Act 4 Scene 7 Hamlet Research Paper

Hamlet Essay
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is viewed by many as a story of revenge. In Act 4, scene 7 Claudius attempts to convince Laertes that taking revenge on Hamlet for killing his father is the right thing to do. Claudius tries to connect with Laertes by playing on his emotions. Specifically, he targets his grief and love for his father and his new-found hatred for Hamlet. Claudius’ speech in Act 4, Scene 7 effectively targets Laertes through an emotional appeal.
Claudius uses Laertes’ love and sorrow for his late father to provoke him. He begins by questioning if Laertes is really lamenting or just putting on a show. When he asks “was your father dear to you? / Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart?” (Shakespeare IV, vii, 118-120), Claudius is preparing to question the strength of Laertes’ love for his father. By asking this question, Laertes is forced to

Claudius wants Laertes to act on his anger, and kill Hamlet, before he has a chance to really think about it. His advice to Laertes is that, “That we would do, / We should do when we would” (IV, vii, 130-131). He knows that Laertes is angry in this moment, and wants him to act on it right away. This is because Claudius knows that Laertes may change his mind. The King knows that their intention, “changes / And hath abatements and delays” (IV, vii, 131-132). Claudius wants Laertes to act on his anger before it dissipates, as he knows it likely will. As a final attempt to persuade Laertes to kill Hamlet, he tells him that if he does not get his revenge, he will regret it. The King informs Laertes that if he does not follow through, “then this ‘should’ is like a spendthrift sigh / That hurts by easing” (IV, vii, 134-135). Claudius uses Laertes anger as an excuse and in result gets him to agree to killing