Hamlet

Hamlet

·      William Shakespeare

·      Setting

o   Elsinore Denmark

·      Characters

o   Hamlet

o   Ophelia

o   Queen Gertrude

o   King Claudius

o   Old Hamlet

o   Laertes

o   Polonius

o   Horatio

o   Fortinbras

·      Plot

o   The play opens on Marcellus, Horatio and another guard talking about this ghost that resembles to dead king. The three guards see the ghost and decide to inform Hamlet.

o   The ghost reveals that Claudius murdered him for queen and throne. He had an adulterous and incestuous marriage to Gertrude and Old Hamlet demands that Young Hamlet kills him as revenge.

o   Hamlet delays his revenge and becomes seemingly crazy and depressed

o   Worried about their son/nephew, the Queen and King send for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

o   Polonius thinks that Hamlet is mad over his love for Ophelia and they set up a meeting between the two. Ophelia is terrified and is greatly embarrassed/hurt by Hamlet’s screaming and crazy actions. He denies he ever cared about her.

o   The traveling actors come to Elsinore and at Hamlet’s request put on a show with a few altered lines. These lines are created to depict the murder of Old Hamlet. In theory, if Claudius is guilty then he will react.

o   Claudius is runs from the play during the scene and Hortio and Hamlet agree that he must be guilty.

o   Hamlet finds Claudius praying and wants to kill him but doesn’t.

o   Claudius orders Hamlet to England but visits his mother before he goes. There he stabs Polonius who is believed to be Claudius. Gertrude and Hamlet talk about how soon she remarried. Hamlet sees the ghost of his father with Gertrude but by now it seems Hamlet is truly insane.

o   Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent with Hamlet to England where the King there is supposed to kill Hamlet

o   Ophelia goes made with Polonius’ death. Laertes starts to build an army to take down Claudius, who he assumes is responsible. Gertrude saves Claudius and the two men agree to meet later to discuss

o   Pirates attack Hamlet’s ship and he is brought back to Denmark. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to their deaths in England

o   Ophelia commits suicide by drowning (which means she was prego). Horatio and Hamlet walk through the cemetery and muse about death when Ophelia’s funeral procession arrives. Laertes and Hamlet jump into her grave and start fighting. Hamlet claims he always loved her.

o   Claudius and Laertes arrange for a fencing match with Hamlet. Laertes’ blade will be poisoned along with Hamlet’s cup.

o   They fight. Hamlet is struck by Laertes’ poison blade. Gertrude drinks Hamlet’s poison cup. Hamlet and Laertes somehow grab the opposite swords. Laertes is struck with the poison blade. Hamlet stabs Claudius with it as well.

o   Hamlet proclaims Fortinbras the next ruler of Denmark

o   Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are pronounced dead

o   Horatio tells the entire story as he was told to do so.

·      Author’s Style and Narrative Voice

o   Point of View

§  It’s a tragedy (play)

o   Tone

§  The tone is dark and a bit twisted. There isn’t much  comic relief in the play. It deals with death, love, mental illness and suicide very seriously. Its really kind of depressing. As the lovely Evan Hertafeld pointed out, there is some comic relief in the gravediggers/clowns, in the messenger, and in a kindof dark and twisted way, Hamlet's madness.

o   Imagery

§  The imagery that Shakespeare creates throughout the play is beautiful. However, in Hamlet its very dark and all has to do with some type of death, incest or other dark topic.

o   Symbolism

§  Yorick’s Skull

·      Symbolizing the death and decay that we all will eventually undertake. Hamlet’s constant musings on the matter bring the graveyard seen with Yorick’s skull to a head.

§  The Human Body and its Parts

·      Hamlet is constantly comparing the human body and its parts to Denmark. The head represents the crown and royal family.

§  Flowers

·      Rosemary – Remembrance (funerals and between lovers)

·      Pansies – To think or thoughtful and contemplative

·      Fennel – Martial infidelity

·      Columbines – ingratitude, false flattery, thanklessness

·      Rue – Repentance or sorrow

·      Daisy – Forsaken or unhappy love

·      Violets - faithlessness

·      Quotes

o   “To be or not to be, that is the question”

§  Hamlet’s line

§  Hamlet is contemplating suicide. Though in some aspects I feel like you can apply this to his contemplation in killing Claudius. I wonder if he views them as the same action because of his plan to purify Denmark with the deaths of the royal family. Does he even plan these deaths or are they the creative ending that Shakespeare decided on?

o   “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”

§  Marcellus’ line

§  Denmark is an obviously corrupt state. Everyone is tense and untrusting in the new regime.

·      Theme

o   Thought and Action are better then no thought then action and thought but no action.

§  Hamlet spends the whole play trying to decide whether or not to kill Claudius. His indecision and hesitation cause death after death in Elsinore. Compared to Fortinbras, who takes action and has a plan, Hamlet just doesn’t know what he’s doing. This leads Fortinbras to coming out on top where Hamlet ends up dying. Knowing what you want and going for it are clearly something we should do. Hamlet could have been so happy with Ophelia if he had just figured out he loved her and went after it. He could have killed Claudius and avoided his death if he just set out in the beginning to do so. But he decided in the 4^th quarter to start playing and it did not go well for anyone.  Laertes on the other hand does no thinking when his father is killed and just rushes off form France to Kill Claudius. He starts an army/uprising/mob in the streets and brings them to the castle gates. This ends badly for Laertes as well because