Character
In Act 4, Scene 4, Hamlet compares himself to Fortinbras. What qualities of Fortinbras does Hamlet admire?
Fortinbras’s decisiveness, bravery, and willingness to act swiftly without hesitation or overthinking.
What literary device is this: “What is a man/ If his chief good and market of his time/ Be but to sleep and feed?" (4.4.33-35).
Rhetorical question
How does Hamlet feel when he compares himself to Fortinbras?
He feels ashamed of his own inaction and indecision.
What is Hamlet’s main conflict in Act 4, Scene 4?
Hamlet struggles with inaction, indecision, and his inability to take revenge on his uncle, Claudius.
What earlier soliloquy does Hamlet’s reflection on Fortinbras in Act 4, Scene 4, echo in its themes of inaction?
The "To be, or not to be" soliloquy from Act 3, Scene 1.
Why does Hamlet say that he should have been able to act like the soldiers in Fortinbras’s army, going “to their graves like beds”?
Hamlet envies the soldiers’ ability to embrace death without fear, and he feels inadequate for not being able to act with similarly in avenging his father’s death.
What literary device(s) are in this quote? "...To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,/ Even for an eggshell" (4.4.52-53).
Alliteration and hyperbole
What mission is Prince Fortinbras leading his army on in Act 4, Scene 4?
To claim a small, insignificant piece of land in Poland.
In Act 4, Scene 4, Hamlet is frustrated that he cannot act with the same passion as Fortinbras. What does this reveal about Hamlet’s internal conflict?
Hamlet’s internal conflict is a battle between his reason (thinking too much about consequences) and his passion (desire for revenge). He envies Fortinbras’s decisive action, highlighting Hamlet’s own hesitation and inability to act on his emotions.
In both Act 4, Scene 4, and his earlier reflection on the actor in Act 2, Scene 2, what does Hamlet criticize about himself?
His inability to act despite having stronger motives than others, such as Fortinbras or the actor.
How does Hamlet’s attitude towards revenge in Act 4, Scene 4, relate to his earlier indecision in Act 2, Scene 2, when he is unable to act after the arrival of the actors?
In Act 2, Scene 2, he uses the play to confirm Claudius’s guilt, but again hesitates to act. In Act 4, Scene 4, Hamlet again reflects on his inability to act, showing the consistent internal conflict that prevents him from following through on his revenge.
"O from this time forth/ My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth" (4.4.65-66). Device and significance?
Foreboding - Setting a course for action that will likely lead to violent consequences. This marks a critical moment in the play where Hamlet, previously consumed by indecision, now resolves to take drastic and potentially destructive action.
What specific vow does Hamlet make at the end of Act 4, Scene 4?
He vows that from now on, his thoughts will be bloody, or they will be worth nothing.
In Act 4, Scene 4, Hamlet says, “My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.” Why is this an example of appearance vs. reality?
Hamlet appears ready to act (saying his thoughts will be bloody), but in reality, he has made similar declarations before without following through, revealing the gap between his intentions and actions.
Hamlet criticizes himself for his delay in taking action throughout the play. How does his comparison to Fortinbras in Act 4, Scene 4, connect to his earlier frustration in Act 2, Scene 2, when he describes himself as "a dull and muddy-mettled rascal"?
In Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet critisizes his inaction, and his comparison to Fortinbras in Act 4, Scene 4, emphasizes his perceived failure to act decisively.
How does Hamlets resolve for his internal conflict at the end of Act 4, Scene 4, suggest about his character?
Hamlet declares that his thoughts will be "bloody or nothing worth," resolving to act decisively. This shows a shift toward passion over reason and highlights his growing frustration with his own hesitancy.
Literary device and significance: "This is th'impostume of much wealth and peace,/ That inward breaks, and shows no cause without/ Why the man dies" (4.4.27-29).
Foreboding, irony - It is foreboding because it hints at the eventual downfall that will unfold in the play. Ironic because the "decay" is inside their country right now.
How does Hamlet describe Fortinbras's troops’ attitude toward death, and how does this emphasize Hamlet’s own conflict?
Hamlet describes the soldiers going to their graves “like beds.” This emphasizes Hamlet’s fear of death and his feelings of inadequacy for not taking action.
How does Hamlet’s inaction in this scene connect to the broader theme of the uncertainty of death and the afterlife in the play? +give an example from earlier when you have seen this
Hamlet’s hesitation is influenced by his fear of the unknown consequences of revenge (the afterlife), reflecting his broader existential struggle with the uncertainty of death and the afterlife. Ex. Act 3 scene 1
Hamlet reflects on the consequences of action and inaction in Act 4, Scene 4. How does his internal conflict in this scene relate to his earlier contemplation in Act 1, Scene 4, when he speaks to the ghost about the consequences of avenging his father?
In Act 1, Scene 4, Hamlet contemplates the moral and spiritual consequences of revenge, while in Act 4, Scene 4, he decides to act, showing how his struggle with the consequences of his actions has evolved.