William Shakespeare's
HAMLET
"The Prince of Denmark"
[webpage of Brandon, Jenna, Evan, and Casey]
Act I
Summary-
The play opens up at the castle Elsinore, and Horatio, a scholar, has been called upon by the guards because they claim to have seen a mysterious apparition- twice. They believe Horatio could speak to this ghost, and so they wait until it appears again. They also mention that they think the ghost is that of the late King Hamlet- because it was wearing armor that looked like his battle armaments. When the Ghost reappears, it will not speak, and promptly disappears as quickly as it came.
The next scene, Claudius- brother to King Hamlet, and now the current king of Denmark- is preparing to ready for a possible attack from Fortinbras. Laertes, the son of one of the council members, asks Claudius is he may return to France to continue school, and Claudius says he will allow it if Laertes asks his father, Polonius. This prompts young Hamlet to ask if he may return to Wittenberg, Germany, to go to college. Claudius tells him no, that he prefers Hamlet to be close to home. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother and now wife to Claudius, agrees with the king, and Hamlet storms off. He goes alone to his room to brood and mourn over his father’s death (still a month after he died).
Horatio, Barnardo, and Marcellus (the two guards from the beginning) arrive to tell Hamlet about the Ghost they saw, and this gets Hamlet’s attention immediately, and he agrees to go with them to find it again.
In his father’s chamber, Laertes is preparing to leave for France. He says goodbye to his sister, Ophelia, and warns her of her relationship with Hamlet, and about Hamlet’s empty promises of love towards her. She refutes this, telling her brother that Hamlet really does love her. Polonius enters, and proceeds to give Laertes some fairly obvious life advice. Polonius also echoes Laertes’ warnings about Hamlet to Ophelia.
Claudius is preparing to drink and party all night, in celebration of him and Gertrude’s marriage. Hamlet scorns the marriage and the tradition of drinking all night, saying how it sullies his country’s reputation. Hamlet sees this as a perfect time to leave with his friends to find the Ghost. Once the Ghost appears again, Hamlet wants to go with it. His friends try to persuade him to stay back, but they soon see there is no stopping Hamlet.
With the Ghost, Hamlet learns of the truth behind his father’s death, and that the Ghost claims that he really is his father- the late King Hamlet of Denmark. The Ghost tells Hamlet how Claudius murdered him by poisoning him in his sleep, and that Hamlet must avenge his death. Hamlet is overwhelmed and somewhat scared, but agrees to keep that task in mind. He decides not to tell his friends what the Ghost said, but asks them to not speak to anyone about the apparition anymore.
Act II
Summary-
Polonius hires a man named Reynaldo to spy on his son while is he away in France. Ophelia enters, and expresses that she is deeply disturbed by a recent meeting between her and Hamlet. She claims he has gone mad, and Polonius blames this on Ophelia refusing to see him lately. He decides to go tell the king about this new information.
Claudius and Gertrude employ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet to see if they can find the source of his apparent madness. During this meeting, they hear of how young Fortinbras’ planned invasion was stopped. Polonius then enters, and tells them about Ophelia’s meeting with Hamlet. Claudius then agrees to join Polonius in spying on Hamlet.
Hamlet enters, confronted by Polonius, then Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and he is then fully aware that they are spies. As they speak, a group of actors enter- and Hamlet asks that one of them deliver a speech. During the speech (a monologue from a play), Hamlet realizes that he has not put enough emotion and passion into avenging his father’s death, compared to the actor portraying an emotional character dealing with death. Hamlet then decides to have the actors put on a show, in which he will decide if Claudius is actually guilty of his father’s murder.
Act III
Summary-
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report that they have not found the cause of Hamlet’s madness. Polonius has the idea to place Ophelia where he and Claudius may observe her interaction wit Hamlet.
Hamlet enters and speaks that he had never loved Ophelia, and asks where Polonius is, attacks womankind, and suggests that Ophelia enter a nunnery. After this interaction Claudius decides to send Hamlet to an embassy in England, but Polonius tells him not to do anything without consulting Gertrude first, after the play that evening.
Hamlet asks for Horatio to observe Claudius's reaction during the play. When the court arrives, Hamlet makes bawdy and bitter comments at Ophelia.
The actors perform a play, in which a scene is very similar to Claudius’ betrayal and seduction (of Gertrude), and during the scene with the king is murdered, Claudius ends the play and rushes out. This gives Hamlet all the motivation he needs to kill Claudius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that Claudius is livid and Gertrude wishes to see Hamlet immediately. Hamlet tells himself that he will not hurt his mother, but will “speak daggers”.
Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England right away. Polonius tells Claudius that he plans to spy on Hamlet’s meeting with Gertrude.
Alone, Claudius is at prayer, and outwardly expresses his regret for killing his brother. Then Hamlet comes upon Claudius, planning to kill him there, but realizes that if he kills him at prayer, then Claudius will go to heaven and so decides to kill him that is most sinful so that he will go to hell instead.
In Gertrude's quarters, Polonius hides behind a tapestry. When Hamlet enters, he startles Gertrude and she cries for help. Polonius echoes her cry, and this alarms Hamlet, who think that's Claudius and then stabs Polonius to death.
Hamlet proceeds to verbally attack his mother about her marriage with Claudius but then the Ghost appears, reminding Hamlet that he needs to focus on killing Claudius. Gertrude cannot see the ghost and pities Hamlet for his madness. After telling Gertrude to abandon Claudius and telling her
his plan to send him away, Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius's body with him.
illus. by W.G. Simmonds
Act IV
Summary-
Gertrude tells Claudius of Polonius’ death, and so Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and recover the body.
Once found, Hamlet refuses to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern where the body is- all the while, being quite the smart aleck, which flies right over their heads.
Hamlet is then brought to Claudius, who tells him he is to immediately leave for England.
Claudius ends the scene by himself and reveals that by sending Hamlet away to England, he is sending him to his death.
In his journey to England, Hamlet comes across Fortinbras and his army, who are on their way to Poland. He speaks with Fortinbras and ends up admiring his vigorous activity seeing him as a model for himself and avenging his father's murder. He then resolves upon bloody action.
At home, Gertrude is told that Ophelia is going mad now, too. Ophelia enters, and she is singing about death and betrayal, then leaves. Claudius is just about done at this point, between Ophelia and now an angry Laertes.
A messenger approaches Claudius and tells him that a group has formed outside, with Laertes at the head. The rioters are yelling that they want Laertes to be king.
Laertes looks to Claudius as the cause of Polonius’ is death, but Claudius asserts his innocence. Ophelia returns and Laertes is even more devastated now, by her condition. And is also mad at Hamlet for the events as of late.
Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet which entails the events of him boarding a pirate ship and that he is to return to Denmark.
Claudius also gets a letter of Hamlet's return, and he enlists Laertes’ help in devising another plot to kill Hamlet, this one involving Laertes challenging Hamlet to a fencing match, using a sharpened, poisoned rapier. If he fails to kill him with that way, Claudius will give him with a poisoned a cup of wine.
During all of the plotting, Gertrude interrupts to tell them that Ophelia has drowned by accident she was hanging flowers and fell, her dress dragging her under water.
Act V
Summary-
Returning from his journey, Hamlet enters a graveyard with Horatio. They watch gravedigger singing while working and Hamlet questions how they can deal with death so lightly. Hamlet also asks who the grave is for, but is not given a direct answer in the gravedigger. Hamlet then mediates upon the various skulls being dug up, and reveals that he has matured and gotten a better understanding on death in his life.
A funeral procession then approaches, and Hamlet hides with Horatio. Hamlet realizes that the corpse is Ophelia’s. While Laertes is grieving he jumps into the grave, cursing Hamlet as the cause for his sister's death. Hamlet reveals himself then, jumping down and fighting with Laertes over who loved Ophelia more.
In the final scene, Hamlet finds Horatio in the hall of the castle, and tells him that he knows of Claudius plot against him. He also mentions that he had given an order- signing a letter, using the King's seal- for England to execute Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
During this, courtier named as Osric, welcomes Hamlet back to Denmark. He tells Hamlet that on Claudius’ behalf, he is requested to duel with Laertes. Hamlet agrees, despite his misgivings.
During the match Hamlet is winning, and Claudius and Laertes begin to worry for their plan. Gertrude accidentally drinks from the poisoned cup, barely being stopped by Claudius. In distraction, Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned rapier. A scuffle follows and they end up somehow switching rapiers, and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned one.
Gertrude is dying, and Laertes, also dying, discloses that he and Claudius had plotted to kill Hamlet. Hamlet proceeds to leave Laertes, and goes to kill Claudius. He stabs him with the rapier, as well as forcing him to drink the poisoned wine.
Before he dies, Hamlet asks Horatio to tell the story of what happened there that led to all these deaths.
Fortinbras enters, finding all the dead bodies. He is told that Hamlet named him heir to the Danish throne.
Fortinbras orders Hamlet to be given a proper military funeral, and the play ends with them marching his body off on a stage.
Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern - Hamlet Greets The Players
