Hamlet – Act IV Study Questions
Answer each of the following questions in complete sentences on a separate
piece of paper.
Act IV, Scene I
1. What does the Queen report to Claudius? What is his reaction?
2. Find a quotation that shows that Gertrude defends Hamlet when she speaks with Claudius.
3. What action does Claudius plan to take now?
Act IV, Scene II
4. What is the purpose in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern speaking to Hamlet?
5. To what does Hamlet compare Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Why?
Act IV, Scene III
6. Why does Claudius decide not to put “the strong law” on Hamlet?
7. What is Hamlet discussing when he speaks of worms. Summarize this passage.
8. Why do you think Hamlet is reluctant to tell people where he has hidden Polonius’ body?
9. What does Claudius reveal will happen to Hamlet when he goes to England? What does this
reveal about his character?’
Act IV, Scene IV
10. Why does learning that Fortinbras (jr.) is willing to risk his life “to gain a little patch of
ground” cause Hamlet to condemn himself?
11. What has happened earlier in the play to explain Fortinbras presence in Denmark now?
12. What does Hamlet resolve to do at the end of this act?
Act IV, Scene V
13. Describe both Ophelia’s mental and physical condition in this scene.
14. Why has Ophelia gone mad?
15. What disturbance interrupts Claudius’ and Gertrude’s discussion?
16. Why has Laertes returned to Denmark?
17. Compare Laertes reaction to his father’s murder to Hamlet’s.
18. What happens during Laertes’ and Claudius” conversation that further upsets Laertes?
19. How does Claudius manage to calm down Laertes? What is their further plan?
Act IV, Scene VI
20. What do we learn about Hamlet from his letter to Horatio?
Act IV, Scene VII
21. What two reasons does Claudius give Laertes for not acting against Hamlet in the matter of
Polonius’ death?
22. What message does Claudius receive?
23. What plan does Claudius suggest to Laertes so that he may avenge his father’s death and his
sister’s madness?
24. Claudius devises a second plan just in case the first fails. Explain what this plan is.
25. What news does Gertrude bring to Laertes and Claudius at the end of this scent?
Hamlet Act IV Quotations
ELA B30
For each of the quotations below, identify the following:
a)
b)
c)
d)
the speaker
whom the speaker is speaking to
the circumstances (what is being said when the quotation is spoken)
paraphrase each quotation
1. “O, heavy deed.”
2. “The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body.”
3. “A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king…”
4. “The present death of Hamlet. Do it England!”
5. “O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”
6. “Follow her close; give her good watch…”
7. “That I am guiltless of your father’s death, and am most sensibly grief for it…”
8. “If by direct or by collateral hand they find us touch’d, we will our kingdom give.”
9. “My lord, I will be rules: the rather, if you could devise it so that I might be the organ.”
10. “Revenge should have no bounds.”
11. “I’ll touch my point with this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, it may be death.”
12. “…her garments, heavy with their drink, pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay to
muddy death.