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Hamlet is a renowned tragedy written by William Shakespeare, believed to have been composed between 1599 and 1601. Set in the royal court of Elsinore Castle in Denmark, the play tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who is summoned by the ghost of his father and tasked with avenging his murder.
As Hamlet grapples with his own existential crisis, the play explores themes of revenge, madness, morality, and the complexities of human nature. With its profound soliloquies, intricate plot, and memorable characters, Hamlet has become one of Shakespeare's most famous and frequently performed works.
Synopsis[]
Events before the start of Hamlet set the stage for tragedy. When the king of Denmark, Prince Hamlet’s father, suddenly dies, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, marries his uncle Claudius, who becomes the new king.
A spirit who claims to be the ghost of Hamlet’s father describes his murder at the hands of Claudius and demands that Hamlet avenge the killing. When the councilor Polonius learns from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state, Polonius attributes the prince’s condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait.
To confirm Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet arranges for a play that mimics the murder; Claudius’s reaction is that of a guilty man. Hamlet, now free to act, mistakenly kills Polonius, thinking he is Claudius. Claudius sends Hamlet away as part of a deadly plot.
After Polonius’s death, Ophelia goes mad and later drowns. Hamlet, who has returned safely to confront the king, agrees to a fencing match with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, who secretly poisons his own rapier. At the match, Claudius prepares poisoned wine for Hamlet, which Gertrude unknowingly drinks; as she dies, she accuses Claudius, whom Hamlet kills. Then first Laertes and then Hamlet die, both victims of Laertes’ rapier.
Summary[]
Act I[]
The play takes place in the castle of Elsinore in the Kingdom of Denmark. The play opens outside the castle. Three soldiers, Bernardo, Francisco and Marcellus, are joined by Horatio a student and friend of hamlet's. The three soldiers say that they have seen the ghost of Hamlet's father, the previous king Old Hamlet. Horatio is skeptical until he sees the ghost himself. he tries to speak to the ghost but it disappears at dawn without speaking. The four agree to tell Prince Hamlet about what they have seen.
The next scene introduces Hamlet, the courtier Polonius and his son Laertes, Hamlet's mother Gertrude and his uncle Claudius the new king and the new husband of Hamlet's mother. Claudius gives Laertes permission to return to Paris to continue his studies but does not allow Hamlet to return to university in Wittenberg. Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo enter and tell Hamlet about the ghost.
The following scene introduces Polonius' daughter Ophelia. There appears to be a romantic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia but she is warned by Laertes and Polonius that Hamlet is her social superior and therefore will not marry her.
In the final scene of Act I, Hamlet waits for the arrival of the ghost with Horatio and the soldiers. The ghost leads Hamlet away from the others and tells him that he was murdered by his brother Claudius. The ghost tells Hamlet to kill Claudius in revenge but to do no harm to his mother. Hamlet rejoins the others, tells them that he has a purpose to fulfill and will pretend to be mad in order to carry it out. He makes the others promise not to reveal they know he is not really mad.
Act II[]
At the beginning of Act II, Ophelia tells her father Polonius that Hamlet has been acting strangely. Polonius thinks that Hamlet has gone mad because he is lovesick for Ophelia.
Two of Hamlet's fellow students, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are brought to Elsinore and told by Claudius and Gertrude to find out the cause of Hamlet's madness.
Claudius is told that the army of Prince Fortinbras of Norway will pass through Denmark on its way to attack Poland.
Polonius informs Claudius and Gertrude that he thinks love for Ophelia has driven Hamlet mad. Polonius tries to speak to Hamlet but can get no sense out of him.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern speak to Hamlet. He reveals that he knows they were sent to spy on him. They tell him that a troupe of actors are on the way to the castle.
The actors arrive. Hamlet asks the leader of the troupe to perform a play called The Murder of Gonzago in front of the king and all of the court. The play shows a man being murdered in the way in which the ghost told Hamlet that he was killed. Hamlet wants the play to be performed in order to find out if what the ghost said was true.
Act III[]
Following Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Claudius and Polonius spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet speaks very harshly to the young woman, convincing Claudius that love for Ophelia is not the cause of Hamlet's madness.
The play is performed in front of the king and the court. Claudius stops the play before the end. Hamlet now knows that Claudius murdered his father but Claudius also knows that Hamlet has discovered the truth.
Hamlet is told by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that his mother wants to talk to him in private. Claudius tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that they will soon leave for England with Hamlet. Polonius tells the king that he will hide behind a tapestry and spy on the meeting between Hamlet and his mother.
On the way to the meeting with his mother, Hamlet sees Claudius on his own praying. Hamlet has the opportunity to kill the king but decides not to, arguing that if Claudius were killed while praying his soul would go straight to Heaven.
During the meeting with his mother, Hamlet finds out that there is someone hiding behind the tapestry. Believing that it is Claudius, hamlet stabs at the person with his sword, only to find out that he has killed Polonius.
The ghost of Hamlet's father reappears, Hamlet sees and hears the ghost but his mother does not. The ghost chides Hamlet for not having taken revenge on Claudius and reminds him not to harm his mother.
Hamlet reminds his mother that he will be leaving for England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who he does not trust, and leaves dragging away the corpse of Polonius.
Act IV[]
Claudius asks Hamlet where he has hidden the dead body of Polonius and reminds him that he will soon be leaving for England. After Hamlet leaves, Claudius reveals that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be carrying a letter telling the king of England to put Hamlet to death.
On his way to the ship, Hamlet sees the army of Prince Fortinbras heading for Poland. He is impressed that Fortinbras is prepared to take action simply to obtain a small piece of land. He is disappointed with himself for not having taken action against Claudius.
It is revealed that, following the murder of her father, Ophelia has gone mad. Laertes returns to Denmark, initially prepared to kill Claudius who he thinks is responsible for his father's death.
Horatio and Claudius both receive letters telling them that Hamlet has escaped being put to death in England and has returned to Denmark. Claudius persuades Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match, during which Hamlet will be killed.
Act IV ends with the revelation that Ophelia has drowned herself.
Act V[]
Act V opens in a graveyard where a man is digging Ophelia's grave, displacing old bones in the process. Hamlet and Horatio arrive. Hamlet asks the gravedigger whose grave it is, but does not get a straight answer, and asks how long it takes for people to decompose. The gravedigger shows hi a skull that he says belonged to Yorick the jester.
Hamlet and Horatio hide when they see the king and the entire court arrive for a funeral. When he finds out that it is Ophelia's funeral, Hamlet reveals himself and proclaims that he loved her. he is attacked by Laertes but they are separated and Hamlet leaves.
Back at Elsinore castle, Hamlet tells Horatio that he read the letter carried by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and replaced it with one telling the king of England to put Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to death instead. A courtier arrives and tells Hamlet that Laertes wishes to challenge him to a fencing match.
During the fencing match, Claudius places a pearl coated in poison in a cup of wine for Hamlet and Laertes uses a sharp sword that is also coated in poison. Hamlet does not drink the wine, but his mother does. Laertes and Hamlet are both scratched by the poisoned sword. Gertrude dies from drinking the poisoned wine. Before he dies, Laertes tells Hamlet that Claudius is to blame. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the poisoned wine. While he is dying, Hamlet tells Horatio not to commit suicide and follow him because he must tell people what has happened. It is announced that Fortinbras is approaching the castle and the dying Hamlet chooses him to be the next king of Denmark.
Gallery[]
See also[]
| Title | Author | Release date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Tom Stoppard | 1966 | A play that recounts events from this story |
| Gertrude and Claudius | John Updike | 2000 | A novel that recounts events from this story |
Sources[]
- Literature Wiki
- Folger's Shakespeare Library