Summary
Summary of Hamlet
- Course
- Institution
- Book
Summary of Hamlet and overview of the characters
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
Hamlet quotes by theme
-
Model Hamlet Part A and B essay
-
KEY BITS OF CONTEXT FOR HAMLET
Seller
Follow
sahestermeyer
Content preview
EnglischHamlet
?
Characters
Name: Hamlet
Age: 16/17 years
Profession: Prince of Denmark
Behavior: protagonist, contemplative, philosophical, irrational, melancholic, intelligent, revengeful
Relationships: son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, nephew of King Claudius, loved Ophelia,
Horatio’s best friend
Values/feelings: strives to avenge his father‘s murder
Additional information: suicidal, poisoned by Laertes
?
Name: King Hamlet (Ghost)
Profession: former King of Denmark
Outward appearance: ghost
Behavior: vengeful, tormented, manipulative
Relationships: Hamlet‘s father, Gertrude‘s former husband, Claudius‘ brother
?
Name: Claudius
Profession: King
Behavior: power-focused, corrupt, manipulative, deceitful, ambitious, guilt-ridden
Relationships: poisened King Hamlet (brother), Hamlet‘s uncle and antagonist, Gertrude’s husband
?
Name: Ophelia
Age: 16ish
Behavior: innocent, little autonomy, obedient, fragile
Relationships: Polonius‘ daughter, Laertes‘ sister, formerly beloved by Hamlet
Values/feelings: driven to madness by her father‘s death and Hamlet
Additional information: drowns (probably suicide)
?
Name: Gertrude
Profession: Queen
Environment: royal, dependent on Claudius
Behavior: charming, naive, weak-willed, conflicted
Relationships: mother of Hamlet, widow of King Hamlet, married to King Claudius
Values/feelings: desire for high status
, Englisch
Hamlet
?
Name: Laertes
Behavior: loyal to his family, temperamental, impulsive, revengeful
Relationships: Polonius‘ son, Ophelia‘s brother
Values/feelings: holds grudges against Hamlet
?
Name: Polonius
Profession: Chief counselor
Behavior: foolish, unwise, tedious, hypocritical, meddling
Relationships: father of Laertes and Ophelia, chief counselor to Claudius
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Osric Reynaldo
*
su py o
m n
s
former nt
m H
s summons him to
er
on am
a
s
d rv
th let
or fight Laertes se
em
to
friends
counselor spies on
Gertrude Claudius Polonius
father
uncle
mo
th er
siblings
Ghost father Hamlet Ophelia Laertes
per
be nd
form
frie
st
his
see him play
s
first
nd
Fortinbras‘ father Horatio Players
frie
Marcellus & Bernado Voltemand & Cornelius Francisco 2 Clowns
Summary
Act I Scene I
• agitation in Denmark
• King Hamlet (Denmark) won war against Fortinbras (Norway) -> died soon after, got lands
• Young Fortinbras wants to recapture those lands (war preparation)
• Denmark arms as well (fear), castle is guarded
• at night Ghost appears to the guards (doesn’t speak) -> Horatio wants to inform Hamlet
Act I Scene II
• Claudius and Gertrude announce their engagement
• Claudius sends Voltemand & Cornelius to Norway -> hopes to avert the war diplomatically
• Talk with Laertes -> sends him back to France
• summons Hamlet to stop grieving King Hamlet‘s death and not to go back to Wittenberg -> agrees
• Hamlet is desperate, despises Gertrude
• Horatio tells Hamlet about the Ghost -> Hamlet wants to see it
Act I Scene III
• Laertes says goodbye to Ophelia -> warns her about Hamlet, doubts that Hamlet‘s love is serious
• Polonius comes -> says goodbye to Laertes, warns Ophelia as well, demands that she rejects Hamlet
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller sahestermeyer. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for CA$6.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53068 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now