Hamlet Act 4 Scene 1

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  • Created by: __Jess
  • Created on: 24-05-22 18:44
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  • Act 4 Scene 1 Quotes
    • Nature
      • "Mad as the sea and wind when both contend."
        • Suggests the duality of Hamlet's personality. He has "two forces of nature" within him - his own beliefs, and his father's orders.
      • "Like some ore among a mineral of metals base shows itself pure."
        • This simile shows how Gertrude doesn't want to blame Hamlet, and still believes he has a "heart of gold."
      • "The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch."
        • Links back to Hamlet saying "I am too much in the sun." Now the sun is finally setting, creating tension in the play.
    • Appearance v reality
      • "Behind the arras, hearing something stir."
        • The "arras" presents the idea of secrecy and how he believed that he was killing someone else. The blurring between appearance and reality ends up costing Polonius his life.
      • "The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch."
        • Nature
          • "Mad as the sea and wind when both contend."
            • Suggests the duality of Hamlet's personality. He has "two forces of nature" within him - his own beliefs, and his father's orders.
          • "Like some ore among a mineral of metals base shows itself pure."
            • This simile shows how Gertrude doesn't want to blame Hamlet, and still believes he has a "heart of gold."
          • "The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch."
            • Links back to Hamlet saying "I am too much in the sun." Now the sun is finally setting, creating tension in the play.
        • The sun setting could have connotations of hiding. Perhaps suggesting that Claudius' kind, caring facade is about to fall.
        • Links to the divine right of kings, and foreshadows how the natural order is going to be broken again.
    • Disease
      • "Let's it feed even on the pith of life."
        • Implies that Hamlet gains his power through killing and ruining others, though this is exactly how Claudius obtained his position.
        • "Pith" also means the essence of something, suggesting Hamlet is eating away at everything Claudius lives for.
          • "My crown, mine own ambition and my Queen."
      • "Like the owner of a foul disease."
        • Disease is synonymous with contagion, suggesting that Claudius could be the one spreading corruption.
        • "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
    • Revenge
      • "How shall this bloody deed be answered?"
        • Claudius's mind instantly turns to how to get revenge over Hamlet, before considering Laertes or Ophelia, mirroring how his reckless need for revenge hurt Hamlet.
      • "We will ship him hence."
        • Claudius wants revenge but does not want to commit the act himself, presenting him as a coward, or perhaps he doesn't want to relive what he did to Hamlet Senior.

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