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Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 3 – analysis
Hamlet taunts the King with riddles about death and decay before being banished to England for his immediate execution.
Scene Profile – At a Glance
Location: A Room in the Castle.
Characters: King Claudius, Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Attendants.
Key Event: Hamlet reveals Polonius is "at supper" (being eaten by worms) and is sent to England.
The Atmosphere: Macabre, tense, and politically urgent.
Key Quote: "A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm."
Significance: Hamlet’s nihilism reaches its peak; the political conflict becomes a fight for survival as Claudius signs Hamlet’s death warrant.
Scene Summary
Claudius tells his attendants that Hamlet is dangerous but must be handled carefully because the "distracted multitude" (the public) loves him. Rosencrantz enters and reports that Hamlet refuses to give up the body. Hamlet is brought in under guard. When Claudius asks where Polonius is, Hamlet replies, "At supper." He explains that Polonius is being eaten by worms, launching into a dark meditation on how a beggar can eat a king by processing him through the gut of a beggar. He finally reveals the body is "up the stairs into the lobby." Claudius tells Hamlet he must leave for England immediately for his own "safety." Hamlet agrees, mocking Claudius by calling him "mother." Once Hamlet leaves, Claudius delivers a soliloquy revealing his true intent: he has sent letters to the King of England demanding Hamlet’s immediate execution ("The present death of Hamlet").
Context
The Cycle of Life: Hamlet’s speech about the worm is a grotesque version of the "Circle of Life." It reduces all human hierarchy (kings vs beggars) to mere biology. Death is the great leveller that erases social status.
The Distracted Multitude: Claudius admits he cannot simply jail or execute Hamlet because the public loves him. This confirms Hamlet’s political power; he is a threat not just because he knows the truth, but because he is a popular prince.
England's Tribute: Claudius mentions that England pays "homage" (tribute money) to Denmark. This historical detail explains why the English King would obey an order to execute a foreign prince—Denmark is the dominant military power (likely due to King Hamlet’s conquests).
Character Focus
Hamlet: The Nihilist Jester
Hamlet uses the guise of madness to speak dangerous political truths. By demonstrating how a King can go through the guts of a beggar, he is conceptually destroying Claudius's royal authority. He is no longer terrified of the King; he treats him as "meat" for worms. This nihilism gives him a strange, fearless power, even as he is being marched off to his death.
Language and Technique
Imagery of Digestion: The scene is obsessed with eating ("supper," "guts," "eaten," "fed"). This visceral imagery turns the abstract concept of death into a physical, biological process, stripping away any spiritual comfort.
Syllogism (False Logic): Hamlet uses logic to insult Claudius: "Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother." This twists the biblical definition of marriage to deny Claudius his title of "Father" and remind him of the incest.
Apostrophe: In his final soliloquy, Claudius addresses the King of England directly ("And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught..."). This shift to direct address emphasises his desperation and the international scope of the tragedy.
Key Quotes
Original:
Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain convocation of politic worms are e’en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. (Hamlet)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Oh, he’s not eating; he is being eaten. A bunch of civic worms are eating him. For worms possess a mastery of eating.
Analysis: Hamlet twists the meaning of "supper." Polonius is not the diner, but the dish. The phrase "politic worms" suggests that even in the grave, Polonius is surrounded by politicians. The worm is the "only emperor" because it eventually conquers every living thing.
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Original:
A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. (Hamlet)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
A man might fish with worms that ate a king and eat the fish that earlier ate the worm.
Analysis: This is the ultimate insult to royal dignity. Hamlet traces the physical path of a dead King into the stomach of a beggar. It serves as a warning to Claudius: his crown cannot protect him from mortality.
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Original:
In heaven; send thither to see: if your messenger find him not there, seek him i’ the other place yourself. (Hamlet)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
In heaven: send somebody up to check; if he’s not there, go look in hell yourself.
Analysis: Hamlet tells Claudius to go to hell. By suggesting Claudius should "seek him" in the "other place" (Hell) himself, he implies that Claudius belongs there. It is a direct condemnation of the King’s soul disguised as a navigational instruction.
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Original:
Do it, England;
For like the hectic in my blood he rages,
And thou must cure me. (King Claudius)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Do it, King,
For he is coursing through my veins like fever,
And you must cure me.
Analysis: Claudius compares Hamlet to a fever ("hectic") in his blood. He needs the King of England to "cure" him by killing the Prince. This medical imagery connects back to the idea of the "rotten" state; Claudius views murder as a necessary medical procedure to restore order.
Study Prompts (with suggested answers)
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Benchmark Points:
Uses riddles to avoid answering.
Insults the King ("your fat king").
Hides the body to create chaos.
Suggested Answer: Hamlet uses his "antic disposition" to insult the King to his face without immediate consequence. By speaking in riddles about worms and beggars, he threatens the King's life metaphorically ("a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar") while appearing to ramble insanely. It allows him to speak truth to power.
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Benchmark Points:
Hamlet's popularity.
The public judging based on "appearance" not "reason."
The fragility of Claudius's rule.
Suggested Answer: Claudius admits the public loves Hamlet for his looks and person, not his actions ("judgement is in their eyes"). This reveals that Claudius's hold on the throne is tenuous. He cannot act purely as a tyrant because he relies on public approval, forcing him to use secrecy and foreign agents to remove his nephew.
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Benchmark Points:
The equality of death.
The cycle of matter.
A threat to Claudius.
Suggested Answer: Hamlet creates a logical chain: King dies > eaten by worm > worm used for bait > fish eats worm > beggar eats fish. Therefore, the King is in the beggar. It is a materialist deconstruction of the Divine Right of Kings, suggesting that biologically, a King is no different from a peasant, stripping Claudius of his "divine" protection.
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Benchmark Points:
"Man and wife is one flesh."
Reminding Claudius of the incest.
Refusing to acknowledge him as "Father."
Suggested Answer: Hamlet refuses to call Claudius "Father." By using biblical logic ("two become one flesh"), he argues that since Claudius and Gertrude are married, Claudius is indistinguishable from his mother. It is a final jab at the incestuous nature of their union before he is sent away.
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Benchmark Points:
His ruthlessness.
His fear ("hectic in my blood").
The shift from spying to assassination.
Suggested Answer: It reveals that Claudius has moved beyond containment to assassination. He is no longer trying to "cure" Hamlet’s madness; he is trying to cure his own fear by killing Hamlet. The metaphor of the "hectic" (fever) shows that as long as Hamlet lives, Claudius can never find peace.