Hamlet Summary of Act IV, Scene 1
by William Shakespeare

Immediately after her confrontation with Hamlet, Gertrude runs to Claudius. She tells him that Hamlet is as mad as the sea during a storm and that Hamlet has killed Polonius. The king realizes that, had he been the one hiding behind the tapestry, Hamlet would have killed him. Claudius wonders how he will prevent a crisis and maintain his hold on the throne of Denmark; he tells Gertrude that Hamlet must be sent to England at once and that they must come up with a way to explain Polonius’s death to the public. He calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and sends them to find Hamlet.