Summary and Analysis Act IV: Scene 4 Summary On his way to England, Hamlet observes Fortinbras Fortinbras is either of two minor fictional characters from William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. The more notable is a Norwegian crown prince with a few brief scenes in the play, who delivers the final lines that represent a hopeful future for the monarchy of Denmark and its subjects. Fortinbras is also the name of the former king of Norway and father of the crown prince Fortinbras. King Fortinbras was slain i…Fortinbras
Who does hamlet meet in Act 4 Scene 4?
Who does Hamlet meet in Act 4 scene 4? He talks to the captain. What effect does this meeting have on Hamlet? Makes him feel like a coward and renews his resolve to get revenge on Claudius for killing his father. What does Claudius plan for Hamlet when he sends him to England?
What happened to Ophelia in Act 4?
Ophelia obeys, but her action sends Hamlet into a fit of misogynistic rage. Soon after, Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius. The combination of her former lover’s cruelty and her father’s death sends Ophelia into a fit of grief. In Act Four she spirals into madness and dies under ambiguous circumstances.
What is the climax of Act 4 in the Crucible?
When he tears up his confession, the play reaches its ultimate dramatic climax. What is the climax of the crucible Act 4? The Salem jail is the setting of The Crucible in Act IV. John’s refusal to sign the confession provides the moment of climax in The Crucible, Act IV. In The Crucible, Act IV, the theme that one’s honor cannot be signed away is demonstrated by John’s destruction of the confession.
What is the plot summary of Hamlet?
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.
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What happens at the end of Scene 4 in Hamlet?
Hamlet intimidates Gertrude, and she cries out that he is trying to murder her. Polonius reacts from behind the curtain and yells for help. Hamlet draws his sword and thrusts it through the tapestry, killing Polonius.
What is Hamlet's tone in Act 4 Scene 4?
Hamlet's tone shifts from conflicted to determined throughout the duration of the soliloquy. At first he feels that “all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge” (IV, iv, 32-33). He means to say that he feels as if everyone and everything is acting against him.
What information do we learn about Fortinbras in Act 4 Scene 4?
Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, is on his way to wage war on Poland. (His men and Hamlet cross paths, and Hamlet learns of Fortinbras's plans. Hamlet is impressed. He admires Fortinbras's commitment and courage, and decides to follow his example.
What happens to Ophelia at the end of Act 4?
Ophelia, mad with grief, has drowned in the river. Anguished to have lost his sister so soon after his father's death, Laertes flees the room.
What happens to Ophelia in Act IV?
Summary: Gertrude mentions the sad news that Ophelia grief had led her to her death, she explains that she dies by drowning in a river.
How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge Act 4 Scene 4?
How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.
Who is Fortinbras and why is he entering Denmark?
fortinbras is the king of norway. he enters denmark with an army to fight back land that his father had lost to king hamlet. at the end of play he assumes the crown of denmark.
What does Hamlet realize about himself in the soliloquy at the end of Act IV Scene IV?
Hamlet finally realizes that his duty to revenge is so great that the end must justify the means. He can no longer escape the necessity for action.
What specifically has happened in Scene 4 to prompt the thoughts Hamlet expresses in his soliloquy?
1 Answer. In scene IV to prompt the thoughts Hamlet expresses in his soliloquy: He found out that Claudius sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to have Hamlet killed. Hamlet now knows that he must kill Claudius or be killed himself.
What is the overall tone of Hamlet's soliloquy?
The tone of Hamlet's first soliloquy begins as sad and depressed as Hamlet contemplates suicide. The tone changes to angry and bitter while Hamlet ponders the relationship between his mother and his uncle. Through Shakespeare's use of diction and syntax he shows Hamlet's disapproval of this relationship.
How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge Act 4 Scene 4?
How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.
What does Hamlet realize about himself in the soliloquy at the end of Act IV Scene IV?
Hamlet finally realizes that his duty to revenge is so great that the end must justify the means. He can no longer escape the necessity for action.
What is the scene 4 of Hamlet?
Act IV: Scene 4. On his way to England, Hamlet observes Fortinbras leading his troops through Denmark toward Poland. He questions a captain and learns that the Norwegians plan to wage war over a worthless patch of land in Poland. Hamlet lingers behind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to reflect on the fact that these Norwegians ...
What does the second section of Hamlet say?
The second section exhorts him to act. Hamlet must stop over-thinking events and recognize in himself the strength, and means to complete the required act. The third section sets Fortinbras' example of how Hamlet should act.
Why does Hamlet linger behind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Hamlet lingers behind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to reflect on the fact that these Norwegians and Poles are willing to die over land worth virtually nothing to anyone. They have left their homes and committed themselves to a principle no more substantive than an eggshell.
How many sections are there in Hamlet's soliloquy?
You can divide the soliloquy into five thematic sections: The first section identifies Hamlet's mission: revenge. Hamlet says that everything he encounters prompts him to revenge: "How all occasions do inform against me / And spur my dull revenge!". The second section exhorts him to act.
What section of Hamlet is Hamlet's perplexity?
The fourth section specifies Hamlet's perplexity over the Poles' and Norwegians' willingness to die for so little in contrast to his own inability to act on so much.
What does the soliloquy in Hamlet mean?
This soliloquy represents Hamlet's last flirtation with words.
What does Claudius say after Hamlet sends everyone away?
Hamlet agrees and says goodbye. After sending everyone away, Claudius speaks aloud of his hope that England will not disregard the secret orders he is sending with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—orders that call for Hamlet to be executed immediately upon arrival.
Who did Hamlet kill?
In addition to killing Polonius, Hamlet has emotionally tormented Gertrude and Ophelia, two women whom he previously claimed to care for. While these actions were arguably taken in the service of his revenge, this justification for Hamlet's behavior wears thin as his revenge drags on.
What is Fortinbras trying to accomplish with his army?
When Hamlet asks what Fortinbras is trying to accomplish with his army, the Captain repli es that Fortinbras is going to war over a worthless piece of Polish land. Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ride ahead. Once he’s alone, he reflects that events seem to be conspiring to speed up his revenge.
What does Rosencrantz tell Hamlet about Polonius?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find Hamlet just after he has disposed of Polonius's body. When they ask where the body is, Hamlet refuses to tell them. Hamlet accuses Rosencrantz of being “a sponge” who soaks up the king’s favor, power, and rewards. He also warns that when the king needs the information Rosencrantz has gleaned, he will squeeze it out of him. Rosencrantz doesn’t understand what Hamlet is saying, and he insists that Hamlet must tell them where Polonius’s body is and then accompany them to the king. Ignoring the first request, Hamlet instructs them to bring him to Claudius.
Why did Fortinbras send his captain to Elsinore Castle?
Nearby, Fortinbras sends his Captain to Elsinore Castle to ensure safe passage through Denmark for his troops . Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern encounter the Captain as they leave the castle for their ship. When Hamlet asks what Fortinbras is trying to accomplish with his army, the Captain replies that Fortinbras is going to war over a worthless piece of Polish land. Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ride ahead. Once he’s alone, he reflects that events seem to be conspiring to speed up his revenge. Remarking that a man whose only purpose in life is to sleep and eat is nothing but an animal, Hamlet wonders why he still has not taken action against Claudius. Contrasting himself with young Fortinbras, Hamlet notes that Fortinbras is willing to bravely risk everything for a meaningless cause, while Hamlet cannot even bring himself to take revenge on his murdering, incestuous uncle. Taking inspiration from Fortinbras’s boldness, Hamlet vows that his thoughts from this point onward will be worth nothing if they are not bloody.
What is the plot of Claudius?
Instead, Claudius comes up with a villainous plot to have Hamlet dispatched in secrecy, calling to mind the sneaky way in which Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father. While act III showed the audience that Claudius does feel burdened by guilt, act IV makes it clear that this will not stop him from committing further sins.
What does Claudius say about Hamlet?
Claudius enters with some of his lords, explaining that he has sent people to find Hamlet and the body. He says that Hamlet is too dangerous to be allowed to walk freely, but he admits that the situation is complicated by Hamlet’s popularity among the people of Denmark.
What is Hamlet's return?
Hamlet's return is a dramatic device providing a deus ex machina (a contrived solution to a problem) for the play's plot. Shakespeare uses a problem that seriously threatened Elizabethan/ Jacobean security: the prevalence of pirates.
What is the purpose of Horatio's letter to Hamlet?
He has, in return, promised to do them a favor. The other letters, says Hamlet's first letter, are for Horatio to deliver to the King. After he has made the delivery, Horatio is to come immediately to meet Hamlet; Hamlet tells his friend that he has much news to share. Analysis.
What is the first letter Horatio receives from a sailor sent by Hamlet?
Horatio receives letters from a sailor sent by Hamlet. The first letter tells Horatio that pirates beset the ship on which Hamlet was being carried to England. In the ensuing battle, the pirates took Hamlet captive; they treated him well and brought him back to Denmark. He has, in return, promised to do them a favor.
Who tells Claudius that Hamlet is outside under guard?
Rosencrantz enters and tells Claudius that while Hamlet refuses to divulge where he has buried Polonius, he is outside under guard. Claudius orders Hamlet be brought inside, and Guildenstern brings him in. Claudius asks Hamlet directly where Polonius is, and Hamlet replies that he is “at supper.”. Claudius asks where he is eating, ...
What is Claudius concerned about in Hamlet?
Active Themes. Claudius says that he is concerned for Hamlet ’s “safety, ” and so has decided to send him away to England. Hamlet bids Claudius farewell, calling him “dear mother.”. When Claudius tells Hamlet that he is his father, Hamlet insists that in marrying his mother, Claudius joined his flesh with hers.
What does Claudius tell his advisers?
Claudius tells some of his advisers that while Hamlet is a dangerous presence in Elsinore, he is beloved by the people—Claudius can’t do anything to Hamlet that might upset Denmark’s subjects. He plans to make sending Hamlet away to England look like it is something he’s been planning for a long time.
Does Hamlet take revenge on Claudius?
Hamlet continues taunting and ridiculing Claudius until the last moment—but doesn’t take any decisive action against him. Hamlet is not suited to revenge in the traditional sense—what he does best is chipping away at the man’s honor bit by bit. Active Themes.
Does Claudius intend to kill Hamlet?
Claudius reveals that he does actually intend to have Hamlet killed, but by cowardly means that will ensure he’s not implicated in the murder. Active Themes. Get the entire Hamlet LitChart as a printable PDF. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof.".