Hamlet
Marcellus and Barnardo had seen the ghost twice previously and due to Horatio's disbelief; Marcellus has convinced him to stand watch with them that night. They believe that the ghost resembles the dead King Hamlet. Around one o'clock, the ghost appears. Horatio attempts to speak with it but the ghost will not answer and leaves. As Marcellus, Horatio, and Barnardo begin to discuss how the late king conquered Fortinbras of Norway and seized his land, the ghost reappears. Again, Horatio implores it to speak and again, it remains silent. The cock crows and the ghost exits. The three then decide that the best course of action is to inform the prince, Hamlet, of what they have seen. They believe that the ghost will speak to the prince, as it appears to be his late father.
Claudius, the new king of Denmark, thanks his subjects for their support through the death of his brother Hamlet and marriage to Hamlet's wife. He then sends his ambassadors, Cornelius and Voltemand, to prevent a threatened attack from Fortinbras in Norway, who seeks to avenge his father. Claudius then turns to Laertes who has come to request permission to return to France. Laertes' father, Polonius, gives his consent and so Claudius grants his request. Next, the focus turns to Prince Hamlet. Hamlet expresses extreme grief and is told by Claudius that his focus on his sorrow is both stubborn and unmanly. Further, he denies Hamlet's desire to return to school in Wittenburg. The Queen also voices her desire that Hamlet remain with them. Hamlet consents to stay and is left alone. In his solitude, Hamlet laments the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother in less than a month from that day. Hamlet feels that the marriage between his mother and uncle is incestuous and that nothing good will come of their union. Barnardo, Horatio, and Marcellus enter here and converse with the prince. Horatio agrees that the marriage and funeral occurred in rapid succession. He then tells Hamlet that he believes he has seen the ghost of the dead king. The other two men corroborate his story. They tell Hamlet that the form looked sorrowful, pale, and refused to speak. Hamlet tells the three men to keep their vision a secret and plans to join them for the watch that night.
Laertes says goodbye to his sister Ophelia and warns her not to trust Hamlet. He tells her that Hamlet is fickle and soon his affections will turn from her. She asks him not to tell her to live strictly if he intends to live self-indulgently. He reassures her as their father Polonius enters. Polonius sends his son off on his return to France. Polonius then questions his daughter about the nature of her relationship with Hamlet. Upon learning of his affection for her, Polonius repeats the warning of Laertes. He tells her to have more respect for herself and not to continue the relationship. Polonius further instructs Ophelia to refrain from further contact with the Prince.
Hamlet joins Horatio and Marcellus for the watch while Claudius drinks the night away inside. The ghost appears and beckons Hamlet to follow. The other men try to convince the Prince not to go after the apparition for fear that it will lead him into danger. Hamlet will not listen and departs with the ghost. Horatio and Marcellus decide that they must follow.
Hamlet stops and tells the ghost he will go no further. The ghost turns to Hamlet and instructs him to listen, as there isn't much time to talk. The ghost tells Hamlet that he is the spirit of his dead father. He is doomed to walk the earth at night and burn in hell by day. He demands that if his son loves him, he avenge his murder. The Prince pleads with his father to tell him who committed the crime so that he may seek revenge. The late King says that the crime had been committed by his brother Claudius, having won over the affections of the Queen, to obtain the crown. Claudius had slipped into the palace garden and poured poison into the ears of the sleeping king. Then, he passed the death off as being caused by a snakebite. The late King tells his son to seek revenge against Claudius but to leave his mother to face her punishment in the afterlife. The ghost exits and Hamlet swears revenge. Horatio and Marcellus arrive and Hamlet swears them to secrecy along with the disembodied voice of the ghost. Horatio and Marcellus swear the oath and the three men exit.
Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to question Laertes' friends and acquaintances in order to discover how his son is living. He wants to be sure that Laertes hasn’t returned to the wild, youthful behavior that marked his past. Ophelia enters to tell her father of a visit from Hamlet. She is concerned because he was disheveled, pale, and acting quite mad. Polonius fears that Hamlet is mad for her love and upon learning that his daughter has obeyed in avoiding the Prince, becomes convinced. Polonius takes Ophelia and rushes off to tell the King.
Claudius has summoned Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two boyhood friends of Hamlet. He and Queen Gertrude feel that they can discover the cause of the Prince's apparent madness and send them to spy on him. They leave and Polonius enters. He reports that the ambassadors, sent to Norway, have returned and that he has discovered the cause of Hamlet's madness. He leaves to retrieve the ambassadors and Gertrude expresses doubt that the madness is caused by anything other than King Hamlet's death and the hasty marriage that followed. Polonius returns with Cornelius and Voltemand who report that they have been successful in stopping the attack of Fortinbras. The ambassadors leave. Polonius informs the King and Queen that Hamlet's madness is for the love of his daughter Ophelia, offering as evidence a poem written by the Prince. He bets his life and office on this. Polonius suggests that they send Ophelia to talk to Hamlet while they spy on him. The King agrees and Hamlet enters reading a book. Polonius asks to be left alone with the Prince and the King and Queen exit. Polonius attempts to talk with Hamlet and comes to believe there to be some sort of method to his madness but cannot discover it. He decides to leave and send in Ophelia. Guildenstern and Rosencrantz enter as he leaves. Hamlet instantly recognizes that they were sent by Claudius and tells them. They admit it and Hamlet tells them of his depressed behavior. They tell him that an acting troupe is on its way to entertain him. He tells his friends that he is not entirely mad…only in certain situations. Polonius enters announcing the arrival of the players. Hamlet compares him to Jephthah, a biblical character who unintentionally sacrifices his daughter (Judges 11: 29-40). The players enter and Hamlet persuades them to perform a speech. He then arranges to write a speech to insert in the play they will perform the next night. Afterward, he is filled with shame that the actor had shown more passion in his performance than he had shown thus far in avenging his father. He hopes that the speech writes will inspire a guilty reaction from his uncle so he may see proof of the crime.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report that they have failed to discover the cause of Hamlet’s madness. They tell Claudius and Gertrude that the Prince showed signs of joy regarding the upcoming performance. Polonius confirms this, further saying that Hamlet would like the King and Queen to attend. Next, Claudius instructs Ophelia to meet with Hamlet so that it may be observed whether or not his madness is caused by love. Polonius and Claudius then follow Ophelia as she wanders out to be met by Hamlet. Hamlet is initially kind but then turns on her. He denies having ever loved her and tells her to enter a nunnery. He calls her father a fool and insults womankind before exiting. Ophelia is crushed and he King quickly denounces the idea of Hamlet’s madness being caused by love. Claudius decides to immediately send the Prince to England as an Ambassador in order to clear out the cause of his madness but Polonius convinces him to wait until the Queen is able to talk with Hamlet alone.
Hamlet instructs the players on how to perform. As he is finishing, Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern enter to tell him that the King and Queen are on their way to attend the performance. Horatio enters and Hamlet reminds him of the ghost and secures his help in observing Claudius during the performance for signs of guilt. The King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, and the rest of the court enter for the performance. Hamlet makes comments to Ophelia for all to hear regarding his mother’s hasty marriage. The players begin with the dumb (without words) show, which depicts a scene identical to the murder of King Hamlet. Ophelia attempts to elicit the meaning of the dumb show from Hamlet but he will not tell. The play begins. Hamlet tells the King and Queen that it is the depiction of a murder in Vienna and narrates as the players continue. As the murder of the actor king in the garden is enacted, Claudius jumps up, stops the play, and runs out. Hamlet takes this action as proof of his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to inform him that his mother desires to speak with him. Polonius enters as they talk and repeats Gertrude’s desire. Hamlet sends them to tell her that he is coming. He plans to give his mother a harsh talking to.
Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to leave for England immediately, taking the Prince. They vow to do so and leave as Polonius enters. Polonius informs the King that Hamlet is on his way to speak with Gertrude and plans to hide in the room to listen. Left alone, Claudius begins to speak of his guilt. As he kneels to pray for forgiveness and to be released from his guilt, Hamlet quietly enters. The Prince draws his sword, planning to kill Claudius, but stops when he gets the idea that if he dies having purged his soul of sin, Claudius will go to heaven. Hamlet decides to kill Claudius later when he is behaving sinfully to ensure that he will go to hell. He leaves and the King rises, telling the audience that he has been unable to pray.
The Queen and Polonius are in her room. Polonius hides behind a curtain where he plans to eavesdrop on her conversation with Hamlet. Hamlet enters and begins to argue with his mother. She becomes frightened that Hamlet intends to harm her. She cries out and startled, Polonius echoes her cry. Thinking he is Claudius, Hamlet stabs Polonius through the curtain. He calls Polonius an intruding fool as he pulls his body into the open. The Queen is horrified and Hamlet tells her that his crime is almost as bad as hers. He is remorseful for his action but continues to berate his mother for her betrayal of his father. As she is begging him to stop, the Ghost appears but is visible only to Hamlet. The Queen thinks Hamlet’s conversation with what appears to be thin air is produced by his madness. The Ghost reminds Hamlet of his purpose. Hamlet then entreats his mother to repent and abandon Claudius. He tells her of his suspicion that the trip to England is a plot against him and leaves, dragging the body of Polonius.
Gertrude tells Claudius of Polonius’ death. She tells him that Hamlet is repentant for his act and Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to fetch Hamlet and the body. He and Gertrude plane to pardon Hamlet due to his madness and then send him away.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find Hamlet but he will not tell them where he has hidden the body of Polonius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring Hamlet before Claudius who asks him where he has hidden the body. Hamlet gives a hint and men are sent to seek Polonius. Claudius then tells Hamlet that he his to leave immediately for England. Hamlet hints of his suspicion but agrees to leave. Left alone, the King tells the audience that Hamlet is being sent to his death.
Fortinbras and his army arrive for their promised march across the kingdom. Fortinbras sends his captain to obtain an escort from Claudius. Hamlet encounters the captain and is shamed by the vigorous activity of the army. He resolves to take action himself.
Gertrude is informed that Ophelia has gone mad. She sends for her and Ophelia enters, singing of love, death, and betrayal. The King enters and he attempts to speak with Ophelia. She exits and so he sends Horatio to watch over her. A messenger arrives to tell the King and Queen that Laertes has arrived with many followers shouting that he ought to be king. Just then, Laertes and his followers break in through the door and Laertes demands his father. The King tells him that Polonius is dead but it was not his doing. Ophelia enters and her brother is devastated by her madness. The King leads Laertes out.
Sailors bring Horatio a letter from Hamlet. He says that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still on their way to England but he will be returning to Denmark.
The King and Laertes are discussing the crime that has been committed by Hamlet when a messenger arrives bearing a letter announcing Hamlet’s impending return. Claudius requests that Laertes help to kill the Prince. Laertes, seeking to avenge his father is all too willing. He plans to poison his sword and use it to slay Hamlet. The king agrees to this plan and says that if it fails, he will give Hamlet a poisoned cup of wine. The Queen enters and announces that Ophelia has drowned. Laertes laments her death and leaves. Claudius tells Gertrude that he has been calming Laertes and that they should follow lest this news cause his temper to flare again.
Two gravediggers are discussing whether Ophelia is entitled to the Christian burial she is to receive as they dig her grave. Hamlet and Horatio enter and approach from afar. One gravedigger exits and the other begins singing as he digs up a skull. Hamlet tries to find out who the new grave is for. He talks about the skull of the jester Yorick as the funeral procession approaches. The priest says that if the King had not ordered otherwise, the law of the church would not have allowed one who has committed suicide to have the glory of a Christian burial. Hamlet recognizes the corpse to be Ophelia. Laertes leaps into her grave to hold her once more while blaming Hamlet for her death. Hamlet denies this vehemently and the two begin to fight. Hamlet claims to have loved Ophelia. After he leaves, Claudius reminds Laertes of their plans.
Hamlet tells Horatio that he had discovered Claudius’ plot to have him killed enroute to England and that he foiled the plan, changing the orders to call for the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Osric, a courtier, enters to inform Hamlet that Claudius wishes for him to fence with Laertes. Osric says that the King has bet on Hamlet winning the duel. Hamlet agrees and the courtier leaves. A lord enters to see if Hamlet will be coming to fight immediately. Hamlet says that he will be along soon and the Lord leaves. Hamlet tells Horatio that he believes he can win though his heart is not in it. Everyone enters and the duel begins. Hamlet is winning when Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine intended for her son. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword. Then, after forcing an exchange of swords, Hamlet wounds Laertes. Laertes falls. The Queen also falls crying that she has been poisoned. Laertes tells Hamlet that they will all die as the wounds and wine are poisoned and that it was the plan of Claudius. Hamlet forces the King to drink the poisoned wine and he dies. Laertes asks that they forgive each other and also dies. Hamlet asks Horatio to tell his story after his death. Osric enters to announce that Fortinbras is approaching. Hamlet names Fortinbras to the throne and dies. Fortinbras enters to announce that the orders to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been carried out. He seeks his thanks and is instead told of the recent events by Horatio. Fortinbras orders the bodies to be picked up and that Hamlet be given a military funeral.
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet. He is believed to be mad following the death of his father. He is greatly disturbed by the hasty marriage of his mother to his uncle especially since he considers the relationship to be incestuous. The ghost of his dead father tells him that he was murdered by his brother Claudius and asks him to avenge his death.
The Ghost: The late King Hamlet, doomed to walk the earth by night. He appears to his son to ask that his murder be avenged.
Queen Gertrude: Mother of Prince Hamlet, widow of King Hamlet. She is now married to the brother of her late husband who has assumed the throne.
King Claudius: Brother of the late King Hamlet. He murdered his brother in order to gain his throne. He has also married his sister-in-law. Claudius becomes quite disturbed by Hamlet’s madness and when it becomes apparent that he knows of his crime, Claudius plots repeatedly to have him killed.
Ophelia: Daughter of Polonius and love interest of Hamlet. When Hamlet rejects her and eventually kills her father, Ophelia goes mad. She drowns herself in this state. Her death is used by Claudius to enlist the help of her brother in the murder of Hamlet.
Laertes: Son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. He is sent to France but returns seeking vengeance after the murder of his father. Following the suicide of his sister Ophelia, he challenges Hamlet to a duel. He has agreed to treat his sword with poison so as to ensure the death of the Prince. He is poisoned by his own sword and confesses Claudius' plan to Hamlet as he is dying.
Polonius: Father of Laertes and Ophelia. Advisor to King Claudius. He believes that Hamlet’s madness is caused by his love for Ophelia which he has ordered her not to requite. He is accidentally murdered by Hamlet who has mistaken the eavesdropper concealed by a curtain to be Claudius.
Horatio: Friend and confidant of Hamlet. Hamlet shares with Horatio all of his experiences and misgivings in the situation involving his father. Horatio is left alive at the end to tell of the events leading to the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Childhood friends of Hamlet. They are recruited by Claudius to first discover the cause of Hamlet’s madness. Eventually, their orders are changed to escort Hamlet to England where he is to be killed. They are killed instead when Hamlet discovers the death order and changes it to apply to them.
Fortinbras: Prince of Norway. His father was conquered by King Hamlet and initially seeks revenge. Ambassadors sent by Claudius are able pacify him. Upon his death, Prince Hamlet names Fortinbras heir to the throne of Denmark.
Francisco, Marcellus, and Barnardo: Danish soldiers entrusted with the watch who first spot the ghost.
Osric: A courtier.
Reynaldo: Servant to Polonius.
Voltemand and Cornelius: Courtiers and Ambassadors who prevent an invasion by Fortinbras.
A Gentleman, A Lord, Ambassadors from England, A Troupe of Players, Two Messengers, Sailors, Fortinbras’ Captain, Two Gravediggers, A Priest, Attendants, Lords, Guards, Musicians, Soldiers, and Followers of Laertes
Metaphor Analysis
ACT II, SCENE 5, LINES 105-111
"Yea, from the table of my memory
I'll wipe away all trivial, fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmixed with baser matter."
Hamlet wants to wipe his memory clean, as one would erase a slate. All of the images he has of his mother and uncle are insignificant to him now in the face of their betrayal. He will erase those images in his memory so as to not be deceived again. With his memories erased, Hamlet will be able to properly avenge his father's murder.
There are many images of sickness, disease, wickedness, blemishes on the body, and other loathsome things that are metaphorically descriptive or the unwholesome condition of Denmark. Examples of this are on most pages. A few examples are found in the following places:
3.4.43
4.5.18
3.4.74
1.4.27
ACT IV, SCENE 4, LINES 28-30
"This is th' impostume of much wealth and peace,
That inward breaks and shows no cause without
Why the man dies."
Hamlet is talking to Fortinbras' captain about the land, which has been symbolically given to Norway to prevent them from invading Denmark. This statement is however, also descriptive of Hamlet's own condition. The events that have caused his madness fester inside him like an abscess or tumor. The cause is unseen by others though it is destroying him inside.
Theme Analysis
The true nature of Hamlet's madness has been an issue of debate for scholars over the centuries. One theory is that Hamlet's madness was for his own protection. In the time period in which Hamlet would have lived, governments functioned through the usage of intricate spying networks. In Hamlet's Denmark, no one is permitted to go unwatched. Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius are all sent to spy on Hamlet at various times. Polonius meets his death in the process. When Hamlet discovers the atrocity committed by his uncle, he wishes for revenge. In that time, it would have been quite natural to take matters into his own hands. In order to keep his plans secret; he cannot let on that he knows of the crime. Since he is constantly being spied upon and having his actions and words reported to Claudius, he must act enigmatically.
Shakespeare puts Hamlet into a situation in which he must deal with the betrayal and murder of his father by his own family members. Communication of feeling is done solely in monologue or through the reports of a third party, or spy. Hamlet must use the player's performance to observe the reaction of Claudius because the topic of the death of King Hamlet is not acceptable discussion material. Therefore, Hamlet uses the performance to reveal the show that Claudius has been presenting to his subjects. The problem is, the revelation is made only to Hamlet. The people of Denmark know nothing of the ghost nor do they have any reason to suspect the reason for which the play is being presented. Hamlet's mistake is that he has now alerted Claudius that he knows of the murder. Claudius then can plot to rid himself of Hamlet, and therefore the danger of being found out.
Following the presentation of the play, Hamlet loses his focus. He is unable to exact revenge against Claudius when the opportunity presents itself. Had he been able to kill his uncle while he was praying, the lives of Laertes, Gertrude, and himself might have been saved. Instead, Hamlet becomes lost in his own psychological cloud, which highlights his inability to bring matters to a swift end. Hamlet is a highly reactive character but does not ever seem to have a certain plan by which to accomplish his goal of revenge. Ultimately, the characters of Shakespeare's Hamlet become victims of the unwholesome situation of their own creation.
Top Ten Quotes
1) Polonius to his son Laertes who is departing for France (1.3.84):
"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."
2) Hamlet's description of the less-than-natural relationship between himself and Claudius (1.2.67):
"A little more than kin and less than kind."
3) Ophelia to her brother Laertes who is giving her advice on her relationship with Hamlet (1.3.51):
"Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads And recks not his own rede."
4) The ghost to Hamlet, describing the true cause of his death (1.5.33):
"Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural."
5) Hamlet to himself (3.1.64):
"To be or not to be-that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And, by opposing, end them."
6) The Player King performing the words Hamlet has written for him (3.2.234):
"Our wills and fates do so contrary run That our devices still are overthrown; Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own."
7) Hamlet to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on his madness (2.2.402):
"I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
8) Marcellus to Horatio after Hamlet follows the ghost (1.4.100):
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
9) Hamlet to Laertes prior to their duel (5.2.252):
"Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged;
His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy."
William Shakespeare was born in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. It is generally accepted that he attended the King’s New School, the Stratford grammar school known for its classical curriculum, because of his knowledge of Latin classics and written scenes recalling grammar school experiences such as exercises memorized by schoolboys. It is known for certain that at age 18, he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had 3 children. Susanna was born May 26, 1583 and the twins, Judith and Hamnet, were born February 2, 1585. It is not known for sure how he supported his family or where they lived but by the early 1590’s, he was established in London as both an actor and playwright. The majority of his money however, did not come from his writing or performances but from his position as a sharer in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which earned him 1/10 of the company’s profit. This was enough to allow Shakespeare to become a successful real estate investor.
The public acting of women was prohibited in the England of Shakespeare’s time and so writers would often emphasize the femininity of their female characters so as to remove the necessity of an actual female in the role. Shakespeare was greatly responsible for roles in which female characters spent much of their time disguised as boys. This helped to deflect attention from the fact that the part was actually played by a young boy.
A play in that time was often commissioned by an acting company which could then sell it to a publisher at its own discretion without further compensating the author. Shakespeare did not take part in the process of publishing his own plays. Thus, in his lifetime alone, twenty publishers bought different editions of his individual plays but none took any special steps to ensure that the text was correct. His name was rarely printed on his work until the 1623 publication of the First Folio because it’s use had little commercial value at the time.
Shakespeare’s First Folio was not published until 7 years after his death in 1616. He was outlived by his wife but chose to leave the majority of his estate to his daughter Susanna. He also left £300 to his daughter Judith. Hamnet had died at age 11. William Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church, having died on or near his estimated April 23 birthday.
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