Hamlet 5.1-5.2

1. From the perspective of the audience, they break the tension in the play which has not had one consistently humorous character until now. The riddles and songs also help to highlight Hamlet's change of character in relation to the idea of death. Death is just a part of life.
2. Hamlet is more open about his emotions now. Before, he thought it was weak, so he would only loose his emotions when he was alone. Now, he has no problem displaying his emotions for anyone to see, and seems to do it more when there are people around. Due to this change of character, we are able to see how Hamlet feels about the three characters. He is extremely fond of Yoric, who was his friend in the past. He speaks openly about how much he liked him. He clearly admires and loves his father as well. The only time we see some guard on Hamlet's emotions is with Ophelia. This could show disdain but I believe he is simply trying to hide his pain over her rejection of his love. This show of emotion brings up the idea that perhaps Hamlet isn't as crazy as everybody thought.
3. Hamlet is about 30. We know this from earlier on in the play. However, in this scene, the gravedigger tells us that he remembers when Hamlet was born, and that he's been working on this land for about 30 years.
4. It reinforces the idea that Hamlet did love Ophelia at one point, and probably still does. It also shows that he has absolutely no guilt over murdering Polonius. It is also a manifestation of his change in character, his resolution to act instead of just think.
5. Earlier in the story Hamlet was intellectual, reserved in emotion and action, and usually considerate of others. Now, he is more impulsive and doesn't think or care about consequences. We see unreserved presentation of emotion as he claims that he deserves to be the king and he admits to loving Ophelia in his argument with Laertes. Before, he didn't harm people unless it was necessary, as evidenced when speaking about his mother he stated "I will speak daggers to her, but use none" (3.3, line 380). He used to be fairly nonviolent. Now, he will harm people without a second thought, not even stopping to wonder if what they did truly warrant his actions against them, shown by his ruthless murder of Polonius for which he shows no remorse.
6. Before, Hamlet was all, "I have to avenge my father and prevent my mother from prostituting herself". With this new speech, it seems as though he has those same motivations, but also he believes he should be king. He wants to kill Claudius to take over his rightful place on the throne. 7. Osric is sucking up to Hamlet. He's telling Hamlet everything he wants to hear and doing whatever he wants to move up in the world. He is the reincarnation of Polonius in the play. This reinforces the idea of prostitution. Osric is basically selling his morals and his individualism so he can be associated with people of a higher class.
8. Augury is a sign of what will happen in the future. In this act, Hamlet realizes that forces beyond what we can control help to determine our fate, which is why he agrees to fight Laertes.
9. Laertes has to resent Hamlet because it's the honorable thing to do. Hamlet killed his Polonius, so it would be dishonorable for Laertes to just forgive Hamlet. This is already lost because of the way he has chosen to kill Hamlet: cheating in a sword fight by putting poison on the end of his rapier. This is extremely dishonorable. It contributes to the theme of revenge in that Laertes is killing Hamlet because Hamlet killed Polonius.
10.

• Gertrude's lines: "No, no, the drink, the drink/Oh my dear Hamlet/The drink, the drink/I am poisoned." This shows that she is undone by her need for material things. The wine is a symbol for earthly pleasures which she has pursued the entire play. This can be shown earlier in that she married Claudius very quickly after Old Hamlet died.
• Caludius's lines: "Oh yet defend me friends/I am but hurt." This shows that Claudius is incompetent and unable to do things for himself, always relying on others to do what needs done. This is shown earlier by the way that Claudius always uses other people to get things done: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, and Laertes to name a few.
• Laertes's has a much longer speech than the other two, allowing him to comment on the irony of Claudius dying by his own poison. Laertes suffers a crisis of conscience in the end, in which he tells Hamlet he feels guilty. This reverts him to the "noble youth" which Hamlet accused him of being during the graveyard scene.

11. Fortinbras and Horatio win in Hamlet. Fortinbras is the only one who actually ended up avenging his father's murder. While he didn't kill everyone, he still ends up king of Denmark, which was arguably his goal from the beginning. Horatio also wins just by virtue of managing to stay alive. He was always present in the story, but never part of the main drama, never the target of anyone's untoward emotions. It can also be argued that the story is probably told from Horatio's perspective, making him the obvious winner.

Hamlet 4.5-4.7

Scene 5
1. Gertrude says she doesn't want to see or talk to Ophelia because Ophelia has gone INSANE and is speaking in riddles. She changes her mind because Horatio warns her that Ophelia might end up saying something Gertrude wouldn't want her to if she becomes unhappy.
2. Claudius thinks Ophelia is crazy mostly because of her father's death, but also somewhat because Hamlet left. I agree. She's gone mad because she no longer has anyone around to control her, and she doesn't know what to do.
3. Laertes comes home because he hears that his father has died. He wants to be there for the funeral and to comfort Ophelia, and also to avenge his father's murder.
4. The supporters of Laertes want him to be king. Claudius feels as though he has to appease and calm Laertes before there is a rebellion, and also to suck up to him because he is about to ask Laertes to get revenge on Hamlet.
5. Claudius calms Laertes using flattery. He promises (probably an empty promise) Laertes that if there is any guilt in Claudius and Gertrude, they will gladly give up their throne.

Scene 6
1. The ship taking Hamlet to England is captured by pirates and Hamlet is taken by the Pirates in the confusion of the fight. He does not get treated badly, however, because he makes a deal with them.
2. As part of the deal the pirates bring Hamlet home to Denmark.
3. The pirates are going to bring Horatio back to Hamlet.

Scene 7
1. Both Gertrude and the people love Hamlet.
2. Hamlet sends Claudius a letter.
3. Hamlet was supposed to be killed in England because Claudius ordered it, but he never ended up getting to England.
4. Claudius and Laertes plan to put poison on the tip of the rapier so Hamlet will die no matter what. If it doesn't work they will give him a chalice of poisoned wine.
5. Ophelia is picking wild flowers by a stream and decides to climb a willow tree. The CLAIM is that a branch breaks and she drowns.

Act 4 QuestionsHamlet 4.1-4.4

Scene 1
1. Gertrude tells him, right away.
2. His main concern is that Hamlet is coming after him next, so he wants to get rid of Hamlet. He decides to turn to his "wisest friends" to tell them what happened so he doesn't get blamed. He hopes this event will not come back to bite him in the butt.
3. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as usual.

Scene 2
1. He tells them that the body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. He says this to emphasize that Claudius is not the rightful king and that the king isn't just a person.
2. Claudius.

Scene 3
1. He's saying it would be dangerous to confine him because the people of the kingdom like Hamlet. He's worried that if he punishes Hamlet, the people will judge Claudius rather than Hamlet even though Hamlet murdered somebody.
2. He talks more about where Polonius is in death, rather than where his physical body is. He says Polonius is at supper being eaten (by worms) and that he's in Heaven. He is trying to emphasize the idea that everyone is equal in death regardless of whether they were a king or a beggar in life.
3. Claudius wants the ruler of England to kill Hamlet. No, they don't know it.

Scene 4
1. He wants to let Claudius know that the Norwegian army are there, and that they want free passage as promised before.
2. He learns they're going to Poland to fight for a small piece of worthless land.
3. Fortinbras is a man of action, and he gets things done. Hamlet, on the other hand, is a coward and doesn't act on any of his thoughts. Fortinbras has this idea of honor, and he will fulfill it no matter what. Hamlet is afraid to act on any of his thoughts and just sits there thinking them all day even if he has a really good reason to act on them.