Hamlet - Act 4 Scene 7
Important Quotes
- “Another room in the castle”
Setting (AO5). In stage adaptations it is clear that they are away from others, in secrecy.
- “you put me in your heart for a ”
Use of imperatives, presenting Claudius’ power and authority in this situation. Telling Laertes to see his innocence and to treat him like a friend willing to help. Juxtaposition between the imperative and the term ‘friend’ - Atypical language
- “That he which hath your noble father slain / Pursued my life”
Oxymoronic - ‘noble’, ‘slain’. Making Polonius seem good and is appreciated by Claudius, the King. He is manipulating Laertes.
Flattery - displaying respect for the deceased, also may have been done in order to quell Laertes anger and show him that he is not with Hamlet, and that Hamlet acted alone
Reinforces a negative image of Hamlet, suggestions that Hamlet is only out for power.
- “It well appears. But tell me Why you proceeded not against these feats, So criminal and so capital in nature, As by your safety, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirred up.”
Laertes asks Claudius why Claudius has not seeked justice for Polonius’ death and why he has not punished Hamlet.
- “Oh, for two special reasons, Which may to you perhaps seem much unsinewed, But yet to me they are strong. That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, I could not but by her. The other motive Why to a public count I might not go, Is the great love the general gender bear him, Who, dipping all his faults in their affection, Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, Convert his gyves to graces—so that my arrows, Too slightly timbered for so loud a wind, Would have reverted to my bow again, And not where I had aimed them.”
Claudius claims that he cannot kill Hamlet because Gertrude loves Hamlet, and he, Claudius, loves Gertrude and could not make her suffer through that pain. Presenting himself as a loving husband. Being manipulative
He also claims that the public loves Hamlet, and he must be a good diplomat and please them.
- “you must not think / That we are made of stuff so flat and dull / That we can let our beard be shook”
Flat and dull = lazy and stupid
Beard = metaphor for masculinity and power. Suggests that as men, they will not let Hamlet get away with his actions (mock them) just because of the consequences. Links to the fact that during the Elizabethan era, blood fueds were common and were on the back of reputation. Claudius is suggesting that Hamlet has mocked Polonius and his family and threatened their reputation.
Repetition of ‘we’ and ‘our’ (collective personal pronouns) - makes Laertes more inclined to agree with what Claudius is saying. Links to manipulation.
Foreshadowing - he is promising Laertes that he will take action against Hamlet and that he is currently planning.
- “I’ve seen myself, and served against the French, / And they can well on horseback. But this gallant / Had witchcraft in ’t. He grew unto his seat, / And to such wondrous doing brought his horse / As he had been encorpsed and demi-natured / With the brave beast. So far he topped my thought, / That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks, / Come short of what he did.”
This person who has been speaking highly of Laertes is someone good, someone reliable with a good reputation.
- “He made confession of you, / And gave you such a masterly report / And art and exercise in your defence”
Use of flattery, manipulating Laertes and his feeling during a time when he is most vulnerable
- “And gave you such a masterly report For art and exercise in your defence,”
Praising Laertes fighting skills and claiming that Hamlet is jealous of him. This gives Laertes a sense of power, and gives him assurance that he will win. Form of manipulation
- “Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart?”
Metaphor. Insult. Provoking him, trying to get a reaction out of Laertes, to threaten his honour by asking him how far he is willing to go to get revenge for his father’s death. Suggesting that love dies. He is trying to make Laertes feel guilty and the longer Polonius is dead, the less likely to get revenge.
- “That we would do, / We should do when we would, for this ‘would’ changes”
Collective pronouns. Telling him to take revenge. The collective pronoun is foreshadowing because they both die in the end.
- “Will not peruse the foils”… “I’ll anoint my sword. I bought an unction of a mountebank,”
They plan on how they will kill Hamlet.
Context
- Revenge
Revenge actions dominate the play as many characters choose revenge as their intention before they act. Revenge is a concept that relates to the very simple concerns about: the relationship of individual and state, justice, and the legality of violent action. Private Revenge - actions taken by an individual due to being wronged by another. These ‘blood feuds’ would often be settled by duels or other retributive actions that were often violent. A blood feud was considered to be subjective (as the person being avenged could either be in the wrong or had been right), however violent revenge was considered to be justified, this is because it is an attempt to avenge a family’s honour/reputation, not because of a person’s actions.
- Machiavelli
The writings of Machiavelli may have influenced the way Claudius was presented (as being manipulative, scheming and acting dishonourably to maintain power). Machiavelli was a prominent political thinker during the Elizabethan Era who suggested that in order to achieve their goals, some leaders must act ignobly. This resulted in the term ‘Machiavellian’ being used to describe character’s like Claudius who would often prioritise their own ambitions.
Critics
- “Laertes is like a hurricane. He rushes into the palace in an uncontrolled rage, roaring for blood” (Prosser)
- “Laertes is clearly less experienced in dishonour than Claudius” (Delvin)