Hamlet Quote Explications – Act 4
Theme: Is Life Worth Living?
“If his chief good and market of his time/ Be but to sleep and feed?” (IV, iv) On the way to the ship to take him to England, Hamlet discovers Fortinbras and performs this soliloquy. Despite Hamlet’s madness, Rosencranz and Guildenstern provide Hamlet with alone time reflect on his own life in comparison to Fortinbras. Unlike Hamlet, Fortinbras has found meaning in his life and maintained his reputation. This outburst of emotion from Hamlet is significant because it signifies that Hamlet has accepted his fate to damnation. Hamlet’s life bears no purpose and meaning to him anymore because he has done nothing meaningful in his life other than “sleep and feed”. Fortinbras, on the other hand, has taken steps to put his plan for revenge into action, and Hamlet sees this and realizes that he should be ashamed for his life and inability to take action. This soliloquy done by Hamlet is different from the others before this because he truly disregards his own fate, and Hamlet discovers a new found freedom that he has never previously had in his life. Since Hamlet killed Polonius, there is nothing preventing him from bloodying his hands with future murders. While one time Hamlet was inhibited from killing his uncle, he no longer has his fate as an obstacle towards obtaining his plans. Even though Hamlet has always contemplated whether his life is worth living, this quote truly proves his disregard for his physical life and afterlife. Gaining a new sense of freedom, Hamlet has accepted that his soul can never be saved; he is able to commit any crime he desires because his soul is already going to hell. Theme: Thought vs. Action “To fust in us unused. Now whether it be/ Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple/ Of thinking too precisely on the even” (IV, iv). While watching Fortinbras’s army march through Denmark, Hamlet makes this proclamation of self-actualization. Even though both of the princes share many similarities, at that moment, the two men were in very different positions. Fortinbras was making progress on his plan for revenge, and Hamlet only contemplated actions for his revenge and murdered Polonius. Hamlet realizes that his foil, Fortinbras, is respectable because he has put the perfect balance of thought and actions into executing his plan. This quote is crucial because it signifies that Hamlet is finally aware of his own cowardice. This self-realization completely summarizes Hamlet’s struggle to take action. Throughout the entirety of the play, Hamlet finds reasons to prevent himself from taking action against Claudius; for example, Hamlet reserved himself from killing Claudius when Claudius was confessing his sins in fear of going to hell. The sight of Fortinbras triggers emotions of shame and anger in Hamlet due to his lack of bravery and inaction. The shame that Hamlet feels towards himself makes Hamlet gain this freedom that he has never encountered before in his life. Hamlet gains this liberation due to the fact that his soul is already destined to damnation. Hamlet’s need found sense of freedom foreshadows that he will begin to act hastily without any fear of consequences. Throughout the play, Hamlet finds reasons to not take action against his uncle and only continues to overthink his plans; this quote highlights his admit to cowardice and “craven scruple”. After the murder of Polonius, Hamlet is now free to …show more content…
This quick spur to action by Laertes highlights how Hamlet and Laertes are foils to each other. Both of the characters take entirely different routes to accomplishing their goals of revenge for their fathers. Understanding how the two men are foil characters foreshadows the future conflict that will arise due to their differences. After the loss of their fathers, both of the men have lost most of their senses of reality; Hamlet and Laertes are much more likely to act out or make egregious mistakes due to their lack of sanity. Laertes’s wish to kill Hamlet only presents yet another obstacle that Hamlet has to overcome for him to also enact his plan for revenge. Both of the men are desperate to avenge their father’s death, and their future clash foreshadows to have fatal
Theme: Is Life Worth Living?
“If his chief good and market of his time/ Be but to sleep and feed?” (IV, iv) On the way to the ship to take him to England, Hamlet discovers Fortinbras and performs this soliloquy. Despite Hamlet’s madness, Rosencranz and Guildenstern provide Hamlet with alone time reflect on his own life in comparison to Fortinbras. Unlike Hamlet, Fortinbras has found meaning in his life and maintained his reputation. This outburst of emotion from Hamlet is significant because it signifies that Hamlet has accepted his fate to damnation. Hamlet’s life bears no purpose and meaning to him anymore because he has done nothing meaningful in his life other than “sleep and feed”. Fortinbras, on the other hand, has taken steps to put his plan for revenge into action, and Hamlet sees this and realizes that he should be ashamed for his life and inability to take action. This soliloquy done by Hamlet is different from the others before this because he truly disregards his own fate, and Hamlet discovers a new found freedom that he has never previously had in his life. Since Hamlet killed Polonius, there is nothing preventing him from bloodying his hands with future murders. While one time Hamlet was inhibited from killing his uncle, he no longer has his fate as an obstacle towards obtaining his plans. Even though Hamlet has always contemplated whether his life is worth living, this quote truly proves his disregard for his physical life and afterlife. Gaining a new sense of freedom, Hamlet has accepted that his soul can never be saved; he is able to commit any crime he desires because his soul is already going to hell. Theme: Thought vs. Action “To fust in us unused. Now whether it be/ Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple/ Of thinking too precisely on the even” (IV, iv). While watching Fortinbras’s army march through Denmark, Hamlet makes this proclamation of self-actualization. Even though both of the princes share many similarities, at that moment, the two men were in very different positions. Fortinbras was making progress on his plan for revenge, and Hamlet only contemplated actions for his revenge and murdered Polonius. Hamlet realizes that his foil, Fortinbras, is respectable because he has put the perfect balance of thought and actions into executing his plan. This quote is crucial because it signifies that Hamlet is finally aware of his own cowardice. This self-realization completely summarizes Hamlet’s struggle to take action. Throughout the entirety of the play, Hamlet finds reasons to prevent himself from taking action against Claudius; for example, Hamlet reserved himself from killing Claudius when Claudius was confessing his sins in fear of going to hell. The sight of Fortinbras triggers emotions of shame and anger in Hamlet due to his lack of bravery and inaction. The shame that Hamlet feels towards himself makes Hamlet gain this freedom that he has never encountered before in his life. Hamlet gains this liberation due to the fact that his soul is already destined to damnation. Hamlet’s need found sense of freedom foreshadows that he will begin to act hastily without any fear of consequences. Throughout the play, Hamlet finds reasons to not take action against his uncle and only continues to overthink his plans; this quote highlights his admit to cowardice and “craven scruple”. After the murder of Polonius, Hamlet is now free to …show more content…
This quick spur to action by Laertes highlights how Hamlet and Laertes are foils to each other. Both of the characters take entirely different routes to accomplishing their goals of revenge for their fathers. Understanding how the two men are foil characters foreshadows the future conflict that will arise due to their differences. After the loss of their fathers, both of the men have lost most of their senses of reality; Hamlet and Laertes are much more likely to act out or make egregious mistakes due to their lack of sanity. Laertes’s wish to kill Hamlet only presents yet another obstacle that Hamlet has to overcome for him to also enact his plan for revenge. Both of the men are desperate to avenge their father’s death, and their future clash foreshadows to have fatal