Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 4

Hamlet
Act IV, Scene 4

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Shakespeare
for Scholars: Shakespeare
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A plain in Denmark.

Finally, Mr. Shakespeare lets us leave the castle of Elsinore. Indeed, this scene takes place somewhere “near” the castle. It is on a plain in Denmark.

Enter FORTINBRAS, a Captain,
and Soldiers, marching

PRINCE FORTINBRAS
A warrior is seen, and he is followed by an entire army. The warrior is Fortinbras, from the country of Norway. Fortinbras, of course, is the young man who had wanted to attack Denmark earlier, but was stopped when his uncle, the king of Norway, ordered him not to.

Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king;
Tell him that, by his licence, Fortinbras
Craves the conveyance of a promised march
Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous.
If that his majesty would aught with us,
We shall express our duty in his eye;
And let him know so.

CAPTAIN

So, what is going on? Fortinbras sends a captain from his army to ask permission to "march" through Denmark. Fortinbras wants to attack Poland, but he needs to just "pass through" in order to do this.

I will do't, my lord.

PRINCE FORTINBRAS

The Captain agrees to do as he was ordered.

Go softly on.

Exeunt FORTINBRAS and Soldiers

Fortinbras urges the men to "go softly on." They march around the stage for awhile, perhaps on tippie-toes, and then they leave.

Enter HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ,
GUILDENSTERN, and others

HAMLET

Hamlet, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern just happen to be walking by at this moment, and they greet this captain.

Good sir, whose powers are these?

Hamlet is curious about this army. He asks whose army it is. All of those uniforms looked alike.

CAPTAIN
They are of Norway, sir.

HAMLET

The Captain explains.

How purposed, sir, I pray you?

CAPTAIN

Hamlet wants to know what their purpose here is.

Against some part of Poland.

HAMLET
Who commands them, sir?

CAPTAIN

The nephews to old Norway, Fortinbras.

HAMLET

The Captain reveals that they are under the command of Young Fortinbras.

Goes it against the main of Poland, sir,
Or for some frontier?

CAPTAIN

Hamlet, especially, seems to take an interest in the army, and especially in this mighty young warrior named Fortinbras.

Truly to speak, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground
That hath in it no profit but the name.
To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it;
Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole
A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee.

HAMLET

The Captain explains that Fortinbras is fighting only a tiny, small parcel of land. It is almost worthless, according to him. He wouldn't pay five ducats for it.

Why, then the Polack never will defend it.

CAPTAIN
Scholars still debate whether this is the very first example in all history of a "Polack joke."

Yes, it is already garrison'd.

HAMLET

The Captain explains that Poland has already sent their army there, to get ready for a big fight.

Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats
Will not debate the question of this straw:
This is the imposthume of much wealth and peace,
That inward breaks, and shows no cause without
Why the man dies. I humbly thank you, sir.
Hamlet ponders how busy this Fortinbras guy has been, and how Fortinbras always seems to be taking action, even when he is only he is fighting for Poland, something which should be of no real value whatsoever.
Hamlet compares himself with this warrior.

CAPTAIN

God be wi' you, sir.
Exit

ROSENCRANTZ

The Captain, a Norwegian, imitates his best British Cockney accent: "God be wi' you," he stutters.

Wilt please you go, my lord?

HAMLET

Rosencrantz is anxious to get going. He wants to see how the fourth act turns out.

I'll be with you straight go a little before.

Exeunt all except HAMLET

Hamlet also realizes that he has been behaving in exactly the opposite manner. He asks to be left alone, so he can soliloquize.

How all occasions do inform against me,
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.
Sure, he that made us with such large discourse ,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and god-like reason
To fust in us unused. Now, whether it be
Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple
Of thinking too precisely on the event,
Hamlet’s soliloquy is reflective, as he scolds himself for not doing anything. Unlike Fortinbras, Hamlet has not accomplished any of his goals or objectives.

A thought which, quarter 'd, hath but one part wisdom
And ever three parts coward, I do not know
Why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do;'
Sith I have cause and will and strength and means
To do't. Examples gross as earth exhort me:
Witness this army of such mass and charge
Led by a delicate and tender prince,
Whose spirit with divine ambition puff'd
Makes mouths at the invisible event,
Exposing what is mortal and unsure
To all that fortune, death and danger dare ,
Even for an egg-shell. Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument ,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw He calls himself “one part wisdom and three parts coward” (lines 44-45). At least, his math skills are not rusty.

When honour's at the stake. How stand I then,
That have a father kill'd, a mother stain 'd,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep? while, to my shame I see Hamlet realizes that he should have plenty of motivation, since his father was killed, and his mother has a stain or two on her.

The imminent death of twenty thousand men,
That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,
Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough and continent
And, here, he can see twenty thousand Norwegian soldiers that are willing to die. Yet, they have very little to motivate them.

To hide the slain? O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth !

Exit

Hamlet finally resolves to have only “bloody thoughts” from here on out. How this will help, he does not say. The scene comes to an end. And, it is bloody well about time, too.

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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 plain in Denmark.	Finally, Mr. Shakespeare lets us leave the castle of Elsinore. Indeed, this scene takes place somewhere “near” the castle. It is on a plain in Denmark.
Enter FORTINBRAS, a Captain, and Soldiers, marching PRINCE FORTINBRAS	A warrior is seen, and he is followed by an entire army. The warrior is Fortinbras, from the country of Norway. Fortinbras, of course, is the young man who had wanted to attack Denmark earlier, but was stopped when his uncle, the king of Norway, ordered him not to.
Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king; Tell him that, by his licence, Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promised march Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous. If that his majesty would aught with us, We shall express our duty in his eye; And let him know so. CAPTAIN	So, what is going on? Fortinbras sends a captain from his army to ask permission to "march" through Denmark. Fortinbras wants to attack Poland, but he needs to just "pass through" in order to do this.
I will do't, my lord. PRINCE FORTINBRAS	The Captain agrees to do as he was ordered.
Go softly on. Exeunt FORTINBRAS and Soldiers	Fortinbras urges the men to "go softly on." They march around the stage for awhile, perhaps on tippie-toes, and then they leave.
Enter HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and others HAMLET	Hamlet, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern just happen to be walking by at this moment, and they greet this captain.
Good sir, whose powers are these?	Hamlet is curious about this army. He asks whose army it is. All of those uniforms looked alike.
CAPTAIN They are of Norway, sir. HAMLET	The Captain explains.
How purposed, sir, I pray you? CAPTAIN	Hamlet wants to know what their purpose here is.
Against some part of Poland. HAMLET Who commands them, sir? CAPTAIN
The nephews to old Norway, Fortinbras. HAMLET	The Captain reveals that they are under the command of Young Fortinbras.
Goes it against the main of Poland, sir, Or for some frontier? CAPTAIN	Hamlet, especially, seems to take an interest in the army, and especially in this mighty young warrior named Fortinbras.
Truly to speak, and with no addition, We go to gain a little patch of ground That hath in it no profit but the name. To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it; Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee. HAMLET	The Captain explains that Fortinbras is fighting only a tiny, small parcel of land. It is almost worthless, according to him. He wouldn't pay five ducats for it.
Why, then the Polack never will defend it. CAPTAIN	Scholars still debate whether this is the very first example in all history of a "Polack joke."
Yes, it is already garrison'd. HAMLET	The Captain explains that Poland has already sent their army there, to get ready for a big fight.
Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats Will not debate the question of this straw: This is the imposthume of much wealth and peace, That inward breaks, and shows no cause without Why the man dies. I humbly thank you, sir.	Hamlet ponders how busy this Fortinbras guy has been, and how Fortinbras always seems to be taking action, even when he is only he is fighting for Poland, something which should be of no real value whatsoever. Hamlet compares himself with this warrior.
CAPTAIN
God be wi' you, sir. Exit ROSENCRANTZ	The Captain, a Norwegian, imitates his best British Cockney accent: "God be wi' you," he stutters.
Wilt please you go, my lord? HAMLET	Rosencrantz is anxious to get going. He wants to see how the fourth act turns out.
I'll be with you straight go a little before. Exeunt all except HAMLET	Hamlet also realizes that he has been behaving in exactly the opposite manner. He asks to be left alone, so he can soliloquize.
How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more. Sure, he that made us with such large discourse , Looking before and after, gave us not That capability and god-like reason To fust in us unused. Now, whether it be Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple Of thinking too precisely on the event,	Hamlet’s soliloquy is reflective, as he scolds himself for not doing anything. Unlike Fortinbras, Hamlet has not accomplished any of his goals or objectives.
A thought which, quarter 'd, hath but one part wisdom And ever three parts coward, I do not know Why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do;' Sith I have cause and will and strength and means To do't. Examples gross as earth exhort me: Witness this army of such mass and charge Led by a delicate and tender prince, Whose spirit with divine ambition puff'd Makes mouths at the invisible event, Exposing what is mortal and unsure To all that fortune, death and danger dare , Even for an egg-shell. Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument , But greatly to find quarrel in a straw	He calls himself “one part wisdom and three parts coward” (lines 44-45). At least, his math skills are not rusty.
When honour's at the stake. How stand I then, That have a father kill'd, a mother stain 'd, Excitements of my reason and my blood, And let all sleep? while, to my shame I see	Hamlet realizes that he should have plenty of motivation, since his father was killed, and his mother has a stain or two on her.
The imminent death of twenty thousand men, That, for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, Which is not tomb enough and continent	And, here, he can see twenty thousand Norwegian soldiers that are willing to die. Yet, they have very little to motivate them.
To hide the slain? O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth ! Exit	Hamlet finally resolves to have only “bloody thoughts” from here on out. How this will help, he does not say. The scene comes to an end. And, it is bloody well about time, too.