Hamlet Act 4

1. Shakespeare’s Act Four: Where problems spiral out of control and grow wildly more complex and difficult to overcome Hamlet Act 4

2. Act Four • As a reminder, Act Three is the turning point of the play, whereas Act Four is where the characters’ fates are bound to their unavoidable outcomes. • As we look at the scenes in this act, ask yourself: In what way do each of the characters solidify their place in destiny?

3. 4.4 AnalysisThe Field of Battle • Before leaving for England, Hamlet encounters Fortinbras’ army marching to take a hill of no importance. • What is important is that Fortinbras’ men know that the hill is of no importance, and yet they continue forward in spite of the knowledge. • Hamlet weighs all of this knowledge and says in his latest soliloquy: • How stand I then,     That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd,     Excitements of my reason and my blood,     And let all sleep? while, to my shame, I see     The imminent death of twenty thousand men,     That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,     Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot     Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,     Which is not tomb enough and continent     To hide the slain? O, from this time forth,     My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! • What do these lines say and how are they significant? The fact that these men are willing to give up their lives over a worthless piece of land is significant because ______________________________.

4. 4.4 AnalysisThe Field of Battle • Before leaving for England, Hamlet encounters Fortinbras’ army marching to take a hill of no importance. • What is important is that Fortinbras’ men know that the hill is of no importance, and yet they continue forward in spite of the knowledge. • Hamlet weighs all of this knowledge and says in his latest soliloquy: • How stand I then,     That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd,     Excitements of my reason and my blood,     And let all sleep? while, to my shame, I see     The imminent death of twenty thousand men,     That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,     Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot     Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,     Which is not tomb enough and continent     To hide the slain? O, from this time forth,     My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! • What do these lines say and how are they significant? The fact that these men are willing to give up their lives over a worthless piece of land is significant because it gives Hamlet justification in pursuing his revenge to its limits, for he has lost his noble father, and this will motivate him to see this task to its conclusion.

5. A Few Weeks Later

6. 4.5 Analysis: Insane in the Membrane • Ophelia in this scene has gone absolutely insane after the death of her father and the departure of Hamlet. Throughout the scene, she sings a song to the King and Queen that absolutely shocks them. • Let’s look at the song, and after you have analyzed it, tell me what it is about, what sort of person would sing these sorts of lyrics, and why you think she is singing it? • (please move beyond the fact that her father has died and imagine what effect Hamlet could have had to inspire these specific types of lyrics) • How should I your true love know     From another one?     By his cockle hat and staff,     And his sandal shoon.     He is dead and gone, lady,     He is dead and gone;     At his head a grass-green turf,     At his heels a stone.     White his shroud as the mountain snow,--     Larded with sweet flowers     Which bewept to the grave did go     With true-love showers.     To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,     All in the morning betime,     And I a maid at your window,     To be your Valentine.     Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,     And dupp'd the chamber-door;     Let in the maid, that out a maid     Never departed more.     By Gis and by Saint Charity,     Alack, and fie for shame!     Young men will do't, if they come to't;     By cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, before you tumbled me,     You promised me to wed.     So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,     An thou hadst not come to my bed. Pair read: 1467-1468 ll 23-64

7. 4.5 Analysis: Insane in the Membrane • Here we see a possible indication that Hamlet has been intimate with Ophelia, for she sings ‘before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed’. Of course, we cannot conclude with any certainty that Hamlet and Ophelia were actually intimate, but her words here, combined with Hamlet’s earlier taunting of her, may lead us to believe that they were. At the very least, Ophelia has been grappling with her sexuality. • Additionally, since pre-marital sex was a sin, her father’s death might be seen by the audience as punishment for her sin as he had commanded her not to liaise with Hamlet. The audience might even suppose that Ophelia is pregnant.

8. 4.5 Analysis: Insane in the Membrane LAERTES     Where is my father? KING CLAUDIUS     Dead. QUEEN GERTRUDE     But not by him. KING CLAUDIUS     Let him demand his fill. LAERTES     How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with:     To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!     Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!     I dare damnation. To this point I stand,     That both the worlds I give to negligence,     Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged     Most thoroughly for my father. • LAERTES O thou vile king,     Give me my father! QUEEN GERTRUDE     Calmly, good Laertes. LAERTES     That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard,     Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlot     Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brow     Of my true mother. KING CLAUDIUS     What is the cause, Laertes,     That thy rebellion looks so giant-like?     Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person:     There's such divinity doth hedge a king,     That treason can but peep to what it would,     Acts little of his will. Tell me, Laertes,     Why thou art thus incensed. Let him go, Gertrude.     Speak, man.

9. 4.5 AnalysisInsane in the Membrane • Here, we see the other end of madness; rage. Laertes has just returned from France after hearing that his father has been murdered; he has no idea who did it, why it happened, or where is father is buried. • Does Laertes’s response to the news surprise you? (keep in mind who he is threatening in the scene and his own father’s previous behavior.) • In this scene the queen appears to be __________________, which makes the audience wonder __________________. • The king, on the other hand, appears _______________ because ___________________.

10. 4.5 AnalysisInsane in the Membrane • Laertes again shows that he is the complete opposite to Hamlet (character foil).  He too has now lost his father through a foul deed, but he quickly wishes revenge and does not waste any time in pursuing this, even threatening the King.

11. Act 4.5 Analysis: Ophelia’s Flowers • OPHELIA     There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray,     love, remember: and there is pansies. that's for thoughts. LAERTES     A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted. OPHELIA     There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue     for you; and here's some for me: we may call it     herb-grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue with     a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you     some violets, but they withered all when my father     died: they say he made a good end,--

12. Act 4.5 Analysis: Ophelia’s Flowers • To better understand the depth of this scene, let’s look at the commentary by Mattergano: • “Ophelia distributes her flowers in a disjointed ceremony understood only to herself. She gives fennel and columbines, representing flattery and unfaithfulness, to Claudius. Rue stands for sorrow and repentances, daises stand for falseness, and violets, which have all “withered” and died, stand for faithfulness.” • Which flowers does she give to Laertes, and which ones does she give to Claudius? • Why do you think she gave those specific flowers to each man? What do the flowers show about her thoughts towards each man?