Killing him then, for someone who believed as Hamlet did, would have meant sending Claudius directly to heaven, while his murdered brother, and ultimately Hamlet, himself, would have differed purgatory and probably the torment of hell. June 7, 2022; certified financial therapist To hide the slain? Example #1: " Silence prevails when words are meaningless. Hamlet's main point is that he does not know how he can live knowing what he should do, and having all means strength, and desire to do so, yet still having the deed remain undone. no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratched withal. My Thoughts Be Bloody, a sweeping family saga, revives an extraordinary figure whose name has been missing, until now, from the story of President Lincoln s death. However, when Hamlet kills Polonius, he believes that he is actually killing his uncle, so the ability and will are there when the right opportunity appears to present itself. You can't buy a woman for money. enlists are called "the cankers of a calm world and a long peace"; Nothing, my lord: or if--I know not what. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device His fathers murderer is now king, not only having killed and usurped Old Hamlet, but usurping Young Hamlet, as well. Be but to sleep and feed? As Hamlet said: 'The play's the thing', and he uses that play to confirm his uncle's guilt. 27 Dec. 2013. Hamlet realizes that Fortinbras and his entire army are more decisiveand thus more powerfulthan Hamlet, even though they have less motivation, it would seem, to march on . M. M. iii. The best kind of fantasy always keeps a foot grounded in the real world. hamlet act 4 literary devices - Litchapter.com These men are likely to perish over a small piece of worthless land, simply for the glorification of Fortinbras's reputation as a warrior, yet he, Hamlet, knows that his uncle has killed his father and he is doing nothing about it. A POSTERIORI: In rhetoric, logic, and philosophy, a belief or proposition is said to be a posteriori if it can only be determined through observation (Palmer 381). In addition, the ghost has given an indication of the horrors of purgatory, and that is where Hamlet believes that he, too, will go, if he kills Claudius. Powered by WordPress. Be you content to lend your patience to us, And we shall jointly labor with your soul To give it due content. Throughout this soliloquy we see Hamlet move through various stages of thought, from . speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Gertrudecontext: angry that Gertrude told Laertes the news of Ophelia because he will no longer want to kill Hamlet since he is more grief-stricken than he is angry. William Shakespeare, regarded as the foremost dramatist of his time, wrote more than thirty plays and more than one hundred sonnets, all written in the form of three quatrains and a couplet that is now recognized as Shakespearean. How could the actor weep and despair over Hecubaa mythical woman in a storywhen Hamlet could not respond in such a manner to his own father's death nor do anything to avenge it? speaker: Hamlet speaking to: Rosencrantz and Guildensterncontext: youre dumb; not surprised by Rosencrantzs lack of understandingliterary device: personification (of speech/sly words); synecdoche (foolish ear used to call Rosencrantz a fool). Examples gross as earth exhort me: Witness this army of such mass and charge. youre going to hell with Polonius anyway, why dont you find him there? This queen is Hamlet's mother, who should have been sharing Hamlet's grief, but who has betrayed her role as wife and mother, in order to marry the man, whom Hamlet hates. Repetition Examples: 1. purpose and objectives of teamwork in schools. How stand I then. We go to gain a little patch of ground That hath in it no profit but the name. He realises that intelligent thoughts should not be allowed to rot, but should be used to learn ~ to learn from the past and to apply the acquired knowledge to the future. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 4, the audience is, once again, able to access Hamlet's thoughts, emotions and feelings via a soliloquy. The Tragedy of Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most renowned publications. will cost the lives of at least two thousand men, and the waste He wants to be sure that the ghost who claims to be Old Hamlet really is his father, and not a lying demon from hell, before acting upon his orders. Whereon cause, too small to hold the combatants for it. June 1, 2022. by etc north vernon covid testing. He was distraught, but tried again: "Let's see, Mathilde. How all me, how everything that happens seems to The Books of Blood combine the ordinary with the extraordinary while radiating the eroticism that has become Barker's signature. 61. for a fame, for the sake of such a fanciful whim as the Here marks the central move in Hamlet's turning point. He cannot kill him for incest alone, as wrong as he thinks it is, because that would be a crime unacceptable to the country. Hamlet concedes that he feels such taunts are justified, and he should take them, for the fact must be faced that he is coward lacking the courage to make the oppression (i.e. sugar leaves turning purple; michael phelps cousins; beautiful smile in portuguese; michelle ritter eric schmidt; goodwill employee handbook illinois; . Diseases desperate grown By desperate appliance are relieved, Or not at all. (2.2), Soliloquy ">. Laertes), How cheerfully on the false trail they cry, speaker: Gertrudespeaking to: people/mobcontext: Laertes cant/wont be king so what theyre chanting is absurd, speaker: Laertesspeaking to: Claudiuscontext: thou is used sarcasticallyliterary device: invective. of, etc. And let him know so. Dolven, Jeff, ed. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device. speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: two or three/selfcontext: Hamlet cannot be detained or firmly dealt with because the people of Denmark love him. may be allowed to transport his forces across Denmark: the rendezvous, the appointed place of meeting; Fr. Helsingr is a city on Denmark's island of Zealand. Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device. Hamlet returns to the example of Fortinbras, who, though just another young prince, is proudly and ambitiously, leading an entire army, without care as to the outcome. This is not the only chance meeting that has made Hamlet reflect, and soliloquise, in such a manner. William Shakespeare - Hamlet Act 4 Scene 4 | Genius with the troops under your command. 18. to gain, to make ourselves masters of. Examples gross as earth exhort me:Witness this army of such mass and chargeLed by a delicate and tender prince,Whose spirit withdivine ambition puff'dMakes mouths at the invisible event,Exposing what is mortal and unsureTo all that fortune, death and danger dare,Even for an egg-shell. the people and the queen may care for Hamlet but I care for my father whom he killed and my sister he drove into madness, You shall hear more. - "for like the hectic in my BLOOD he rages/And thou must CURE me" - Claudius to R&G with death orders for Hamlet . literary device: metaphor of the sea, simile. which the law of England allows any person to possess in landed 23. then, if it is worth no more than that. speaker: Gertrudespeaking to: asidecontext: eventually it all comes out, but trying to hide guilt inside will make it more and more likely for it whatever it is to be revealedliterary device: metaphor (cup). 212, "Her gentlewomen tended her i' the eyes," I am guiltless of your fathers death, And am most sensibly in grief for it. Literary devices create nuance and depth, making them essential to the art of storytelling. A. C. iv. Hamlet is neither a soldier nor a professional killer, like Fortinbras, nor is he a cold-blooded murderer, like his uncle. speaker: Hamletspeaking to: selfcontext: slant rhyme/couplet; his resolve to commit to murder or nothing ironic because he says "my thoughts" not "actions" or even "deeds", but his thoughts have been focused on revenge the entire time, so this initiates no . speaker: Laertesspeaking to: Claudius and Gertrudecontext: not angry anymore; Ophelia is drowned to the fire that fueled his rage has been put out; demoralized. The insects have chosen a different line; they have sought first the material welfare and security of the hive, and presumably they have their reward. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device Hamlet. So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt. I'll be with you straight go a little before. faculties, faculties which concern themselves with both the future The following analysis breaks down the soliloquy point by point, giving some insight into the work and explaining it in more modern language. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device. K. Deighton. William F Torpey from South Valley Stream, N.Y. on June 11, 2010: Another great "Hamlet" hub, Trish_M. or are you like the painting of a sorrow,a face without a heart, not that i think you did not love your father. Older pieces of literature use more uncommon symbols than modern works. "The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves." #3- This quote displays revenge in a very strong manner of revenge, as Claudius states that revenge should have no bounds. imposthume, from "O.F. so full of artless jealousy is guilt, it spills itself in fearing to be spilt. I loved your father, and we love ourself, And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine-, speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: seems like hes about to introduce the name of the murderer and some sort of plan he had devised but is interrupted literary device: caesura, speaker: Hamlet (in letter)speaking to: Claudiuscontext: sarcastically referring to the king; bitter. iv. His mother appears to be betraying him, by forgetting his grief and celebrating a new marriage. With this, Hamlet vowes to think of nothing else but his bloody revenge against his uncle. That inward breaks and shows no cause without Why the man dies. He killed his brother in cold blood, in order to steal his crown and his wife. He is absolutely devastated for what happened to Ophelia.literary device: synecdoche (eye), speaker: Opheliaspeaking to: all literary device: symbolism (fennel-flattery; columbines- unchastity/ingratitude). 1421, "It Stretched Resolution For 2560x1440, Yet he does nothing. Rich she shall be, that's certain; wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or . my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device speaker: Laertesspeaking to: all (mostly to Claudius and Gertrude)context: comments on how Ophelia is nonsensical; prior to her engaging in a popular funeral song of the time. Mad Jack Duncan: You just try and get one without it. 50. Let us all ring Fancy's knell: I'll begin it,--Ding, dong, bell! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! To hide the slain? ; Why havent I done it yet? This is a very interesting point. Their fathers have been killed. vizsla breeder northwest; Tags . He is a thoughtful, intelligent young man, for whom killing in cold blood does not come easily. 1. He is dead and gone, lady, He is dead and gone; At his head a grass green turf, At his heels a stone. Additionally . we will discuss the literary piece, its plot, themes, and symbols. Leading armies and fighting battles is his raison-dtre. And the same goes for all of my patients. With this, Hamlet vowes to think of nothing else but his bloody revenge against his uncle. + 18moreitalian Restaurantsnonno's Ristorante Italiano, Nonno Pino's, And More, Quoteland has a unique community of literary scholars who love to do research on difficult quotes. O, from this time forth,my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! Let come what comes, only Ill be revenged Most thoroughly for my father. speaking to: Claudius. To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum, Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, sends a Captain to request permission to convey his army over Danish lands. [Please click here for more on the problem this passage presents.] speaker: Claudius speaking to: Gertrudecontext: pith=marrow; he kept Hamlets madness secret (from the people of Denmark) and it has been killing them from the inside like a disease would, The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch But we will ship him hence, speaker: Claudius speaking to: Gertrudecontext: at dawn, ship Hamlet to England to make sure he is no longer a threat, speaker: Claudius speaking to: Gertrudecontext: cover-up the murder or to forgive (the former), speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Rosencrantz and Guildensterncontext: telling R&G about the murder and attributing it to his madness*note: he still hasnt acknowledged that his so-called friend is dead, speaker: Claudius speaking to: Rosencrantz and Guildensterncontext: shows religious/Catholic theology incorporated into the text. for like the hectic in my blood he rages,and thou must cure me. Mabillard, Amanda. change of construction, cp. like the owner of a foul disease, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of life! To illustrate, an anaphora indicates a poem that repeats a phrase at the starting of each line. As a poetic form, the sonnet was developed by an early thirteenth-century Italian poet, Giacomo da Lentini. brute beast. speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: more ego stroking and manipulation. 23 years of excellence in Home Tuition. Theres rue for you, and heres some for me. One of Shakespeare's most interesting (yet tragically most often forgotten) soliloquies takes place at the end of Act Four, Scene Four of Hamlet. Imagery is the essential poetic device used in poetryit's how you make the big ideas in your poem come alive for the reader. My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! Print. 8. softly, slowly; i.e. Like to a murdering piece, in many places Gives me superfluous death. Writing can wreck your body. There are two compelling interpretations of his thoughts on greatness. First, it's efficient and clear. Tell me where is Fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head? and an estate in fee simple is the greatest estate or interest What is the significance of the quote "Oh, from this time forth, My Alliteration Some super sentences supply stunning samples of alliteration, such as this one. Hamlet meditates on life and death while holding Yorick's skull. The young prince wants to be sure whether the ghost is real if Claudius is an actual murderer. Fortinbras . 64. which is continent, which is not large enough to be the Hamlet asks himself: How stand I then? He wonders how he can do nothing when he has good reason to kill, while hundreds of men march to certain death for a fantasy and a trick of fame. inform against me, being a charge It is also an act of accumulating the scattered points. Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? Claudius asks where Hamlet has gone and Gertrude sa In spite of some similarities between their lives, they are very different people. Norway, the king of Norway. Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king; Tell him that, by his licence, Fortinbras, Craves the conveyance of a promised march. Thus, a penny slips out of your thoughts and communicates me the notion of isolation.". Hamlet is saying that God did not give humanity the ability to think, to look to the past and future and reflect on what has been and what could be, just for us to waste it. ist writ in your revenge That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe, Winner and loser? tomb and cover; continent, that which contains; cp. He is disgusted with himself; contemptuous of his own weak inadequacy and his fearful failings. (Act 4.4.65-66) are Hamlet's urging to himself to act quickly to achieve his revenge, and signify, many commentators believe, a change in. Compared to Fortinbras, Hamlets honour has been severely besmirched, causing him huge emotional distress: his father has been murdered and his mother defiled by the usurper king who is his uncle. Oh, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth! I have been talking with a suitor here, A man that languishes in your displeasure . I humbly thank you, sir. SC. Shakespeare's View of the Child Actors Through, Seneca's Tragedies and the Elizabethan Drama. seem'd they would debate with angry swords"; the word is from How dangerous it is that this man goes loose! Hamlet feels unable to escape the Danish court, Elsinore, so he feels like a prisoner. Hamlet Critic Quotes. 45 Colt 250 Gr Swc Load Data, speaker: Hamlet (in writing)speaking to: Horatiocontext: Hamlet has a lot to tell Horatio about the antics of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and what they were going to do to him in England, speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: Im your friend; more manipulation, he which hath your noble father slain Pursued my life, speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: trying to illicit sympathy by saying that Polonius murderer tried to kill him too (he didnt yet), speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: explaining why he didnt put Hamlet in jail yet-1. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device context: telling Claudius that Hamlet just murdered Polonius; she had just told Hamlet she wouldn't say anything to Claudius about what had happened. speaker: Hamletspeaking to: selfcontext: there is no purpose to life if all you do is eat and sleep and go about your daily routine without further action; humans are able to act very violently for very little gain. 'Hamlet' by William Morris Hunt, circa 1864. All. the O. F. debatre, to beat down. By letter congruing to that effect, The present death of Hamlet. Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy That he could nothing do but wish and beg Your sudden coming oer, to play with you. Vows, to the blackest devil! Hamlet Act 4 Quotes and Literary Devices Flashcards | Quizlet And that he calls for a drink, Ill have prepared him A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, If he by chance escape your venomed stuck, Our purpose may hold there. apostrophe. my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth literary device Hamlet contemplates an idea of revenge in Act 4, Scene 4. Over his kingdom. The first is that greatness means to refuse to stand back and wait and wait for an excuse to act, but to find a compelling reason out of triffling matters, when honor is at stake (Dolven). Xfinity Mobile Report Outage, Captain: Yes, it is already garrison'd. Captain: 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. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. from forth a copse], As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII [Blow, blow, thou winter wind], Hamlet, Act I, Scene I [Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes]. 40, "Heart once be stronger than thy continent, Crack That hath name, whose only value lies in the name of till i know' tis donehowe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin: metonymy: the nephew to old Norway: couplet: oh from this time forth,my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth: apostrophe: to my sick soul: metaphor: so full of artless jealousy is guilt,it spills itself in . Both may even hope to avenge the deaths, but the events are not fully comparable. convert his gyves to graces, so that my arrows, too slightly timbered for so loud a windwould have reverted to my bow again,but not where i have aimed them. Why? 54. Tellingly, he does not say "My deeds be bloody." 27-9. After seeing the soldiers of Fortinbras's army marching to fight, and possibly die, in a meaningless battle, Hamlet looks inward and wonders why he cannot do battle over a much worthier cause. Allusion: The figurative reference of a person . Rightly to be greatIs not to stir without great argument,But greatly to find quarrel in a strawWhen honour's at the stake. Encountering the Captain, Hamlet asks why the army is on the march. Analysis of Hamlet's Act 4, Scene 4 Soliloquy - Owlcation speaker: Opheliaspeaking to: Claudiuscontext: Polonius didnt get the proper burial for a Head of State but was instead just thrown into his grave; clearly Ophelia is not distraught to the point of complete insanity*note: prose!!! To pay it, I would not pay five ducats, not even five, for 4. Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats. 2. 457 Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, 458 Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love, 459 Till that a capable and wide revenge My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" Enter FORTINBRAS, a Captain, and Soldiers, marching. Edwin Booth, John Wilkes s older brother by four years, was in his day the biggest star of the American stage. 62. like beds, as readily as they would to their beds: plot, O, from this time forth,My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! And let him know so, and therefore tell him so. The only rule is to ignore all rules. __________ Pray you, no more. Now fear I this will give it start again. Rishi Kapoor Family Tree, speaker: Hamlet speaking to: Rosencrantz and Guildensterncontext: Hamlet knows Claudius is just using them but they clearly cant see thatliterary device: allusion (animals eating habits), simile*note: the use of prose when speaking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, speaker: Hamlet speaking to: Rosencrantz and Guildensterncontext: once Claudius has gotten what he needs from them, they are nothing. Hamlet Act 4 Scene 4 Lyrics. As with any Shakespearean work, the language makes it very difficult for people in today's world to understand the soliloquy. From William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: It begins to rain. How stand sleep? The other is that greatness does not mean to wildly, and violently stand against any slight offense, but to find a true reason to defend one's honor that which may simply appear to be triffling matters. Schmidt takes at the stake, as K. Deighton. 20 Feb. 2010. the mainland of Poland, or only some outlying portion of that heaven, which. When stake, when honour is concerned; when it is 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. O, from this time forth. Not where he eats, but where a is eaten. iv. Claudius would have had his wife and attendants with him much of the time. "O, from this point forth my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" are his words in Act 4. Unlock all answers Please join to get access. mad as the sea and wind when both contendwhich is the mightier, his liberty is full of threats to all to you yourself, to us, to everyone, whose whisper oer the worlds diameteras level as the cannon to his blanktransports his poisoned shot, may miss our nameand hit the woundless air. speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Gertrudecontext: worried about how the people are viewing him; its KilLiNg him, speaker: peoplespeaking to: Claudiuscontext: the people know something is rotten in Denmark so they turn to someone they trust and want him to guide them through it (i.e. In this section, Hamlet reflects on the nature of greatness. Updated on June 14, 2018. Hamlet's first thoughts after learning of his father's murder are of an immediate, violent revenge upon Claudius. 45 Colt 250 Gr Swc Load Data, Your worm is your only emperor for diet. 21. A paradox is a figure of speech that appears to be self-contradictory but actually reveals something truthful. (4.4.67-68) As the audience learns later in the play, Hamlet actually does something this time. -from The Tempest, Lord Amiens, a musician, sings before Duke Senior's company. A smart classroom isan EdTech-upgraded classroom that enhances the teaching and learning process for both the teachers and the students by inculcating audio, video, animations, images, multimedia etc. Go softly on. But even realizing the truth, he takes pains to set the mood for revenge, to pull his decisiveness together. speaker: Opheliaspeaking to: Gertrudecontext: Polonius is dead, speaker: Gertrudespeaking to: Opheliacontext: trying to make sense out of Ophelia and Polonius death but Ophelia is already insane, speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: anyone who will listen to him (Gertrude)context: partially true, however, more indirect characterization of Claudius in that he continues to jump to conclusions about things and immediately make assumptions; similar to Hamlet situation, Quote she, Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed.He answers: So would I ha done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed., speaker: Opheliaspeaking to: Gertrude and Claudiuscontext: did Hamlet only use Ophelia? 9. To all that fortune, death and danger dare, Even for an egg-shell. speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: Wasnt me and claims to be grieving Polonius when really he seems like he couldnt care any less. the argentinian author has written over sixty books, though, as yet, only five have been translated into english (a sixth, the seamstress and the wind, is slated for release early this summer). Sets found in the same folder. Everything about her appearance conveys her madness initiated by her fathers death. Awesome I need alot of material to write my essay, This is a really good one. speaker: Hamletspeaking to: selfcontext: the army is so courageous and willing to give their lives despite their lack of purpose (land that is not even of value). Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, Sith I have cause and will and strength and means, Witness this army of such mass and charge, Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, sends a Captain to request permission to convey his army over Danish lands. - "for like the hectic in my BLOOD he rages/And thou must CURE me" - Claudius to R&G with death orders for Hamlet . For this what replication should be made by the son of a king? are all the rest come back? We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. READ: Literary Devices and Social Injustice in Atonement the Movie Things get worse before they get better. fust grow moldy. This was fratricide, regicide and treason. the lease of it. Xfinity Mobile Report Outage, 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. The Storm, Kate Chopin. Claudius asks where Hamlet has gone and Gertrude says that he has taken the body away. If 'Hamlet' is by itself a tragedy that make me wonder and reflect deeply, your hub made me "re-think" a lot, thanks! How purposed, with what object have they marched speaker: Horatiospeaking to: Gertrude and gentleman/nursecontext: agreeing with the gentleman/nurse; people will draw false conclusions in their minds. The story incorporates various literary devices which aids the story in being an exciting and entertaining spectacle. Her hair was down and unkempt, she was playing on a loot as she was ready to sing songs. You have to spend money to save it. He has cause, but he also has conscience, and as he commented in an earlier soliloquy, Conscience does make cowards of us all, or, at least, it may appear that way. what should this mean? New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2007. A Year With C.S. speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: in shock; one time that Polonius is actually caught off guard and confused, It warms the very sickness of my heart That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, Thus didst thou., speaker: Laertesspeaking to: Claudiuscontext: he NEEDS to get revenge on Hamlet; very very passionate in his need to do soliterary device: extended metaphor (disease), speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Laertescontext: more manipulation by Claudius (no surprise there); Laertes will do everything Claudius tells him to do. Lucr. Why the man dies. 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. Theres matter in these sighs, these profound heaves, speaker: Claudiusspeaking to: Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildensterncontext: in media res; recognizes that there is meaning but unsure of what it is; worried about the people and what they think of him, Mad as the sea and wind when both contend Which is the mightier, speaker: Gertrude speaking to: Claudiuscontext: Hamlet is a stormy sea of emotions/madness literary device: metaphor of the sea, simile, speaker: Gertrude speaking to: Claudiuscontext: telling Claudius that Hamlet just murdered Polonius; she had just told Hamlet she wouldnt say anything to Claudius about what had happened, It had been so with us, had we been there, speaker: Claudius speaking to: Gertrudecontext: it couldve been me:; for someone who claims to be such great friends with Polonius, he doesnt seem to care at all about his death.