#### Contents

- Home
- Plot Summaries & Analysis
  - Act I, Scene 1
  - Summary
  - Analysis
  - Act I, Scene 2
- Character Analysis
  - Hamlet
  - Claudius
  - Gertrude
  - Laertes
- Themes

# Hamlet Analysis of Act IV, Scene 5
by William Shakespeare

One of the key themes of Hamlet is the connection between the health of a nation and the state of its rulers. Claudius is rotten, and in this scene, we see that Denmark is starting to rot as well; there is civil unrest, mobs storming the castle, and echoes of revolt against the current king.

Here, the difference between Laertes and Hamlet becomes most obvious. Each has a dead father to avenge; but while Laertes acts openly and with moral law on his side, Hamlet has failed to act and has forefeited any position as the “good guy” by killing Polonius.

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