• Hamlet, William Sakespeare

• Introduction
• Short Summary
• Detailed Summary
• Summary Act I-Scene-I
• Summary Act I, Scene II
• Summary Act I, Scene III
• Summary Act I, Scene IV
• Summary Act I, Scene V
• Summary Act II, Scene I
• Summary Act II, Scene II
• Summary Act III, Scene I
• Summary Act III, Scene II
• Summary Act III, Scene III
• Summary Act III, Scene IV
• Summary Act IV, Scene I-II
• Summary Act IV, Scene III-IV
• Summary Act IV, Scene V
• Summary Act IV, Scene VI-VII
• Summary Act V, Scene I
• Summary Act V, Scene II
• Character of Hamlet
• Character of Ophelia
• Themes & Topics
• University Questions & Answers
• Top 10 Quotes from Hamlet
• Best Quotes from Hamlet

Act IV, Scene-III & IV Detailed Summary of Hamlet: a play by William Shakespeare

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Elsinore. A room in the Castle. Here king is talking about the madness of Hamlet but he says that Hamlet cannot be punished for this act because:

"He's lov'd of the distracted multitude,
Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;"

The king seems like making up his mind to Settle the matter of Hamlet for once and all:

"Diseases desperate grown
By desperate appliance are reliev'd,
Or not at all."

Hamlet is brought before the king and here Hamlet stresses upon the end of man and how he is eaten up by beings disliked by man:

"We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service- two dishes, but to one table. That's the end."

Near Elsinore: Enters Fortinbras with his army. He is the nephew of Norway. He has come for some support for conquering a piece of land which is with nothing. Hamlet happens to come across the captain in charge while Fortinbras is away. Then Hamlet delivers a long speech discussing the role of human strength and revenge as well as all the faculties of human thinking and wisdom.