Hamlet theme

Misc. Information

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Mainly in the castle of Denmark in Elsinore.

Characters

Hamlet: The prince of Denmark, he is the son of the murdered king. He has just come back from school to mourn his father. He was previously in a relationship with Ophelia, but as his madness grows, the relationship slowly ends.

Claudius: In the play, he is the king of Denmark. He killed his brother, and Hamlet’s father, to get the crown. He dies in the end, he is poisoned by Hamlet’s sword.

Gertrude: Hamlets mother. She marries Claudius when old Hamlet dies.

Ghost: The ghost of Hamlets late father.

Ophelia: the daughter of Polonius, and sister of Laertes, In the beginning of the play, she is in a relationship with Hamlet, and many other characters are hoping that they will be married.

Laertes: The son of Polonius, and brother to Ophelia. He is present at the beginning of the play, goes to school, and while at school, his father is killed by Hamlet. He swears for revenge on Hamlet, and his hatred for him grows after Ophelia commits suicide because she might have been carrying his child.

Polonius: The counsellor to the king. He tries to come up with a plan to cure Hamlet’s madness by using Ophelia, and ends up being killed instead.

Horatio: Hamlet’s school friend, he is not noble, he is a common man, but he survives the play, which can’t be said for everyone.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Hamlet’s other school mates. They are in league with the king, and take Hamlet to his (near) death. They are eventually killed.

Fortinbras: the prince of Norway, he ends up sitting on the throne of Denmark as well. He takes revenge on Hamlet (or tries too, he walks in on a room of dead bodies) for what Old Hamlet did to Old Fortinbras.

Summary:

·         Act 1 scene 1

§  Horatio learns that the Ghost of Hamlet has been spotted

§  Horatio sees it for himself, he attempts to talk to it, but the ghost just walks away.

§  We learn as an audience that King Hamlet led a conquest against old Fortinbras

·         Act 1 Scene 2

§  Claudius is introduced. He announces his marriage to the queen, Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother)

§  We learn that Fortinbras is planning an attack on Denmark, so Claudius sends ambassadors to Norway to stop these attacks from happening.

§  Laertes askes Claudius for his permission to go to france (where he attends school) he is given permission and he plans to leave.

§  Hamlet is introduced. He is grieving his father, Claudius and Gertrude tell him to get over his father’s death because its been like a month and its not that big of a deal.

§  Hamlet askes for permission to go back to school, but he is denied, and he has to stay in Elsenor.

§  Hamlet  is upset about his mother’s marriage to his uncle, especially the fact that it happened within a month of Claudius becoming king. (Its considered disrespectful)

§  Hamlet finds out about the ghost and is skeptical. He agrees to go see it.

·         Act 1 Scene 3/4/5

§  Laertes leaves for France. He warns Ophelia not to sleep with Hamlet (foreshadowing!??!?!?)

§  Polonius tells Ophelia that she can no longer see Hamlet.

§  Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus all see the Ghost. However, the ghost only wants to speak to Hamlet.

§  The ghost tells Hamlet that he was poisoned by his brother, and that he wishes to have his death avenged.

§  Hamlet finds his friends spying and makes them swear to secrecy.

·         Act 2 Scene 1

§  Polonius does not trust Laertes in France and sends someone to spy on him (because he might have fathered and illegitimate child there.)

§  Ophelia was visited by Hamlet in her closet (super personal) and he seemed to have gone mad, she sends him away like her father wants her to.

§  Polonius thinks that Hamlet went crazy because she wouldn’t talk to him.

·         Act 2 Scene 2

§  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are told to go spy on Hamlet by Claudius and Gertrude.

§  Polonius tell Claudius about his idea of why Hamlet is crazy, they set Ophelia up to talk to Hamlet, while they spy. Hamlet is suspicious.

§  Hamlet knows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are spying for Claudius.

§  Hamlet decides to prove his uncle’s guilt by staging a play, The Murder of Gonzago.

·         Act 3 Scene 1-To Be or Not To Be

§  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are confused as to why Hamlet is mad. Probably because he knows that they are spying on him. Bros don’t do that to bros.

§  Polonius makes Ophelia find out about Hamlet’s madness and she goes to spy with Claudius.

§  Hamlet sees Ophelia and is nice, but then he guesses that it’s a ruse and continues to be crazy.

§  Hamlet tells her that he never loved her.

§  After Hamlet leaves Claudius does not think that love is the cause of his madness. He decides to send Hamlet to England to be killed.

§  Polonius says not to and wait until Gertrude talks to him.

·         Act 3 Scene 2

§  This is the play scene. Hamlet and Horatio watch for a reaction from Claudius.

§  The Player King is killed by having poison poured in his ear.

§  Claudius gets upset and leaves.

§  Gertrude asks to see Hamlet, saying that Claudius is angry with him.

·         Act 3Scene 3

§  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are ordered to take Hamlet to England.

§  Polonius plans to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude.

§  Claudius starts to pray and Hamlet goes to kill him, but then decides that if he kills him during prayer, Claudius will go straight to hevan, and Hamlet wants Claudius to burn.

·         Act 3 Scene 4

§  Polonius hides behind a tapestry in Gertrude’s room to spy.

§  Hamlet enters, they talk, and Hamlet scares Gertrude she calls for help. Polonius reveals his hiding spot.

§  Hamlet, thinking that Polonius is Claudius, stabs the tapestry.

§  Hamlet is then starts yelling at Gertrude for marrying Claudius, when the Ghost appears and he is the only one to see. Gertrude thinks he is mad.

§  The Ghost reminds Hamlet to avenge his death.

·         Act 4

§  Gertrude tells Claudius that Polonius is dead. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet, and the body.

§  Hamlet does not say where he put the body.

§  Claudius orders Hamlet to leave immediately for England. Claudius tells the audience he plans to have Hamlet killed in England.

§  Hamlet sees Fortinbras and his army.

·         Act 5 Scene 1

§  Two clowns (gravediggers) dig up Yorick’s bones to make room for Ophelia.

·         Scene 2

§  Hamlet has his “fall of the sparrow” speech.

§  He then duels with Laertes, is mortally wounded, kills Claudius, then relinquishes his control to Fortinbras.

Theme: In Hamlet, Shakespeare warns that when you don’t know who you are, you are unable to effectively exercise moral judgment.