Do you believe that Hamlet’s attitude toward his task of revenge has changed in

act 4? Why or why not? Also, note any other themes you see emerging.

I believe that Hamlet’s attitude towards his revenge against Claudius has changed in act 4
compared to act 1, as he is more hesitant to bring vengeance to Claudius. This is evident in the
way that, although Hamlet has chances to do so, he continually stalls the assassination of
Claudius. This is evident when Claudius ordered Hamlet to be shipped to England, he taunted
Claudius but didn’t take any action to proceed with his vow even though he knew that he would
be gone for long. As Hamlet expressed when he heard about the departure, “I see a cherub that
sees them; But come; for / England! Farewell, dear mother,” (Hamlet 4.3.47-48). As can be seen
in the following quotation, after being told of being sent to England, with no definite return date,
Hamlet is quite chipper- joking, and making fun of Claudius while speaking of his departure to
England with excitement. Regardless of whether it is an act, Hamlet’s reaction to the news does
not suggest that he has a sense of urgency toward enacting his father’s vengeance. In this way,
Hamlet demonstrates his conscious unwillingness to commit the act due to his strong sense of
morality.

Themes

Topics that emerge in act 4 include, women, and truth versus appearances.

● Women: A woman’s oppression in society

Although Hamlet only features two women in the play, Shakespeare is able to create a
strong and detailed reflection of how society treated women in Elizabethan times, with a strong
focus on their oppressed nature. Due to their oppression in society, Gertrude and Ophelia are
forced to make hard decisions, that to others (like Hamlet) may seem cruel, lustful or deceitful,
but in reality, it is for their survival (this also plays into appearance vs reality). Firstly, to address
a question that everyone has had since the beginning of the play, why did Gertrude marry
Claudius, knowing that he was King Hamlet’s brother? This action is what Shakespeare used to
demonstrate this theme. Gertrude is a woman, and as you may know, back then, women did not
have much power, even in the court. With King Hamlet dead, Gertrude could be forced into
another marriage (with another king), be killed by a foreign king, or lose her rank as Queen and
live as a slave or prisoner. Gertrude’s decision to marry Claudius, although she recognized that it
was immoral when she expressed, “[a]nd there I see such black grained spots,” meaning that her
action caused her soul to be corrupted with sin, was a necessary action (Hamlet 3.4.91). Also, by
marrying Claudius and keeping her power on the throne, Gertrude further protects Hamlet from
corruption (of others, and of power), and from wars, allowing Hamlet to live out his youth as he
wishes. Another example of a woman’s oppression in society demonstrated in Hamlet is through
Ophelia. Although she is also a woman from the court, she has no say over her life. Her life is
ruled by her father, and her brother and she must obey them, regardless of whether it made her
happy or not. Ophelia can not see her lover, whom she truly believed loved her, and she can not
study abroad like Laertes, or even Hamlet, who is around her age. This lack of freedom along
with the fact that after her father’s death, she has no one to rely on, neither emotionally nor in the
court, helps us understand why Ophelia went mad. She had no way to provide for herself or hold
her own in the court, and like Gertrude, would fear the many possibilities that await her as a
woman with no power in court. Furthermore, up until her death in Act 4, she held up her
feminine virtues, even as she was mad, handing out flowers, and pleasing the men in her life.
Additionally, a woman’s oppression in the court is shown in the way that women’s feelings are
disregarded. Even as she was mad, Laertes did not seek her out to comfort her. When Ophelia
handed Laertes flowers and was singing, had Laertes followed her when she left the scene to
comfort her, she probably would not have died (Hamlet 4.5.157-180). Ophelia’s death is also
questioned in weather it is a suicide or an accident. When Queen Gertrude recalled the event, she
said it in such a detailed way that one would believe she was witnessing it all happen, however,
if she was, it must be considered why didn’t she help Ophelia- unless it was a cover-up. Blade
Runner 2049 and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay taught us about the freedom of oppressed
peoples. In both works, the oppressed group willingly chooses to die, either as an act of freedom
for themselves- it’s a choice they can make and control, or benefit a greater cause- justice for all,
etc. In this case, it is no different. Although it is ambiguous, we have reason to believe that
Ophelia killed herself so she could control one aspect of her life. She does not have anything left
to live for, now that her stabilizing pillars in court are gone, and her future is uncertain. Instead
of allowing another man to take control of her life, perhaps in a worse way, she can gain freedom
over her life for once, and as a result, suicide. Even though women suffered in these times, they
were also critiqued harshly by misogynist men who refused to understand things from more than
their point of view, which is what Hamlet’s misogyny is modelled off of. Throughout the play,
Hamlet continually insults women, with his most famous insult being, “Let me not think
on’t–Frailty, thy name is woman,” used to insult a woman’s vulnerability to men’s lust, and their
overall emotional nature. Shakespeare represents the tough situations that women of the 15th
century had to go through- the tough decisions they had to make, and the harsh criticism that
came with it, representing the long-standing theme of oppression again women.
● Appearance + Truth: Appearances can be deceiving, and so the truth is never certain
There are multiple ways that Shakespeare demonstrates the uncertainty of reality in his
play. In act 4 particularly, the theme is present most strongly around Ophelia’s death, Claudius’
assassination attempt on Hamlet, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s friendship with Hamlet.
Firstly, as aforementioned, Ophelia’s death would represent the theme, of appearance versus
reality because it is unknown to the reader whether Ophelia killed herself or not. Secondly,
Claudius’s assassination attempt on Hamlet demonstrates the theme of an uncertain truth as
Claudius is deceitful in his actions. Claudius told Gertrude that the reason he had not yet
punished Hamlet was that, “so much was our love, / We would not understand what was most
fit,” meaning that Claudius loved Hamlet so much that he was unable to punish him (Hamlet
4.1.19-20). This is an example of deceiving appearances as Claudius showed to everyone that he
loved Hamlet, and wanted to peacefully send him away, when he was aiming to get Hamlet
killed for being a liability in knowing about the late king’s death. As Claudius conspires, “And
for [Hamlet’s] death no wind of blame shall breathe, / But even his mother shall uncharge the
practice / And call it accident,” (Hamlet 4.7.66-68). Therefore, these examples in Act 4, amongst
others, demonstrate Shakespeare’s use of appearance versus reality, showing how appearances
can be deceiving.