Summary
Summary 'Hamlet' Act IV notes
- Course
- Institution
All significant parts of 'Hamlet' Act IV, with notes explaining their significance.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
aliflan
Content preview
‘Hamlet’ Act IV Scene I• L4 Queen speaking – she has to continue with him, the king, as usual.
• L8/10/11-2 “In his lawless fit,” / “cries ‘A rat, a rat!’” / “kills / The unseen
good old man”: protecting Hamlet against the King.
• L13 “It had been so with us had we been there”: thinking of himself – of
course, Hamlet did intend to kill him (Cl).
• L27 “’a weeps for what is done”: he didn’t – not just protecting H’s intentions
on Cl, also his actual character. Now afraid for his public position.
• L30-2 “But we will ship him hence, and this vile deed / We must with all our
majesty and skill / Both countenance and excuse.”: reason to get Hamlet away
from him.
‘Hamlet’ Act IV Scene IV
• L21 “ranker rate”: again with the word.
• L25 “Will not debate the question of this straw”: negative image of the
Renaissance prince.
• L26 “impostume”: scab, boil.
• L26 “th’impostume of much wealth and peace”: incongruous image.
• L32/33/37 “What is a man” / “Be but to sleep and feed? A beast – no more.” /
“capability and godlike reason”: two alternatives.
• L35 “he that made us with such large discourse”: question of reason, question
behind creation and the creation of consciousness.
• L37 “godlike reason” ➔ “how like a god” 2.2.272.
• L39 “craven” → coward.
• L39 “craven scruple” ➔ “what a rogue and peasant slave am I?” 2.2.2485 – he
killed Polonius, and not really a coward: he is only a coward when he thinks
about it, not when he acts impulsively.
• L46-7 “Witness this army…/Led by a delicate and tender prince”: Renaissance
prince combined with traditional fighting prince. Associated with femininity,
but Hamlet is very angry at women – incongruity; hypocrisy?
• L48 “divine ambition”: envy – not to say Fortinbras is to be admired, Hamlet
is despairing of his own failure.
• L49 “Makes mouths at the invisible event”: not as contemplative.
• L51-2 “all that fortune, death and danger dare / Even for an eggshell”:
delicate; Fortinbras risking his honour for something unnecessary –
Antithesis of what Hamlet sees himself as.
• L54-5 “greatly to find quarrel in a straw / When honour’s at the stake”.
‘Hamlet’ Act IV Scene V
• L23 “How should I your true love know”: no ‘antic disposition’, rather is
utterly grief-stricken. Young, innocent love.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller aliflan. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $8.38. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67474 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now