Transcript Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Hamlet by William
Shakespeare
Acts IV/V Discussion
1. How is this scene ambiguous regarding
Gertrude’s “conversion” from the previous
scene?
 On the one hand, Gertrude still plays the
role of faithful queen, telling Claudius of
Polonius’murder. She does not object to
Hamlet’s being sent to England. On the
other hand, she does not report to
Claudius all of the details of her
conversation with Hamlet, and there is no
evidence to suggest that she knows the
fate that awaits Hamlet in England.
2. What is the apparent
purpose of this brief scene?
 This scene really does not advance plot,
develop character, or help establish theme.
There is, however, additional wordplay for the
audience’s amusement, and it possibly helps to
establish Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s
naiveté and innocence. They do not
understand what Hamlet is accusing them of,
nor do they recognize his warning that when
Claudius is done with them, he will merely
discard them.
3. Why can’t Claudius simply deal with
Hamlet swiftly and harshly as allowed by
law?
 As a prince, Hamlet is popular with the
people of Denmark, and Claudius dare
not antagonize them.
4. How does this scene advance
Hamlet’s developing awareness of
death?
 The whole Polonius-body episode
focuses on the physical aspect of death.
The body remains to return to the dust, to
be eaten by worms, etc. Hamlet’s
observation that a King’s body might end
up feeding a peasant foreshadows the
realization he will have in Act V, scene i
that the fact of death makes all people
equal.
5. Do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
know the true purpose of their
journey to England?
 They exit before Claudius informs the audience
that he has written—and sealed—letters
instructing the English King to execute Hamlet.
Therefore, they do not know the exact nature
of their trip. Earlier (Act III, Scene I) Claudius
claimed that the trip to England was for the
purpose of collecting a tax that was due and
England had failed to pay. Plus, he alleged that
the sea voyage and change of scenery would
do Hamlet’s mental state good.
6. What is the apparent
purpose of this brief scene?
 First of all, this scene introduces us to
Fortinbras, not as a hothead invading
Denmark, but as “a delicate and tender prince.”
Secondly, Fortinbras’ intent to invade Poland
and fight over a worthless piece of land, and
Poland’s intent to defend it again highlights
Hamlet’s inactivity, the fact that he has a more
concrete call to action and has taken none.
7.What important information
does Claudius reveal?
 Claudius tells Gertrude that the people of
Denmark are grumbling and in turmoil
over the death of Polonius. Further,
Polonius was buried quickly without any
of the ceremony that would have been
fitting for a person of his rank. Laertes
has secretly entered Denmark, has kept
himself in hiding, and has been rousing
the people against Claudius.
8. What do they assume is the
cause of Ophelia’s apparent
madness?
 They assume that Ophelia’s madness is
a combination of the stresses of her
father’s death, Hamlet’s being sent away,
and the fact that Hamlet is her father’s
killer.
9. Why do you suppose Ophelia’s
madness takes on the form it does?
 Ophelia enters the room singing vulgar songs about
country girls losing their virginity. In the famous
nunnery scene, Hamlet essentially accused Ophelia of
being a whore, a seductress, and a temptress. In the
play-within-a-play scene he again assaulted her with
vulgar jokes. Laertes and Polonius had both warned
her about surrendering her “virtue” to Hamlet.
Therefore, whether Hamlet and Ophelia had a physical
relationship or not, certainly all of the men in Ophelia’s
life seem to make certain assumptions about Ophelia’s
behavior, and she is now enacting those assumptions.
10. Describe Laertes’ response to
his father’s death. How is he a foil
for Hamlet?
 Laertes is in a rage and intent upon
revenge. Because Laertes is able to
gather a small army of supporters, the
implication is that Hamlet, who is so
popular, could have unseated Claudius
this way. Laertes contrasts with Hamlet
because he focuses his energy on action
while Hamlet’s energy is focused on
thought.
11. How do the flowers Ophelia
distributes relate to the characters
and their actions?
 This question also requires a little research.
The fennel and columbines that she gives to
the Queen represent unfaithfulness because
the Queen has been unfaithful to her late
husband and her son. She gives the King rue
for repentance, signifying that he should repent
for the murder of his brother. She also gives
him a daisy, the symbol of unrequited love.
Perhaps she is alluding to the idea that the
Queen does not truly love him.
12. What new is revealed in Hamlet’s
letter to Horatio? What does this show
about Hamlet?
 The ship bringing Hamlet to England was
attacked by pirates. The pirates are
bringing Hamlet back to Denmark. He is
clever enough to have negotiated this
arrangement.
13. What will happen to
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern?
 Hamlet has opened the sealed orders
that decreed his death. He changed them
to order Rosencrantz’s and
Guildenstern’s deaths
14. How does this episode illustrate the
role of coincidence in Shakespearean
tragedy?
 While coincidence does not directly cause any
of the tragic action, it can—and usually does—
contribute to the tragic action. For example, it
is simply by coincidence that Hamlet happens
to have the king’s seal with him so that he can
open and reseal the letters Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are carrying. It is coincidence that
the ship taking him to England happens to be
beset by pirates, that he happens to board their
ship, etc.
15. Why does Claudius tell
Laertes he will not kill
Hamlet himself?
 The King will not kill Hamlet for two
reasons. First, the Queen loves Hamlet
and since the King loves her, he will not
hurt her. Secondly, Claudius cannot kill
him because the people love him.
16. In Gertrude’s description of
Ophelia’s drowning, what suggests
that Ophelia’s death was an
accident?
 Gertrude describes her falling into the
water as apparently accidental—a branch
broke while she was hanging a garland of
flowers, and she fell in. Gertrude also
points out that Ophelia did not seem to
have any idea of the danger she was in
while she sang the old songs and sank.
17.What is the significance of the various skulls
the gravedigger digs up during this scene? How
do they contribute to the evolution of Hamlet’s
understanding of death?
 First, the skulls emphasize the end of physical life on
earth and the physical decay that follows death. There
is no sense of spiritual afterlife (“to sleep, perchance to
dream”) in this scene. The first several skulls are
anonymous. Hamlet can only speculate on the
identities of the persons in their lives, but he begins to
recognize that none of their earthly deeds or
accomplishments matters in the face of death. The final
skull is that of Yorick, someone Hamlet knew in life;
and now Hamlet can contrast the person he knew in
life with what he sees of the person in death.
18. How does the entrance of
Ophelia’s funeral procession
continue this evolution?
 With the knowledge that Ophelia has
died, Hamlet admits that he loved her.
Now, not only has Hamlet stared death in
the face (literally), his understanding of
the ceasing of being that is death has
gone from speculative anonymity to
someone he knew, to someone he loved.
Death has become much more personal
for him.
19. What does Laertes and
Hamlet’s fight in Ophelia’s grave
foreshadow?
 The fight foreshadows the duel that is to
come, and the fact that they both jump
into the grave to fight foreshadows their
deaths.
20. Why is this scene in
prose?
 As with previous prose scenes, there is
some humor and a good deal of wordplay
that Shakespeare does not want to
obscure with blank verse.
 Prose = informality, humor, de-elevation
of subject matter
21. How do Hamlet and the
gravedigger view the sociological
implications of death differently?
 Hamlet is surprised at how everyone is
equal in death. The gravedigger is
indignant that those of noble birth
maintain their status even after death—if
Ophelia hadn’t been a noblewoman, her
suspected suicide would have made her
ineligible for a Christian burial in the
churchyard.
22. How does Horatio learn about
the real purpose for the trip to
England?
 Hamlet tell Horatio about the letters
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were
carrying to the English king. This is the
first Horatio knew of the plot to kill
Hamlet.
23. What is ironic about Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern’s approaching
deaths?
 The have been dupes throughout the entire play, never
really understanding their roles or Hamlet’s perception
of them. From their standpoint, they merely obeyed the
summons of their king (which they could not legally
disobey even if they wanted to), acted as friends to
Hamlet, trying to ascertain the cause(s) of his
melancholy so that his family could remedy it. Now
they are delivering official communications from one
head of state to another. They have no idea that their
deaths are near, nor do they have any understanding
of what they have done to merit death
24. How does Shakespeare establish
that Hamlet is indeed a noble
gentleman?
 Hamlet expresses sincere regret that he
fought with Laertes. He recognizes that
Laertes has the same cause for anger
and desire for vengeance that he has. He
also approaches the challenge to duel
with Laertes as a sincere challenge.
Being honest himself, he does not
suspect others of being dishonest.
25. How does the impending duel
with Laertes complete Hamlet’s
concept of death that has been
developing through the play?
 Hamlet now knows the nothingness that exists
after physical life ends. He has also faced the
death of someone he loved. He now says that,
since no one really understands or values life,
it is not so difficult to leave it. He also realizes
that death is inevitable (“if it be not now, yet it
will come,” etc.). The key to living well and
dying nobly is “the readiness.” Thus, he will
face the duel with Laertes, even though he has
admitted to having a troubling premonition
about it.
27. Why does Hamlet
apologize to Laertes?
 Hamlet is a gentleman and a man of integrity. He assumes
Laertes is as well. A Catholic facing possible death would first
undergo the sacraments of Confession, Penance, Extreme
Unction, and Communion. In Act I, Scene V, the Ghost complains
that he was “Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, / Unhouseled,
disappointed, unaneled,/ No reckoning made, but sent to my
account / With all my imperfections on my head …,” in other
words, without the benefit of the above sacraments. Hamlet,
however, is caught between the “old order” represented by his
father and the “new order” that will be established by Fortinbras.
Thus, he cannot seek the same absolution for his sins that his
father craved, but he does still seek to die forgiven for whatever
wrongs he may have committed—both intentionally and
unintentionally—against Laertes. Notice, too, how both Hamlet
and Laertes forgive each other for killing each other.
28. Explain how each
character dies in the end.
 Hamlet dies when Laertes wounds him with the
poisoned rapier. Laertes and Hamlet change
swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the
same poisoned rapier. Before Laertes dies, he
confesses what he and Claudius had planned.
The Queen dies when she drinks the poisoned
wine that was meant for Hamlet. The King dies
after Hamlet stabs him with the poisoned rapier
and forces him to drink the poisoned wine.