As we continue to look at Act 4 of Hamlet, we see the Queen, Gertrude, talking to both a Gentlemen and Horatio. They are telling her that Ophelia has come to visit and wants to speak with her. Gertrude, however, is not looking forward to seeing her. As Ophelia enters, she is distracted and begins to sing to the Queen every time she talks. Once the King begins to converse with her, he realizes her madness and wants her to be carefully watched. Claudius speaks to himself, understanding that her madness has come from her father's death and his "hugger-mugger" burial. She did not get a chance to say goodbye. After he finishes his soliloquy, he hears a noise, and in comes Laertes, angry about the death of his father as well, but not yet crazy. I believe that Laertes has not gone crazy yet as Ophelia was because he was not near to Polonius as Ophelia was. Ophelia was with her father constantly, while Laertes was away at school. He was hearing second hand information, which I don't think had the same emotional effect as it did for Ophelia first hand. Although Laertes comes in angrily and ready to kill to Claudius for revenge, Claudius finds a way to manipulate him and focus his anger toward Hamlet.
QUESTION: How is Claudius able to calm and manipulate Laertes with such ease?
Does Laertes not realize he is being taken advantage of?
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