Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 1

Hamlet
Act IV, Scene 1

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Shakespeare
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A room in the castle.
Enter KING CLAUDIUS,
QUEEN GERTRUDE, ROSENCRANTZ,
and GUILDENSTERN

KING CLAUDIUS

In a room at the castle Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are having another meeting with King Claudius. Or, is it Guildenstern and Rosencrantz?

There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves:
You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them.
King Claudius is discussing Hamlet's behavior, again. He thinks there is "matter" in his bizarre sighs.

Where is your son?

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Queen Gertrude rushes in, and chases the two college kids out.

Bestow this place on us a little while.

Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN

This is a polite way of saying, "Hey. You two. Get out."

Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night!

KING CLAUDIUS
What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit ,

She has to tell King Claudius all about Polonius’ death.

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.

KING CLAUDIUS

Queen Gertrude describes how Hamlet stabbed the advisor, and even calls Polonius an “unseen good old man” (line 13). "Unseen"? "Good"? She is half right.

O heavy deed!
Claudius is stunned. "O heavy deed!" he says. About 275 pounds.

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.
Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer'd?
It will be laid to us, whose providence
Claudius realizes that “it had been so with us, had we been there.” In other words, he might be lying there, dead, rotting away, just like Polonius. Something really is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Should have kept short, restrain'd and out of haunt ,
This mad young man: but so much was our love,
We would not understand what was most fit ;
But, like the owner of a foul disease,
Claudus realizes that he should have done something, to prevent this.

To keep it from divulging, let it feed
Even on the pith of Life.

Claudius knows he did nothing to prevent Hamlet from feeding on the "pith" of life. Nothing. Yeth.

Where is he gone?

QUEEN GERTRUDE
To draw apart the body he hath kill'd:
O'er whom his very madness, like some ore
Among a mineral of metals base,
Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done.

KING CLAUDIUS
O Gertrude, come away!
The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch ,

Claudius asks where Hamlet is now, and Gertrude explains that he has gone to dispose of the body, and to wash off all of the evidence.

But we will ship him hence: and this vile deed
We must, with all our majesty and skill,

Claudius is now determined to “ship him hence” (line 32). He will put Hamlet on the next ship for England.

Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern!

Re-enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN
Claudius calls for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are standing just offstage, awaiting their next cue.

Friends both, go join you with some further aid:
Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain,
And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him:
Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body
Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this.

Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN

Claudius orders the two college students to go and get Polonius’ body.
They leave to do this.

Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends;
And let them know, both what we mean to do,

And what's untimely done [...]
Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,
As level as the cannon to his blank,
Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name,
And hit the woundless air. O, come away!
Tsk, tsk.... Claudius says "what's untimely done [...]" There is another of those obscenities, again.

My soul is full of discord and dismay.

Exeunt
Then, King Claudius tells Queen Gertrude that his "soul" is full of "discord and dismay." The audience murmurs their agreement. The scene ends.

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	You can listen to some music as you read. Click on the icon above. (You can also shut if off, if you find it annoying.)

Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
A room in the castle. Enter KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN KING CLAUDIUS	In a room at the castle Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are having another meeting with King Claudius. Or, is it Guildenstern and Rosencrantz?
There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves: You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them.	King Claudius is discussing Hamlet's behavior, again. He thinks there is "matter" in his bizarre sighs.
Where is your son? QUEEN GERTRUDE	Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Queen Gertrude rushes in, and chases the two college kids out.
Bestow this place on us a little while. Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN	This is a polite way of saying, "Hey. You two. Get out."
Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night! KING CLAUDIUS What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet? QUEEN GERTRUDE Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit ,	She has to tell King Claudius all about Polonius’ death.
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. KING CLAUDIUS	Queen Gertrude describes how Hamlet stabbed the advisor, and even calls Polonius an “unseen good old man” (line 13). "Unseen"? "Good"? She is half right.
O heavy deed!	Claudius is stunned. "O heavy deed!" he says. About 275 pounds.
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. Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer'd? It will be laid to us, whose providence	Claudius realizes that “it had been so with us, had we been there.” In other words, he might be lying there, dead, rotting away, just like Polonius. Something really is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Should have kept short, restrain'd and out of haunt , This mad young man: but so much was our love, We would not understand what was most fit ; But, like the owner of a foul disease,	Claudus realizes that he should have done something, to prevent this.
To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of Life.	Claudius knows he did nothing to prevent Hamlet from feeding on the "pith" of life. Nothing. Yeth.
Where is he gone? QUEEN GERTRUDE To draw apart the body he hath kill'd: O'er whom his very madness, like some ore Among a mineral of metals base, Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. KING CLAUDIUS O Gertrude, come away! The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch ,	Claudius asks where Hamlet is now, and Gertrude explains that he has gone to dispose of the body, and to wash off all of the evidence.
But we will ship him hence: and this vile deed We must, with all our majesty and skill,	Claudius is now determined to “ship him hence” (line 32). He will put Hamlet on the next ship for England.
Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern! Re-enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN	Claudius calls for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are standing just offstage, awaiting their next cue.
Friends both, go join you with some further aid: Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain, And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him: Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this. Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN	Claudius orders the two college students to go and get Polonius’ body. They leave to do this.
Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends; And let them know, both what we mean to do,
And what's untimely done [...] Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter, As level as the cannon to his blank, Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name, And hit the woundless air. O, come away!	Tsk, tsk.... Claudius says "what's untimely done [...]" There is another of those obscenities, again.
My soul is full of discord and dismay. Exeunt	Then, King Claudius tells Queen Gertrude that his "soul" is full of "discord and dismay." The audience murmurs their agreement. The scene ends.