Hamlet Act 4 Scene 5 By Hannah Brower

Hamlet Act 4 Scene 5 By: Hannah Brower and Yuzuka Ieta

Summary • Ophelia has gone mad with grief of her dead father • Ophelia approaches Gertrude but speaks only in poems and songs • Claudius enters and comments on Ophelia’s madness but also states that Laertes has secretly sailed back from France • Laertes enters, followed by a mob of commoners shouting that Laertes is to be king • Claudius tries to calm Laertes who is furious over his father’s death • Ophelia enters and sends Laertes into another fit of rage upon seeing his insane sister • Claudius says that he is not to blame for the death of Polonius, but that he can help Laertes seek revenge upon the proper person

Sentence Structure

Ophelia �Speaks in songs/poems �Shows she is mad �“How should I your true love know From another one? By his cockle hat and staff And his sandal shoon. ” � Lines 23 -26

Laertes �Speaks in quick, short sentences �Shows his anger and short temper �“How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with. ” � Line 130

Claudius �Speaks in iambic pentameter �Shows he is calm and has not changed his manner like the other characters have �“When sorrows come, the come not single spies…” � Line 77

Gertrude �Sentences are long, but broken up with commas �Shows deep thinking but an underlying tone of worry �“To my sick soul, as sin’s true nature is, Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss. So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt. ” � Lines 17 -20

Literary Devices

Pun �Sexual Pun “Let in the maid that out a maid Never departed more. ” � Lines 54 -55

Hyperbole “O heat dry up my brains, tears seven times salt Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!” � Lines 154 -155

Simile “O heavens, is’t possible a young maid’s wits Should be as mortal as an old man’s life? ” � Lines 159 -160

Imagery �Visual: “ There’s rosemary… and there is pansies… There’s fennel for you and columbines. There's rue for you… There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. ” � Lines 177 -180

Clips �http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Tfcs. P-e. KJF 8 �http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=5 a 1 ks-S 4 UNU

Hamlet (1990) �Setting- quiet, outside �Lighting- dull, monochrome �Costumes- dirty, colorless Gives an impression of an extremely sad, gloomy, and almost fearful tone

Hamlet (TV 2009) �Setting- small, closed space �Lighting- dark �Costumes- blacks and grays Gives it a tone of anger and crazed madness

Hamlet (1996) �Setting- indoors, wide open (she projects herself and it echoes) �Lighting- Bright whites (hints at an insane asylum) �Costumes- Straight jacket Gives the tone of insanity and mocking happiness

Activity! Everyone must take turns reading this passage and act it out in a way you think Ophelia would say it: “I hope all will be well. We must be patient, but I cannot choose but to weep to think they would lay him I’th’ cold ground. My brother shall know of it, and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my couch. Good night ladies, good night sweet ladies, good night. ” pg 175 (lines 68 -72)