Summary Hamlet Notes - Leaving Cert English Language for Paper 2 - DETAILED INFORMATION - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED!
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Course
English Literature
Institution
English Literature
Hamlet (by William Shakespeare) Notes: Themes, Summary, Characters and Analysis.
Leaving Cert English Language for Paper 2 - DETAILED INFORMATION - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED!
Don’t know
where to even
start? You are in
the right place,
my friend
,Summary
Hey friend! So, you know how sometimes we get all worked up about justice
and wanting the truth? Yeah, well, Hamlet is like that on steroids! It's a play
about this prince named Hamlet who's all about figuring out who killed his
dad and making sure the bad guy gets what's coming to him.
So, the story starts with King Hamlet dying (RIP), and his brother Claudius
taking over the throne and marrying his widow, Queen Gertrude. And Hamlet
is all like, "Hey, wait a minute, that's not right!" His dad's ghost shows up and
tells him that Claudius did the deed, and Hamlet is all like, "Okay, got it!"
But here's the thing - Hamlet doesn't just want to go around killing people
willy-nilly. He wants to make sure he gets it right, so he pretends to be crazy
(yeah, I know, it's a classic move) to distract everyone while he investigates.
And boy, does stuff go down! People start dying left and right - Ophelia's dad
gets whacked behind a curtain (talk about a murder scene!), Laertes comes
back seeking revenge, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern get executed on
false charges (talk about a wrongfully accused situation!).
But Hamlet's all like, "I'm gonna get you, Claudius!" So he stages this play that
reenacts the murder to see if Claudius is guilty. And guess what? He totally
is! Claudius gets more and more paranoid and starts ordering people to die
left and right. Hamlet finds out Laertes has come back for revenge, and they
have this epic fencing match. Laertes wounds Hamlet with a poisoned sword
(ouch!), and then they both die from the same poison. And Queen Gertrude
drinks some poisoned wine meant for Hamlet (talk about a tragic mistake!)
and she kicks the bucket too.
In the end, this Prince of Norway dude Fortinbras shows up and takes over
the throne (because why not?), and he orders everyone else dead. And that's
basically it! It's like this huge soap opera of drama and tragedy and drama.
But hey, at least it's not boring, right?
, Characters
First we have:
Hamlet: The main dude, aka the prince of Denmark. He's all about seeking justice for his
dad's murder and figuring out what's up with his mom and uncle. Think of him as the
ultimate detective, minus the trench coat and fedora.
Claudius: The bad guy, aka Hamlet's uncle. He's got a serious case of "I want to be king"
syndrome and will do whatever it takes to get ahead. Think of him as the ultimate
opportunist.
Gertrude: Hamlet's mom, aka the queen. She's got some questionable judgment and
might just be the most drama-prone person in the whole play. Think of her as the
original mean girl.
Ophelia: Hamlet's love interest (or is it?) and a total sweetheart. She's got some major
emotional baggage and is caught between her dad's expectations and her own feelings.
Think of her as the ultimate awkward teenager.
Polonius: Ophelia's dad and a total know-it-all. He's got some serious wisdom to share,
but he usually ends up saying more than he should. Think of him as the guy who just
won't shut up.
Laertes: Ophelia's bro and a total hothead. He's all about seeking revenge for his dad's
death and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Think of him as the ultimate hot-
blooded rebel.
Fortinbras: The Prince of Norway and a total newcomer to the scene. He shows up with
his army and is all like, "Hey, I'm here to take over!" Think of him as the ultimate power-
hungry dude.
Rosencrantz: Hamlet's old buddy from childhood and a total yes-man. He's always
trying to help Hamlet, but ends up getting caught up in the drama instead. Think of him
as the ultimate enabler.
Guildenstern: Rosencrantz's BFF and another yes-man. They're both like, "Hey, Hamlet,
what do you need us to do?" without questioning anything . Think of them as the
ultimate yes-men (or women?).
Horatio: Hamlet's BFF and a total voice of reason in a sea of madness. He's all about
being rational and calm, which is super refreshing in this crazy play . Think of him as the
ultimate voice of sanity.
That's it! Now you've got the lowdown on all the main characters in Hamlet!
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