Act 4 Scnee 1

Question 1

Summary

Answer 1

Claudius and Gertrude are alone together.
She tells him she fears hamlet is ‘mad as the sea and wind’ and that he killed Polonius.

Claudius says that it would have been imhim if he had been there and uses this to suggest to Gertrude that hamlet must be sent away

He claims he would have done it sooner except for the love he has for hamlet

Gertrude tells Claudius that Hamlet has taken the body away and weeps in regret

Claudius sends R and G to Guildenstern to find Hamlet and Polonius body and bring them to chapel

Question 2

Key themes

Answer 2

Deception

Madness

Question 3

Deception

Answer 3

Gertrude lies to Claudius about Hamlets weeping for Polonius - is she protecting her son because she believes Claudius is a murderer

Or becauee it’s her son

Question 4

Madness

Answer 4

Gertrude blames Hamlets madness for Polonius’ death

Question 5

Form structure and language act 4 scene 1

Answer 5

Ending with rhyming couplet - the final lines from Claudius leave a lasting impression of doom, and from this point on the action moves swiftly towards the resolution of the play

Question 6

Key quotes

Answer 6

‘He weeps for what is done’

Claudius ‘and what’s ultimately done. O come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay’

Question 7

Explain

‘He weeps for what is done’

Answer 7

Gertrude protects Hamlet

There’s been no evidence of his being upset or angry over polonius’ death, and so telling Claudius this makes it seem as though he is either regretful or mad indeed

Question 8

Explain

Claudius: ‘And what’s ultimately done. O come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay’

Answer 8

The harsh consonants of ‘discord and dismay’ set tone for what is to come, foreshadowing the darkness that’s settling over Denmark

Polonius’ death like Old Hamlets is ‘ultimately done’

The exclamation perhaps could be interpreted to suggest that Gertrude is reluctant to follow - if she believes Hamlet completely, that would make sense as she would be tentative and nervous around Claudius now

(HES SPEAKINF TO GERTRUDE)

Question 9

How accurate is Gertrude’s account of killing Polonius

Answer 9

Not accurate

‘Mad as the sea and wind’

She knows - ‘not in madness/ But mad in craft’

Switched allegiance
She’s good

Question 10

How does Claudius react to death of Polonius

Answer 10

‘It had been so with us, had we been there’

‘O heavy deed’ - apostrophe , fear for self

Question 11

Why is he so anxious to remove hamlet from elisinor

Answer 11

Fear hamlet will kill him