Hamlet- Annotations

I Read

character

We see Hamlet's character in this soliloquy.

Hamlet was recently just forced by his
uncle to go to England due to his recent
actions of killing Polonius. In his journey
he finds a Norwegian captain and learns
that they are attacking Poland. The captain
explains that the land they are to attack is
worthless but Fortinbras, the Norwegian
commander is determined anyways to go
there. Hamlet thus, is inspired by
Fortinbras' actions. He compares his
inaction and cowardice to Fortinbras',
willpower and courage. Fortinbras is
Hamlet's foil character, he provides a
dramatic contrast between a man of action
and a man tormented by thought. Hamlet
himself has said, that over thinking leads to
inaction, "Or some craven scruple / Of
thinking too precisely on th' even", he has
been prolonging his action and has made
little progress for avenging his father.

Claudius is speaking to Laertes to try to

calm Laertes down after his thunderous
entrance, and finding out his sister's
madness due to their father's death. Laertes
suspects that something suspicious
concerning his father's death happened and
Claudius had some sort of connection to it.
Laertes is struck with rage and said he
would do anything to avenge is father, even
kill the King, no matter the consequence.
Claudius tries to convince Laertes that he is
innocent of his father's death and he

How all occasions do inform against me,

and spur my dull revenge...
(Act 4, Scene 4, Lines 32-66, Hamlet
Speaking)

I Think

plot details

Laertes, I must commune with your grief,

Or you deny me right. Go but apart,
Make choice of whom your wisest friends
you will.
And they shall hear and judge twixt you
and me.
If by direct or by collateral hand
They find us touched, we will our kingdom
give,
Our crown, our life, and all that we can
ours,

Hamlet- Annotations
To you in satisfaction. But if not,
Be you content to lend your patience to us,
And we shall jointly labor with your soul
To give it due content.
(Act 4, Scene 5, Lines 163-173, Claudius
Speaking)

literary devices (i.e. foreshadowing)

Not where he eats, but where he is eaten.

A certain convocation of politic worms are
e'en at him. Your worm is your only
emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else
to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots.
Your fat king and your lean beggar is but
variable servicetwo dishes, but to one
table. Thats the end.
(Act 4, Scene 2, Lines 21-27, Hamlet
Speaking)

himself is grieving over it. Claudius

persuades Laertes by betting on his crown,
life and possessions as compensation if he
is directly or indirectly even connected to
Polonius' death. Ironically, Claudius is
actually indirectly connected, Hamlet
thought he was the person hiding in the
curtains, he was the person he was
supposed to kill. Claudius is not even a true
King either, he sat in throne through
fratricide and regicide, if Laertes were to
kill him, the consequence would not be as
severe as regicide. Claudius is successful in
calming him down and talk to plot a
revenge in later scenes. This is another
parallel in character between Laertes and
Hamlet, both fathers have been murdered
and sons are looking for revenge. This
develops the plot between Claudius and
Hamlet, and also develops a plot for
Laertes' revenge plot against Hamlet.

Imagery of disease has been used

throughout Hamlet, the imagery of a
diseased state of Denmark indicating chaos
and trouble are just one of the few. When
Hamlet is detained after murdering
Polonius and is asked where his body is,
Hamlet seems to have no respect in
answering the question. He uses cryptic
imagery in his answer when asked by
Claudius. He states that Claudius is at a
dinner, and he is eaten by worms and
maggots and nasty insects down in the
ground. This imagery describes Hamlet's
thought on the afterlife, that whether we

Hamlet- Annotations
die a king or die a beggar, when we die we
rot in the ground. This leads to Hamlet's
hints of hostility towards Claudius in a
more evident way. Oddly, Hamlet never
really does any more than talk conceitedly
to Claudius, he expresses his hatred for him
through words instead of action.

Horatio receives letters from Hamlet sent

by sailors. Hamlet talks of his sea
adventures. He was pursued by pirates and
were forced to fight them, he was captured
but is able to persuade the pirates to return
him to Denmark. He states that there is
more to the story and to hastily find him.
The dramatic importance of the letters is
that it creates suspense, the purpose is to
inform the audience of Hamlet's ventures.
The audience would be engrossed in
wanting to find out what happened to
Hamlet. This interests the audience as he
keeps the account short wanting to keep the
audience waiting for the story.

Shakespeare uses a great amount of

description of what the scenery is like in
this quote. Gertrude is to tell the news of
Laertes' sister, Ophelia's, death. A very icy,
white, innocent scenery is described, white
leaves, glassy stream, daisies and orchises.
Her death is then described as sudden and
mucky, as she was pulled down to the soil
and mud by the heavy water. Suggesting by
the fact that she was in dangerous waters
and she is in a grief stricken state, either

(reading) Let the king have the letters I

have sent, and repair thou to me with as
much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I
have words to speak in thine ear will make
thee dumb, yet are they much too light for
the bore of the matter. These good fellows
will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern hold their course for
England. Of them I have much to tell thee.
Fare-well. He that thou knowest thine,
Hamlet.
(Act 4, Scene 6, Lines 12-29, Horatio
Speaking)

suspense

mood/atmosphere

There is a willow grows aslant a brook

That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy
streamTo muddy death.
(Act 4, Scene 7, Lines 62-180, Gertrude
Speaking)

Hamlet- Annotations
suicide or accident would have been
possible for the direct cause of death of
Ophelia.

conflict

Lets further think of this If he by

chance escape your venomed stuck...Our
purpose may hold there.
(Act 4, Scene 7, Lines 145- 158, Claudius
Speaking)

The conflict between Claudius vs. Hamlet

is expanded in this text, with Laertes
playing a role as a pawn piece played by
Claudius. Claudius has just convinced
Laertes that he had nothing to do with his
father's murder. Laertes questions why
Hamlet was not formally brought to justice,
and Claudius gives the reasons that his
mother would despise him for it, and that
the people of Denmark like him too much,
connecting him to committing a murder
would cause distrust and doubt. Claudius
and Laertes however think of a plan to suit
both of their situations, so they would plan
to have a fencing match between Laertes
and Hamlet, with a poisoned sword and a
poisoned drink for backup. The conflict
between Laertes and Hamlet has a similar
revenge theme to the conflict between
Hamlet and Claudius. The parallel to
Hamlet and Laertes is evident, but in case
if action and inaction, Laertes character is
more willing and has the courage to do a
deed than Hamlet.

Therefore
Thus, it can be shown that the main themes of Act Four are revenge and action vs. inaction. The
fall of the play concerns a death, more plotting and a change in character. Hamlet once again has
questions of action and inaction within himself. Though, after he has contrasted himself to
Fortinbras and his ability of action, he aims to be like him. Hamlet's character so far before says
otherwise, as his ability to over reflect and freeze up in his actions has continued. Surprisingly,
when Hamlet does act, he ask quickly and without doubt, like his murder of Polonius. Polonius

Hamlet- Annotations
Hamlet has also caused a chain of events that eventually will likely lead back to Hamlet. The two
results after Polonius' death are Laertes' plot against Hamlet, and Ophelia's death. I think this
would fuel Laertes' will in his revenge and will probably kill Hamlet before Hamlet can kill
Claudius. Death and the afterlife always comes back in this play. With Hamlet's imagery of a
buried dead, or Ophelia's death by drowning, this makes the reader think about the afterlife like
Hamlet. Claudius is still alive and has a man helping him to get rid of Hamlet, the odds of
Hamlet killing Claudius is significantly lower than at the start of the play. Claudius is sneaky in
deceiving Laertes, but deception seems to have a pattern in this play so there might still be a
chance for Hamlet. With the similarities of Hamlet and Laertes in their quest of revenge, the
biggest difference between them is Laertes' determination and Hamlet's contrasting
procrastination. Laertes was so resolute, he was close to killing a king no matter the
consequence, as Hamlet, always has to question things before he acts, but in doing so prolongs
doing the action. Though questioning actions before doing them ("thinking before you speak") is
good, Hamlet takes it to the most extreme extent, like some high school students with their
essays. Hamlet's inaction from the beginning has lead to all these conflicts and events and
ultimately Hamlet is the stem to everyone's problems and clashes. A connection I made is with
the open theme of revenge, the theme reminds me of Collateral Damage, with Arnold
Schwarzenegger, when his family gets killed by terrorists, he goes to search for who is
responsible. Similar to Laertes, when his family is killed or indirectly caused to be killed by
Hamlet, he tries to avenge them. This is act is almost summarizing the play, to its end, Hamlet is
yet to act on his vengeance and there is a new plot against Hamlet, it is like the balance tipped to
Claudius' side and he has gained the upper hand. I'm doubtful that Hamlet can act on his revenge.
Questions:
1. Will Hamlet actually act on his revenge?
2. Is Hamlet responsible for Ophelia's death?
3. Can Laertes actually act on what he has been planning or will he back out?
4. What is Fortinbras up to, why is he conquering useless land?
Predictions:
I think Fortinbras just deceived Claudius and by going through Denmark willingly, he has a
chance to attack. Obviously Hamlet will die, but I think Laertes will not do it himself but instead
the poisoned drink would kill him, and his dying words would be the truth of Claudius' rise to
power. I think Hamlet won't kill Claudius, but instead, somehow after the truth is revealed and
someone else will kill Claudius, possibly Gertrude.