Name: ________________________________________________Date: _______________ Period: __________
Hamlet, Act IV, scenes 6 and 7
Act IV, scene 6
1. Explain what happened while Hamlet was at sea, sailing to England.
2. A deus ex machina occurs when a writer uses an unexpected or unlikely event to
resolve a situation in a story. Explain how the interference of the pirate ship is a deus
ex machina. Does this add to the drama of the story for you or take away from the
impact? By contrasting the behavior of the pirates with the behavior of the royal
family of Denmark, what interesting statement does Shakespeare seem to be making?
Act IV, scene 7
1. Laertes accepts Claudius’ statement that Hamlet is their mutual enemy, but Laertes
wonders why Claudius didn’t take action against Hamlet sooner. What are the two
reasons that Claudius gives to explain his inaction in punishing Hamlet?
2. Laertes is well-known for having skill in a particular sport. What is it? Who will this
factor into Claudius’ plan to have Hamlet killed and make it look like an accident?
3. Just in case the first plan doesn’t work, what is Claudius’ back-up plan to ensure that
Hamlet dies in the duel?
British and Western Literature
Cornelison-Issaquah High School
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Name: ________________________________________________Date: _______________ Period: __________
4. What’s interesting about Claudius’ preferred method of killing people what does this
show us about the man?
5. Describe the scene of Ophelia’s drowning. Do you think her death was an accident or
a suicide? Explain your reasoning.
6. What lie does Claudius tell Gertrude at the end of this scene? What idea does this
reinforce?
British and Western Literature
Cornelison-Issaquah High School
2