Hamlet Act 4 Scene 1 A shaken Gertrude

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 1 A shaken Gertrude tells Claudius what just happened during her encounter with Hamlet. While Gertrude thinks there’s still hope for her son, Claudius is more interested in the matter at hand. He sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and get rid of Polonius’s body.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 2 Hamlet has just hidden Polonius’s body when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to handle the situation. When they ask Hamlet where he has stashed the body, Hamlet refuses to reveal the location, telling the pair that all their favors for the king will bring them nothing in the end.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 3 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring Hamlet back to Claudius. Hamlet, still faking madness, refuses to answer Claudius directly. Instead, he cleverly insults Claudius, but cloaks his digs in what sounds like nonsense. Finally, Hamlet drops a hint about the location of the body. After sending some of his attendants to retrieve it, Claudius tells Hamlet that he’s being sent to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Once Hamlet leaves, Claudius reveals his true plan: as soon as Hamlet arrives in England, he’ll be put to death by the English court.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 4 Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, is on his way to wage war on Poland. His men and Hamlet cross paths, and Hamlet learns of Fortinbras’s plans. Hamlet is impressed. He admires Fortinbras’s commitment and courage, and decides to follow his example. He’ll avenge his father’s death once and for all.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 5 Ophelia is not well. A gentleman reveals to Gertrude and Horatio that she has been wandering around, talking nonsense and singing songs. Just then, Ophelia enters, acting utterly insane. She sings songs about death, love, and flowers. Gertrude can not understand what she’s saying, but Ophelia’s songs hint at Hamlet’s betrayal and her father’s death. After she leaves, Laertes returns, demanding to know where his father is. Claudius informs Laertes that Polonius is dead but swears it wasn’t his fault. Ophelia reenters, talking and singing nonsense again. Laertes is horrified to see his sister in such a state, and he vows revenge on his father’s killer and his sister’s persecutor.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 6 Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet, which tells him that the prince is headed home to Denmark. He asks Horatio to deliver some letters to the king, and Horatio makes plans to seek out Hamlet.

Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 7 Claudius finds out from one of Horatio’s letters that Hamlet is back in Denmark. He ropes an angry Laertes into yet another plan to get rid of Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet will have a duel, but Laertes will be fighting with a sharpened, poisoned blade, rather than a blunted one. Just in case the blade and its poison don’t work, Claudius will also poison a drink and offer it to a thirsty Hamlet during the duel. After they agree on the plan, Gertrude arrives to inform the king and Laertes that Ophelia is dead. She was found drowned in a brook, surrounded by flowers. Laertes grieves over the loss of his sister.

Hamlet: Ophelia Drowns in a Brook

Hamlet: Major Plot Points Established by Act 4 • Claudius arranges Hamlet's immediate transportation to England sends a letter to the English king demanding that he arranges Hamlet's immediate death. " Do it, England, / For like the hectic in my blood he rages, / And thou must cure me. " • Polonius's son Laertes has returned to Denmark determined to revenge his father's murder and blaming Claudius. " Let come what comes, only I'll be revenged / Most thoroughly for my father. " • Ophelia is dead. She is found drowned in a brook, surrounded by flowers.