Act 4

Act IV, Scene 1
1. What is Claudius' main fear in the immediate aftermath of Polonius' death?
He is afraid he is next....he fears the truth...

Act IV, Scene 2
1. What does Hamlet refuse to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Where Polonius' body is. He is going to make them smell him out! Hahaha!

Act IV, Scene 3
1. What image does Hamlet use (ll. 19-29) to warn Claudius he's only king temporarily?
He compares him to Emperor Charles V in the German city of Worms to point out that even a king will be food for maggots.

2. Claudius ends the scene by writing a letter: to whom, and what order does it contain?
Claudius writes to the king of England and asks him to kill Hamlet as soon as he gets there.


Act IV, Scene 4
1. What's the value of the land Fortinbras' army is marching to capture in Poland (l. 20)? What will the invasion itself cost (l. 25)?
It has no profit, but the name. Fortinbras is fighting for the sake of his reputation. Hamlet estimates it will cost two-thousand men and twenty-thousand ducats.

2. Hamlet's soliloquy (ll. 32-66) is self-critical; summarize his main fault.
He wishes he could be more like Fortinbras. He says the reputation of greatness comes not by waiting for a great cause to fight for, but fighting nobly over a trivial matter when it's a matter of honour. Sometimes you just have to go take your manhood.

Act IV, Scene 5
1. Ophelia's songs during her first appearance in this scene deal with love, death and sex. Why? What do they tell us about her at the moment? What might they reveal about Her, Hamlet and Polonius?
Ophelia is starting to go mad. She is singing about such darkness to express herself.

2. Why is Laertes a danger to Claudius' throne (ll. 98-103)? (Actually two or three related reasons.)
A lot of people want Laertes to be king. He also has his own strong army.

3. What does Claudius offer as assurance that he had no part in Polonius' death (ll. 190-9)?
He is going to let his friends tell the story from both sides. He says if he still thinks he is guilty after that, he will give over the thrown.

Act IV, Scene 6
1. Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet explaining how he escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. How did he?
Pirates came to get their ship, and Hamlet jumps into another boat. The pirates saw this and decided to go after him, leaving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on the boat alone.

Act IV, Scene 7
1. What reason does Claudius give Laertes for Hamlet's killing of Polonius (ll. 1-4)?
Hamlet thought it was, and wanted it to be him not Polonius.

2. What are his two reasons for not charging Hamlet with murder (ll. 9-24)?
The people of Denmark love Hamlet, they would be devastated if their hero was charged. Number two; he doesn't want to upset Hamlet's mother. She loves him and she would never let it go away if he charged Hamlet with murder.

3. Claudius reveals that Laertes is famous for his skill with the rapier (a fencing weapon) and that Hamlet is envious of this fame. How does Claudius plan to exploit this envy to give Laertes a chance for (publicly) guiltless revenge (ll. 126-38)?
Hamlet is going to challenge him in a duel.

4. How does Claudius plan to exploit this envy to give Laertes a chance for (publicly) guiltless revenge (ll. 126-38)?

Laertes will have a poison dipped, sharped sword, while Hamlet has a safe sword. If Laertes doesn't kill him, Claudius will poison his drink...they just want him dead.

5. How does Laertes refine the plan (ll. 138-147)?
...he says he will dip his sword in poison to make sure he dies...see the answer above.

6. What announcement does Gertrude make to end Act IV?
Ophelia has drowned.