Hamlet+4.1-4.7

4. During Hamlet's long speech, he says, "I have cause, and strength, and means / To do 't" (4.4.48-49). Hamlet is talking about how he has the reason, strength, and motivation to kill Claudius. Although he continuously says he is physically and mentally able to kill Claudius, I do not understand why he has yet to actually go through with something. It may be a result of his accidental murder of Polonious; however, I think the demeaning way in which Claudius treats Hamlet would give Hamlet even more motivation to actually take the revenge the ghost advised him to do so. Claudius treats Hamlet like he is a little kid. His murder of Polonious was purely an accident; he may be going insane; however, it is a result of his life after his father, King Hamlet's death. In the same speech, Hamlet finishes with, "My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!" (4.4.69). Hamlet is exclaiming that any thoughts that are not violent are worthless. The first time I read this speech I thought maybe it was really the point where Hamlet turns insane; however, I then went back to earlier scenes of Act 4 and I still do not understand whether or not I should consider Hamlet insane when he is brutally honest with Rosencratz calling him a fool.

8. In Act 4 Scene 2, Rosencratz is questioning Hamlet about what he did with Polonious's body after dragging it out of Queen Gertrude's room. Hamlet never directly answers Rosencratz' questions. In my opinion, I think that Hamlet knows of Claudius's overall plan to kill Hamlet. Hamlet knows that Claudius put Rosencratz up to this questioning. After Rosencratz tells Hamlet that he must tell him where the body is and then go with Rosencratz and the other men to King Claudius, Hamlet replies with an ambiguous statement: "The body is with the King, but the King is not / with the body. The King is a thing --" (4.2.27-28). This statement left me confused. I thought that maybe Hamlet is talking about Polonious's soul is now with the King, but I was not sure. Also, I did not know if he meant the King as in King Claudius, his dead father King Hamlet, or the ghost that appears to be King Hamlet.

5. I decided that I hate Claudius. I never liked him, but I now hate him. He is such a hypocrite telling his wife, Gertrude, that everyone is in danger because Hamlet has such a violent mind. Claudius tells Gertrude that Hamlet must be shipped off to England immediately to ensure the safety of Denmark. Why then, should Claudius not be shipped off to England? I believe Claudius is more violent than Hamlet. With Hamlet, his murder was accidental because he did not know it was Polonious hiding behind the tapestry in his mother's room; however, Claudius purposely placed poison in King Hamlet's ear to kill him. Claudius is such a fake person because he hides behind his wrongdoings by pointing out everyone else's. He can never own up to his own sins.