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Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 1 – analysis
Gertrude reports the murder of Polonius, prompting Claudius to take immediate action to contain the political fallout.
Scene Profile – At a Glance
Location: A Room in the Castle (immediately following the previous scene).
Characters: King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern.
Key Event: Gertrude tells Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius; Claudius realises the blow was meant for him.
The Atmosphere: Frantic, urgent, and politically charged.
Key Quote: "It had been so with us, had we been there."
Significance: Claudius shifts from a passive observer to an active antagonist, realising his life is in direct danger.
Scene Summary
The scene begins moments after Hamlet drags Polonius's body away. Gertrude, distraught ("these profound heaves"), finds Claudius and tells him of Hamlet’s "mad" act. She describes how Hamlet, hearing a noise behind the arras, whipped out his rapier and killed the "unseen good old man" in a "brainish apprehension" (mad fit). Claudius immediately realises the danger: "It had been so with us, had we been there." He does not mourn Polonius; he worries about the political backlash ("slander") and how to excuse the murder to the public. He orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet, speak fairly to him, and bring the body into the chapel. He resolves to ship Hamlet to England before the sun rises, desperate to control the narrative.
Context
Narrative Speed: Act 4 moves at a breakneck pace compared to the slow introspection of Act 3. The murder of Polonius acts as a catalyst, accelerating events toward the tragic conclusion.
Public vs. Private: Claudius is obsessed with "whisper" and "rumour." His primary concern is not justice but Public Relations (PR). He fears the "poison" of scandal more than the sin of murder.
Gertrude's Loyalty: A key ambiguity. Does she tell Claudius about the murder to betray Hamlet, or to convince Claudius that Hamlet is truly mad (as Hamlet asked her to do)? By emphasising his "madness" ("mad as the sea and wind"), she might be protecting him from the charge of treason/premeditated murder.
Character Focus
Claudius: The Survivor
Claudius's reaction to the death of his Lord Chamberlain is chillingly selfish. There is no grief for his friend, only relief that he wasn't the one behind the curtain ("It had been so with us"). He immediately shifts into damage control mode, framing the murder as a result of his own "love" (being too lenient with Hamlet). He is a master politician, turning a crisis into a justification for exiling his enemy.
Language and Technique
Simile (The Sea): Gertrude compares Hamlet’s madness to the struggle between the "sea and wind." This elemental imagery suggests a force of nature that cannot be controlled, protecting Hamlet by framing the murder as an accident of insanity rather than a calculated act.
Metaphor (Disease): Claudius describes his leniency with Hamlet as keeping a "foul disease" secret, allowing it to feed "even on the pith of life." The motif of corruption continues; Hamlet is the cancer in the state that must be cut out.
Imagery of Cannon (The Poisoned Shot): Claudius ends the scene wishing that "slander" might miss his name like a cannonball hitting air ("invulnerable"). This reflects his paranoia; he feels under attack from invisible enemies.
Key Quotes
Original:
Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit,
Behind the arras hearing something stir,
Whips out his rapier, cries, 'A rat, a rat!'
And, in this brainish apprehension, kills
The unseen good old man. (Gertrude)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Mad as the sea and wind that fight each other
To prove who’s stronger; in his fit of rage,
He heard a quiet noise behind the curtain,
Then drew his sword declaring ‘there’s a rat!’
And in his mad, misguided view, he killed
The unseen good old man.
Analysis: Gertrude’s description emphasises the chaos ("lawless fit") of the act. By claiming he cried "a rat," she frames the killing as a delusion rather than a political assassination attempt, potentially shielding Hamlet from immediate execution.
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Original:
O heavy deed!
It had been so with us, had we been there:
His liberty is full of threats to all—
To you yourself, to us, to every one. (King Claudius)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Oh no, that’s awful!
He could have murdered me, had I been there.
His freedom risks the safety of us all;
To you, to me, to everybody here.
Analysis: Claudius’s first thought is for his own skin. The "us" refers to the Royal "We," but essentially means "Me." He realises the "antic disposition" is a weapon and that he was the intended target. It marks the moment he decides Hamlet must die.
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Original:
But, like the owner of a foul disease,
To keep it from divulging, let it feed
Even on the pith of life. (King Claudius)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
But, like someone infected with disease,
To stop it being public knowledge, let it
Unnaturally explode unchecked.
Analysis: Claudius admits he failed to act sooner because of "much love" (or fear of public opinion). He compares Hamlet to a secret infection that devours the body from the inside out ("pith of life"). It justifies his ruthless decision to send Hamlet away.
Study Prompts (with suggested answers)
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Benchmark Points:
She reports the murder immediately.
She keeps his secret about being "mad in craft" (not revealing he is sane).
She emphasises his "madness" to mitigate his guilt.
Suggested Answer: It is complex. On the surface, she betrays him by revealing the location of the body. However, by describing him as "mad as the sea," she frames the murder as an act of insanity, not treason. This might be her way of following Hamlet’s instruction to maintain the charade of his madness, potentially saving him from immediate execution for regicide.
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Benchmark Points:
Lack of concern for Polonius.
Immediate focus on self-preservation ("It had been so with us").
Political manoeuvring (worrying about slander).
Suggested Answer: Claudius shows zero empathy for Polonius, his supposedly "good old" friend. His reaction is entirely narcissistic; he sees the murder only in terms of the threat it poses to his life and his political reputation. It confirms him as a pragmatic, soulless survivor who views others only as tools or threats.
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Benchmark Points:
Hamlet as the infection.
Secrecy making the disease worse.
Exile as the "cure."
Suggested Answer: Claudius describes Hamlet as a "foul disease" that has been allowed to fester because the state was afraid to expose it. This continues the motif of "something is rotten." Ironically, Claudius is the true source of the rot, but he projects this onto Hamlet to justify "cutting him out" (exiling/killing him) to save the state.
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Benchmark Points:
Narrative momentum.
Gertrude’s emotional state ("profound heaves").
The inescapable consequences of Hamlet’s action.
Suggested Answer: The continuous time-frame creates a sense of breathless urgency. There is no pause for reflection; the consequences of Polonius’s death are immediate. It traps Hamlet; he has no time to plan his next move before the machinery of the state (Claudius) moves against him.
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Benchmark Points:
Slander as a weapon.
Claudius's fear of public opinion.
Irony of "poison" (his weapon of choice).
Suggested Answer: Claudius worries that the "whisper" of scandal will hit his name like a "poisoned shot" from a cannon. He hopes to transport this danger away to England. The metaphor is ironic because Claudius actually used poison to kill the old King, and will use a "poisoned shot" (sword/cup) to try and kill Hamlet later.