Act IV Study Questions

Act IV, Scene 1

1. What is Claudius' main fear in the immediate aftermath of Polonius' death?

Claudius was immediately afraid for his well being, because he could have easily been the one to die if he decided to spy.

Act IV, Scene 2

1. What does Hamlet refuse to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

Hamlet doesn't tell them where they can find Polonius’s dead body and just tells them that he is with the king and by that he means his father the dead king.

Act IV, Scene 3

1. What image does Hamlet use (ll. 19-29) to warn Claudius he's only king temporarily?

He said that it doesn't matter if you’re a king or a beggar, when you die you are eaten by the same worms. After you die you’re the same as anybody else.

2. Claudius ends the scene by writing a letter: to whom, and what order does it contain?

Claudius wrote a letter that was sent to the king of England to kill Hamlet upon his arrival.

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)?

The Captain of the Fortinbra’s army said that he wouldn't pay five ducats for the land, but Fortinbra is paying 20,000 ducats.

2. Hamlet's soliloquy (ll. 32-66) is self-critical; summarize his main fault.

Hamlet’s major fault is his inability to act because he doesn't do what he is supposed to do he is acting like a coward and won’t kill his uncle.  

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?

2. Why is Laertes a danger to Claudius' throne (ll. 98-103)? (Actually two or three related reasons.)

Because Laertes has a small army that thinks that he should be king.

3. What does Claudius offer as assurance that he had no part in Polonius' death (ll. 190-9)?

He said that Laertes could choose some of his best friends to listen to his plea and decide whether or not he was lying and if he was Laertes can take his crown and become king.

Act IV, Scene 6

1. Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet explaining how he escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. How did he?

Hamlet’s ship was attacked by a pirate ship and during the scrap Hamlet boarded the attacker's ship before both ships separated. The pirates treated him well and promised to return him home.

Act IV, Scene 7

1. What reason does Claudius give Laertes for Hamlet's killing of Polonius (ll. 1-4)?

He said that Hamlet thought it was Claudius but killed Polonius by mistake.

2. What are his two reasons for not charging Hamlet with murder (ll. 9-24)?

Because the people of Denmark love Hamlet and they would be very upset if he were to be charged with murder, also Hamlet’s mother still loves him and doesn't want to see him die.

3. Claudius reveals that Laertes is famous for his skill with the rapier (a fencing weapon) and that Hamlet is envious of this fame.

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

Claudius says that Laertes should challenge Hamlet to a fencing duel, only Hamlet will have a dull sword and Laertes will have a sharpened one, that way he could kill him without rising too much suspicion.

5. How does Laertes refine the plan (ll. 138-147)?

He suggests that the sword’s tip be coated in poison so that Laertes only has to prick Hamlet with the sharpened sword to die.

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

She announces that Ophelia had fallen into a stream and drowned to death.