1. This line occurs in Act four, scene four of Hamlet. It is spoken by Hamlet shortly after discussing with the Captain the war over a tiny piece of land. This line furthers the play by motivating Hamlet to continue with his plot of revenge. The phrase, “spur my dull revenge” suggests that Hamlet was losing momentum but is now regaining it. It develops the theme by revisiting the idea of Hamlet’s desire for revenge, which is the primary story line of the play. In this line, Hamlet is basically saying that everything he sees is only encouraging him to continue with his plans for revenge. He asks himself why God would have given us brains if he did not mean for us to use them, and that not using our minds makes us no better than an animal.
2. This line occurs in Act four, scene seven of Hamlet. It is spoken by Laertes while he is talking with Claudius. The King and Laertes are discussing how to kill Hamlet. This line furthers the plot because it allows Claudius to continue with his secret plan to have Hamlet killed while making it look like an accident. This line also continues the theme of revenge, although this time it is Laertes’ revenge against Hamlet for killing his father, Polonius. In the line, Laertes is simply telling the King that he wants to be a part of whatever plan the King arranges, just as long he is allowed to be the one that kills Hamlet.
3. This line occurs in Act five, scene one of Hamlet. It is spoken by the Gravedigger, who Shakespeare also uses as the clown/fool character. The two gravediggers are discussing the death of a young woman, Ophelia, and whether or not she should be granted a Christian burial. The line furthers the plot because it forces the second gravedigger to acknowledge that despite killing herself, Ophelia will receive a Christian burial. The line relies on riddles and wordplay, as do most of the Gravedigger’s lines. He is basically saying that if a person goes into the water, then it is suicide and they are guilty, but if the water comes to them, then it wasn’t suicide and they are innocent. This scene serves as much needed comic relief at this point in the play, and also caters to the lower class groundlings of the Elizabethan era, who would have enjoyed the clever Gravedigger from their own class.
4. This line occurs in Act five, scene two of Hamlet. It is spoken by Hamlet, as he relates to Horatio how he managed to escape the King’s plot to have him killed. The line furthers the plot by revealing to the audience how Hamlet managed to escape and return to Denmark. It also serves to reinforce Hamlet’s idea that even God is on his side regarding his plot for revenge. The line simply describes how Hamlet switched the letter that held the instructions for his death. He used his father’s ring, which just happened to be in his pocket, to mark the letter he forged so that it wouldn’t be suspected. The new letter sets Hamlet free, and calls for the deaths of his betrayers, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern.
Works Consulted
Shakespeare, William, Ann Thompson, and Neil Taylor. Hamlet. London: Arden Shakespeare, 2006. Print.
