| How does the queen describe hamlet to the king? (Scene 1) | As mad as the waves know when when they struggle together in a storm. |
| What two facts does the king realize when he is told about Hamlet’s killing of Polonius? | 1.it was supposed to be him who hamlet killed.2. Claudius will be the one blamed for not restraining Hamlet. |
| What evidence is there that Hamlet is sorry for his actions? | He weeps for what he has done. |
| What commands does the kind give Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? | 1. Find people to help you.2. Find Hamlet3. Speak to him cautiously about where the body is4. Find it and hide the corpse in the chapel. |
| Why does Hamlet say Rosencrantz is a “sponge”? | He is soaking up the King’s approval. |
| How does Hamlet warn that the king is using him? | Claudius surrounds himself with people eager to do favors for him then exploits them for his own self interest. When he has squeezed what he needs out of them, they soak up even more. |
| What is ambiguous about him a comment on Knaves and fools? | 1. Clever speech is too much for R & G to understand that they’re being insulted.2. That the lies actually stay in their ears. |
| What is the end of the scene “the king is the thing…”? | Threatening by saying his days are numbered because now he’s the king of nothing. |
| What is the king say he must not “put the strong law” on Hamlet? | He’s well liked by he people. |
| Explain Hamlet’s line about Polonius and supper. | Not where he eats, but where he’s being eaten. A certain conference of worms (like the diet of worms) is chowing down on him. |
| Explain Hamlet’s like about Polonius and heaven. | He’s in heaven; send a messenger there to find him if you don’t believe me; if your messenger can’t find him, you can check hell yourself. |
| Explain the humor in “he will stay till you come.” | He’s dead, he’s not going anywhere. |
| What reason does the king give for sending Hamlet away with “fiery quickness”? | The wind and sails are in their favor currently, and that the king wants Hamlet gone as soon as possible because of how dangerous he is. |
| What does Hamlet’s line about a cherub foretell? | I know an angel who can read your mind and knows of your bad intentions. |
| Why does Hamlet refer to the King as “my mother”? | when man and wife marry, they become one flesh; Hamlet means this as an insult. |
| What direction are in the letters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern carry to England? | Follow Hamlet on foot and board the ship as quickly as possible. |
| How does the captain describe the land that Fortinbras’s Soldiers will fight to gain? | a little patch of ground that is not worth anything. |
| What does Hamlet predict about the Polaks? Is he right? | He predicts that the poles won’t be able to defend it; he is wrong. |
| What does Hamlet say he “does not know”? | He doesn’t know why Claudius is still alive |
| What does Hamlet say about honor? | Truly being great means that it doesn’t matter what material item you are fighting for as long as you are fighting with honor. |
| What event makes Hamlet feel shame? | The fact that 20k men are fighting over one little patch of ground that’s not even big enough to bury them all on because they have honor and he can’t even kill his father’s murderer even though he’s had plenty of opportunities. |
| What prediction is in the couplet that ends the scene? | Hamlet says that from now on, his thoughts will be violent, but we’ve heard that one before. |
| Whom does the Gentleman say wants to speak with the queen? | Ophelia (polonius’s daughter) |
| How does the Gentleman describe Ophelia’s behavior? | crazy, talks about conspiracies , her father, talks nonsense, uses violent gestures, etc. |
| Why does Horatio encourage the queen to revive Ophelia? | It’s a good idea to talk with her to insure she doesn’t take action on those evil intentions. |
| What has happened to Ophelia? | She is suggesting that Hamlet slept with her before his madness (and marriage) |
| Whom does the king instruct to keep a watch on Ophelia and why? | Horatio and because she is falling apart now that she’s losing everyone around her, so they are afraid that she might drive herself to suicide. |
| How does the king describe the coming of sorrows? | They don’t come one at a time, like enemy spies; they come all at once, like an army. ( when it rains, it pours) |
| What does “hugger-mugger” mean? | in secret |
| What do we learn about the whereabouts of Laertes and his supporters? | Laertes has secretly returned from France; he’s surrounded with gossip mongers who follow him and fill his ears with wicked stories about his father’s death; also, they want him to overthrow Claudius and become the king. |
| What are Switzers? | The king’s Swiss body guards. |
| What is unrealistic about the entrance of Laertes? | His mob of followers immediately backs off as soon as he asks them to. |
| What does Laertes mean when he says, “That drop of blood that’s calm proclaim me bastard”? | That he has exactly one calm drop of blood in his body and that it proclaims that he’s a bastard because he hasn’t yet avenged his father |
| How does the king reassure Gertrude that he won’t be harmed and what’s the irony? | Don’t worry about me, God put me on this throne and now He’ll protect me; ironic b/c God didn’t put him on the throne. |
| How is Laertes shown to be a foil to Hamlet? | They are both good sons who cherished their father deeply and now their fathers are dead, however, after P’s death, L immediately returns to Denmark and makes every attempt to avenge him where as Hamlet has been delaying his revenge for months now. |
| What does the king claim to Laertes about the death of Polonius? | That he is innocent (true) and deeply sorry (debatable). |
| Explain the symbolism of the flowers Ophelia gives out. | Rosemary: memoryPansies: thought(given to the queen)- fennel: flattery and adulteryColumbines: horns and adultery(given to the king)-rue: sorrow, repentance, and regretdaisy: unhappy loveViolets: faithfulness (all withered away since her father has died) |
| What deal does the King strike with Laertes? | Go get your wisest friends and have them listen to both of us and decide who’s right. |
| What bothers Laertes about his father’s funeral? | The way he died, the secrecy of his funeral, no funeral rites, no military display, no noble right, no formal ceremony. |
| Whom does Horatio think his mail must be from? | Prince Hamlet |
| What does the letter from Hamlet to Horatio say? | after you’ve read this, send these men to see the king. I sneaked onto a nearby pirate ship that was headed back to Denmark from the one traveling to England. Give these letters to the king and come running to me as if you were running away from death because I have many important things to tell you. |
| What does Claudius tell Laertes are his reasons for not punishing Hamlet for his murder? | 1. His mother loves him greatly and she would be extremely upset.2. Hamlet is well liked by the people of Denmark. |
| What does Hamlet’s letter to the king say? | Tomorrow I’ll beg your permission to talk to you and tell the story of how I came back to Denmark so strangely and suddenly and I’ll apologize. |
| What does “naked” mean in this context? | Defenseless, weaponless. |
| What thought warms the heart of Laertes? | The thought of being able to look Hamlet in the eyes and say “you killed my father.” |
| Explain Laertes’s line “To cut his throat i’ the church…” | Laertes will risk damnation to accomplish his revenge, even kill hamlet in a church. |
| What is the only objection Laertes has to being ruled by the king? | That Laertes gets to be the one that kills Hamlet, |
| What is Claudius bragging about when he claims Hamlet’s mother will call it an accident? | That his plan to kill Hamlet will be so good that even Hamlet’s own mother will believe it’s an accident. |
| What exactly is Claudius’s plan? | 1. Brag to Hamlet about how good of a sword fighter Laertes is2. Have them arrange a fight and people to place bets3. Have Laertes pick the very sharp sword that has been dipped in poison4. Laertes stabs Hamlet |
| What is Claudius’s back up plan? | To give Hamlet a drink after the match (if he’s still alive) and have his drink poisoned. |
| How does Laertes add to the plan? | I’ll put a dab of some poison on my sword, guaranteed to kill him with one prick. |
| Which line can be transliterated, “When it rains, it pours”? | “One woe doth tread upon another’s heel, so fast that they follow.” |
| Describe Ophelia’s death. | She drowned singing old hymns and holding flowers, et cetera. |
| What is the king worried about at the end of the scene? | He’s worried that the news about Ophelia has gotten Laertes all riled up again right after he finally was able to calm him down. |
Hamlet act 4
July 8, 2019