Daringĭamnation, he declares, "Let come what comes only I'll be reveng'd King he acts swiftly, without scruple, never pondering his actions. Laertes returns from Paris and quickly raises a rebellion against the Hamlet does not have the single-minded determination to sweep unhesitatingly This scene also draws comparisons and contrasts between Laertes and Hamlet.īoth have a murdered father, and both seek vengeance. Appropriately, Ophelia's distribution of flowers links this scene to the Gravediggers Scene, where Herself, her violets have withered and dried up her madness seems to mark the end of love and kindness in Significant that in her madness Ophelia does not carry any violets, the symbol of faithfulness. Queen rue, symbolizing sorrow, and daisies, which symbolize women easily won over by love. Ophelia then gives Gertrude columbines, which represent gratitude. To Claudius she gives fennel, which appropriately Her own death and asking her brother to remember her. To Laertes she gives rosemary, a symbol of remembrance used in funerals she seems to be foreshadowing Flowers, normally symbolic of love and passion, have additional meaning in the hands of Ophelia. Is the King himself, it is not surprising that the entire society, rightĭown to the innocent and pure, have been affected.įrom her very first appearance in the play, Ophelia has been associated with flowers, especially with Is spreading throughout the entire body politic. Ophelia's madnessĭoes, however, serve to point out the general corruption and decay that Not require the additional impetus of a sister driven mad. That Laertes has sufficient motivation to act against Hamlet and does Some critics see Ophelia's madnessĪs unnecessary to the plot and cruelty on Shakespeare's part. Meaningless songs and wanders glassy-eyed about the stage, searching for Whereas Hamlet has appeared to be mad, Ophelia is really mad. reality comes into play in an ironic manner in this scene. It seems that the poison poured by Claudius has contaminated theĪppearance vs. Polonius isĭead the Queen, suffering from guilt and turbulent feelings, appears to be divided against her self and
The last scenes of Act IV reveal the disintegration of many of the key characters in the play. Hamlet-a kind of back-up plan if his English murder fails. Thus, Claudius sows the seeds of enmity between Laertes and Hamlet responsible for his father's death. He slylyĪssures Laertes that the axe of justice will fall on the guilty person, knowing fully well that Laertes will find Laertes vows to wreak vengeance on the person responsible for theĬlaudius assures Laertes that he too is deeply grieved by Polonius' death and Ophelia's insanity. She speaks incoherently and hands flowers toĮveryone, speaking in a lifeless way. Just as he is about to explain, Ophelia reenters, and Laertes is overwhelmed by her pitiful state. The King, ever cool andĬomposed, tells Laertes he is not responsible for Polonius' death. Gertrude throws herself on Laertes in a misguided attempt to protect Claudius. Laertes asks the whereabouts of his father. Suddenly, Laertes and an angry mob burst into the castle. Laertes, who has returned to investigate his father's death, will find out the truth. Claudius tells Horatio to watch her closely.Īs soon as Claudius is alone with Gertrude, he bemoans the state of things, mentioning Polonius' secretīurial, Ophelia's apparent madness, and Hamlet's strange behavior. Tries to speak to the girl, but her replies are meaningless. Queen consents, Horatio brings in Ophelia, who appears to have had a breakdown. Her actions are causing people to speculate on the reason for Polonius' death. Queen that Ophelia seems to have lost her wits and goes around speaking distractedly about how her father Horatio pleads with Gertrude to speak to Ophelia, who is distraught over her father's death. Your browser does not support the IFRAME tag.įree Study Guide-Hamlet by William Shakespeare-Free Book Notes Summary
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