Hamlet is a tale of mourning, madness, and revenge. The play's title refers to its central character, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, and to his murdered father, King Hamlet, whose death he must avenge.
Analysis and Summary of Hamlet for Grade 12 Home Language English
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Hamlet
(William Shakespeare)
ABOUT THE TITLE
Hamlet is a tale of mourning, madness, and revenge. The play's title refers to its central
character, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, and to his murdered father, King Hamlet, whose
death he must avenge.
CHARACTERS
1. Hamlet
- Prince Hamlet is a gentle, deep-thinking, loving, and loyal man. He is not only
intelligent but also quick-witted, appreciative of his standing, and self-aware. He
is a decent soul, well-liked by those close to him. As an only child, he is
consumed with grief after the death of his father, King Hamlet.
2. Polonius
- Polonius is counselor to the king and father to Laertes and Ophelia, although his
children seem to have more heart and more integrity. That he loves his children
is a strength, but it also seems that he might sacrifice their best interests for
what is the most politically correct decision.
3. Claudius
- Claudius is the king of Denmark. As the tale opens, Claudius has recently
ascended to the throne, taking his deceased brother's (and Hamlet's father's)
position; to the chagrin of many, he has also married his brother's widow,
Gertrude. Claudius is a deceitful, corrupt, jealous, and controlling man—
characteristics exhibited again and again throughout the play.
4. Ophelia
- The daughter of Polonius and sister of Laertes, Ophelia is also Hamlet's love
interest. She is a young, bright, and gentle woman, comfortable even with those
above her in rank, like Gertrude. Although the depth of her relationship with
Hamlet is difficult to discern, she is undoubtedly devoted to him.
5. Gertrude
- Gertrude is queen to Claudius, the current king of Denmark, and the widow of his
brother, the elder King Hamlet. She is also mother to Prince Hamlet, the main
character in this tragedy. A central quality of Gertrude's character is that she
loves her son; it is apparent from the outset and is a driving force for her.
6. Laertes
- Adventurous yet obedient, Laertes, whose name comes from Homer's The
Odyssey, is Polonius's son and Ophelia's brother. Early in the play, Laertes, who
has most recently been living in France, comes across as a young man eager to
begin his life.
PLOT SUMMARY
, The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the
new king, Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks
revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a
duel, during which the King, Queen, Hamlet's opponent, and Hamlet himself are all killed.
ACT I
Late at night, guards on the battlements of Denmark's Elsinore castle are met by Horatio, Prince Hamlet's friend from
school. The guards describe a ghost they have seen that resembles Hamlet's father, the recently deceased king. At that
moment, the Ghost reappears, and the guards and Horatio decide to tell Hamlet. Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, married
Hamlet's recently widowed mother, becoming the new King of Denmark. Hamlet continues to mourn for his father's death
and laments his mother's lack of loyalty. When Hamlet hears of the Ghost from Horatio, he wants to see it for himself.
Elsewhere, the royal attendant Polonius says farewell to his son Laertes, who is departing for France. Laertes warns his
sister, Ophelia, away from Hamlet and thinking too much of his attentions towards her. The Ghost appears to Hamlet,
claiming indeed to be the ghost of his father. He tells Hamlet about how Claudius, the current King and Hamlet's uncle,
murdered him, and Hamlet swears vengeance for his father. Hamlet decides to feign madness while he tests the truth of the
Ghost's allegations (always a good idea in such situations).
ACT II
According to his plan, Hamlet begins to act strangely. He rejects Ophelia, while Claudius and Polonius, the royal attendant,
spy on him. They had hoped to find the reason for Hamlet's sudden change in behavior but could not. Claudius summons
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, old friends of Hamlet to find out what's got into him. Their arrival coincides with a group of
travelling actors that Hamlet happens to know well. Hamlet writes a play which includes scenes that mimic the murder of
Hamlet's father. During rehearsal, Hamlet, and the actors plot to present Hamlet's play before the King and Queen.
ACT III
At the performance, Hamlet watches Claudius closely to see how he reacts. The play provokes Claudius, and he interrupts
the action by storming out. He immediately resolves to send Hamlet away. Hamlet is summoned by his distressed mother,
Gertrude, and on the way, he happens upon Claudius kneeling and attempting to pray. Hamlet reasons that to kill the King
now would only send his soul to heaven rather than hell. Hamlet decides to spare his life for the time being. Polonius hides in
Gertrude's room to protect her from her unpredictable son. When Hamlet arrives to scold his mother, her hears Polonius
moving behind the arras (a kind of tapestry). He stabs the tapestry and, in so doing, kills Polonius. The ghost of Hamlet's
father reappears and warns his son not to delay revenge or upset his mother.
ACT IV
Hamlet is sent to England, supposedly as an ambassador, just as King Fortinbras of Norway crosses Denmark with an army
to attack Poland. During his journey, Hamlet discovers Claudius has a plan to have him killed once he arrives. He returns to
Denmark alone, sending his companions Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in his place. Rejected by Hamlet,
Ophelia is now desolate at the loss of her father. She goes mad and drowns.
ACT V
On the way back to Denmark, Hamlet meets Horatio in the graveyard (along with a gravedigger), where they talk of the
chances of life and death. Ophelia's funeral procession arrives at the very same graveyard (what luck!). Hamlet confronts
Laertes, Ophelia's brother, who has taken his father's place at the court. A duel is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes.
During the match, Claudius conspires with Laertes to kill Hamlet. They plan that Hamlet will die either on a poisoned
rapier or with poisoned wine. The plans go awry when Gertrude unwittingly drinks from the poisoned cup and dies. Then
both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded by the poisoned blade, and Laertes dies. Hamlet, in his death throes, kills Claudius.
Hamlet dies, leaving only his friend Horatio to explain the truth to the new king, Fortinbras, as he returns in victory from
the Polish wars.
SYMBOLS
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