience as an act of madness Claudius asks R&G to find Hamlet and retrieve Polonius’ body

Scene 2 R&G find Hamlet Hamlet insults Rosencrantz by calling him a sponge that “soaks up the king’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities” (lines 15-20). Hamlet evades their questioning and does not reveal where Polonius’ body is hidden

Scene Three R&G report to Claudius that they have not been able to get Hamlet to reveal where Polonius’ body is hidden Hamlet enters and they converse—Hamlet attempting to unsettle the king, Claudius attempting to remain the benevolent king Claudius tells Hamlet that he will be sent to England with R&G At the end of the scene, Claudius reveals that he will have the English king send Hamlet to his death

Scene Four In this scene, the audience finally meets Fortinbras Fortinbras’ captain reveals that they are headed to Poland to gain “a little patch of ground” Hamlet’s soliloquy reveals His continued disgust with humankind’s evil His resolve to be “bloody” A change in his tone from passionate and feelings of self-doubt to a kind of masculine firmness

Scene Five Gertrude is told by a gentleman that Ophelia is mad—at first Gertrude does not want to speak with her, but then she is convinced by Horatio that she should Ophelia is brought in and the Queen speaks with her Ophelia speaks in riddle and song Ophelia laments the death of her father and the loss of Hamlet’s love Ophelia makes reference to customs surrounding marriage and funeral

Laertes enters with armed men demanding what happened with his father Claudius diffuses the situation and Ophelia enters Laertes is saddened by both Ophelia’s madness and his father’s murder Flower imagery—fennel and columbines presented to Claudius stand for flattery and cuckoldry, rue is for sorrow or repentance, violets for faithfulness

Scene Six Horatio has a letter from Hamlet Explains how they were met with pirates, Hamlet was able to flee to the pirate ship as they got clear of their ship, and they set him free Hamlet sends letters to Claudius Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are headed for England

Scene Seven Claudius manipulates Laertes into agreeing to battle Hamlet with a poisoned sword Queen Gertrude enters and eloquently speaks of Ophelia’s drowning