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Hearing the queens sighs and moans of grief, Claudius immediately comes to her. Hamlet, she tells him, is mad as the sea and wind during a storm, and has killed the good old man Polonius. O heavy deed! the king exclaims, adding instantly, It had been so with us, had we been there [he uses the royal we, meaning I]. Claudius worries that he will be blamed for Polonius death since he should have kept this mad young man under restraint. The king calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and orders them to find the prince so he can be shipped away to England that morning.
In the meantime he will call a council meeting, so that any slanderous rumors coming from the murder will miss our name / And hit the wound less air NOTE: This short and succinct scene is one of the best for observing Claudius as a character. His decisiveness and his ability to see all sides of a situation- everything that makes him a good politician- are in evidence here. You can argue forcefully that he is a hypocrite whose only strong feelings are for himself. Notice, for instance, that he shows no concern for Polonius and his family. (If you want to see what he really thinks, compare a formal scene like Act I, Scene ii, lines 44 - 64 with this one. ) On the other hand, Claudius has not until this moment spoken of killing Hamlet and you can argue that the King truly believes that Hamlet is mad and poses a threat to Denmark ACT IV, SCENE Hamlet has just hidden Polonius corpse when he hears Rosencrantz and Guildenstern calling him. They come in, followed by guards, and demand to know where the body is.
He answers arrogantly that a kings son does not need to reply to the demands of a sponge. When Rosencrantz reacts, Hamlet describes the way a servile courtier is like a sponge, and is greeted with a hostile, I understand you not, my lord. I am glad of it, says Hamlet, a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear. After more repartee about the body, during which Hamlet shocks Guildenstern by asserting that the King is a thing, Hamlet seems to allow them to take him prisoner, but then suddenly dashes off in the opposite direction, shouting Hide fox, and all after, the beginning of a childrens game similar to hide and seek. ACT IV, SCENE Claudius discusses the problem of Hamlet with his advisers. Hamlet must be restrained, but he is so popular with the distracted multitude that the matter must be handled delicately.
His trip to England must appear like a project that has been planned for a long time. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive with the news that they have caught Hamlet but that he will not tell them where the corpse is. Hamlet is led in under guard and interrogated by the king. His usual jesting replies have, since he killed Polonius, been more and more focused on death. After discreetly suggesting that the king can go to hell, Hamlet gives a clue to where the corpse is and the king sends his attendants to search for the body.
Hamlet tells them cheerfully, He will stay till you come. The king now informs Hamlet that he is being sent to England. Hamlet, with a show of mock innocence, agrees to go. He salutes the king as dear mother, a title he proves by absurd logic to be correct.
After Hamlet leaves, the king orders his men to make preparations at top speed. When they depart, Claudius rhetorically begs England to carry out his orders and kill Hamlet, as otherwise Claudius will know no peace. He compares Hamlet to a disease in his blood, of which he must be purged.
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Research essay sample on Act Iv Scene Rosencrantz And Guildenstern
