Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Denmark

Plot:  The play begins with Horatio, one of Hamlet’s friends, and some guards of the castle seeing the Ghost of Hamlet’s late father.  Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, has just taken over the throne and married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.  Horatio tells Hamlet that he has seen the ghost of his father, and Hamlet decides that he wants to see for himself.  During the middle of the night, Hamlet meets the Ghost, who addresses him directly and tells him that he was killed by his own brother who is now married to his wife.  The Ghost also tells Hamlet that he needs to take revenge on Claudius by killing him and getting the throne.  Gertrude and Claudius get some of Hamlet’s school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him.  Meanwhile, Hamlet’s old girlfriend Ophelia feels like Hamlet doesn’t actually love her anymore.  With her father Polonius and Claudius spying on their conversation, Hamlet and Ophelia talk and Hamlet tells her to go to a nunnery and confessed that once he did love her, but not anymore.  At this point, most people start to see that Hamlet is crazy (or is he really?), but he is just trying to avenge his late father.  When Hamlet meets the players, he gets an idea that will help him discover if Claudius is truly guilty of murder.  He tells the Players to reenact the murder and the quick marriage to Gertrude, which they do.  During the play, Claudius gets very upset and leaves, which lets Hamlet know that he did murder Old Hamlet. Hamlet decides that he does need to kill Claudius, but when he goes to do the deed, he finds him praying and therefore cannot kill him or his soul would go to heaven.  He then decides to go talk to his mother Gertrude about what is going on.  During their conversation, he sees something moving behind a curtain, and, believing that it is Claudius spying, kills the figure.  Rather than Claudius, Hamlet finds that he has just murdered Polonius, Ophelia’s father.  In the middle of their talk, Hamlet sees the Ghost and tries to show his mother, but she can’t see it.  This is another indication that he is clearly going mad.  Hamlet is banished to England, where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will deliver a letter to the King telling him to have Hamlet killed.  Hamlet discovers what is written in the letter and exchanges it for one telling the King to have the messengers killed.  Ophelia drowns because she is so upset with her father’s death and Hamlet’s state of mind.  Laertes, her brother, finds out what has happened to his sister and father and plans to kill Hamlet.  The two begin to battle, and Hamlet is cut by Laertes’ poisoned sword.  Before dying, Laertes tells Hamlet that Claudius poisoned the cup that Gertrude has just taken a drink from, and she dies as well.  Now furious, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and kills him.  Hamlet’s friend Horatio declares that he will now kill himself, but Hamlet stops him and makes one last request.  He wants Fortinbras, the Norwegian prince to take over the kingdom after he dies.  

Characters:

Hamlet - After losing his father, Hamlet goes mad with the desire to get revenge on Claudius.  Though his motives seem reasonable, he does not handle the situation as he could have, and ends up dying as a result of his poor decisions.  He also struggles to take action throughout the play rather than simply talking about his plans.  

Claudius - Claudius is obsessed with keeping his position as the new King of Denmark.  He is willing to kill is brother to get the crown and later we find out that although he does not want to directly kill Hamlet, recruits Laertes to do the deed.  We question how much he actually loves Gertrude.  

Gertrude - After marrying Claudius, Gertrude struggles to find the balance between her new husband and her son.  She urges Hamlet to stay in Denmark after he says he will go back to school, but then sides with Claudius later in the story.  

Ophelia - When Hamlet goes mad, she is caught in the middle and ends up turning on him and not helping him when he needed it the most.  Polonius’ death triggers her to go mad as well and drowns in the river.  

Narrative Tone/Style and Theme:

Like all plays, the story is told from an outside point of view and can see different characters at different times.  By doing this, we as the audience can get a better idea of each characters’ intentions and motives since we know what they are really thinking and don’t have to rely on a narrator.  The serious tone of the play shows the audience the severity of the situation Hamlet is placed in.  Many key conflicts help to develop the story.  Hamlet struggles to actually take action after he has talked about it and knows what he wants to do.  Throughout the play, Hamlet has numerous lengthy monologues, which strengthens his conflicted state.  Some clear images are presented to us when we see the Ghost for the first time and get an idea about what occurred in the story.  

Theme: The only way to cure the rotten core of Denmark is to start fresh and kill all those in power who remain.  

Quotes:

Hamlet - “now he is praying / And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven; / And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: / A villain kills my father; and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven.”

When Hamlet decides to kill Claudius, he finds him praying.  He soon realizes that if he were to kill him now, his soul would go to heaven and his father’s death would not be revenged.  

Gertrude - “Seek for thy noble father in the dust: / Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, / Passing through nature to eternity.”

Everyone who is close to Hamlet, including his mother, is telling him to get over his father’s death very quickly.  His mother has clearly been content with the late Hamlet’s death, as she remarries very shortly after the death.