The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
By William Shakespeare (1600-1602?)
- The tragedy focuses on a shift in royal power
and the uncertainties that accompany it.
- Themes include revenge, certainty v. uncertainty,
action v. inaction, healthy v. unhealthy country, the mystery of death, dying, and suicide, confusion/madness, Love v. lust,
the presence of evil, the idea of being genuine, hesitation
- Motifs include disease, incest, misogamy, hearing,
Oedipus Complex, loyalty, poison
- Major conflict – Hamlet’s need to
avenge his father’s death.
- The beloved King Hamlet has died. The throne was inherited by young Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, rather than Hamlet.
Act I sc.i
- 30 year old Hamlet is depressed, mad and bitter about the death
of his father.
- Outside
Elsinore Castle, Denmark
on a dark winter night – so dark you can’t see what is in front of you which suggests fear and dread
- Bernardo replaces Francisco at watch
- “As stars with trains of fire and dews
of blood/disasters in the sun; and the moist star,/ Upon whose influence Neptune’s empire stands,/ Was sick almost to
doomsday with eclipse…(p. 4-5)
o
Neptune was the god
of the sea according to Roman mythology. According to Greek mythology, his name
was Poseidon.
- Bernardo is joined by Marcellus (watchman) and
Prince Hamlet’s friend, Horatio (educated and intelligent with the supernatural)
- The two hope to show Horatio a ghost (Hamlet’s
father) they have seen the past two nights
- Horatio questions the men, but the ghost shows
and instantly vanishes.
- Horatio acknowledges that it looked like the
former king and talks about what the ghost was wearing
- Horatio says that the ghost is real, must symbolize
doom. He fears that Norway
might seek revenge
o
Old Hamlet had defeated
and killed King Fortinbras of Norway,
who was jealous of Hamlet. Now young Fortinbras wants to take back everything
Hamlet won from his father
- The frowning ghost represents the uncertainty
in the change of power as well as, the future of Denmark
- When the ghost reappears, Horatio tries to speak
to it, but the ghost is silent.
- Horatio wants to tell young Hamlet hoping that
the ghost will not refuse to speak to his son
Act I, sc.ii
- Meant to be a happy scene
- Claudius has convinced the court that it would
be in the best interest of Denmark to
make him king. Old Hamlet had declared that Gertrude have the throne upon his
death
- Claudius explains to everyone of his marriage
to Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. He wants to balance Denmark’s mourning with the happiness of his marriage – desire for
balance
- The speech is contradicting
- Fortinbras has written, demanding the return
of the land that Hamlet had won
- Claudius sends a letter back to Norway
- Laertes expresses to his father, Lord Chamberlain
– Polonius, his desire to return to France. He came to see Claudius crowned.
- Claudius asks Hamlet why he is still sad. His mother asks him to remove his “nightly” colors, but Hamlet says that
his clothes are meant to mirror his great inner sadness for his father.
- Hamlet – the only honest character???
- He describes his father as a “Hyperion”
– god of light
- Claudius, in a tone of fatherly advice, says
that all fathers must die, and all sons must lose their fathers. Sons must mourn,
but it is inappropriate to mourn for too long.
- Claudius says to look at him as his father and
reminds Hamlet that he shall take the throne if something ever happens to him.
- Hamlet wanted to go back to school in Wittenberg, but Claudius suggests not, and Gertrude agrees, wanting
to keep her son close by
- Claudius decides to throw a party to celebrate
Hamlet’s decision to stay “the king’s rouse”
- While alone, Hamlet wishes he could die. He wishes that God had not made suicide a sin.
He is not happy with his mother’s quick decision (2 months later) to remarry to his uncle. He remembered how his parents seemed to be greatly in love.
- Hamlet sees his mom as lustful and Claudius
as a satyr (goat like creature)
- Hamlet sees life as meaningless and the world
as an unweeded garden. He wants to escape his solid body and become something
lighter than liquid
- Horatio enters the room and Hamlet wants to
know why his good friend has also left school
- Horatio said he came for the funeral and Hamlet
remarks that he came for the wedding.
- Horatio tells of the ghost and Hamlet agrees
to keep watch with them in order to see the ghost
- This scene hints at corruption
Act I sc. iii
- Laertes’ character is almost opposite
to Hamlet’s because he is certain and headstrong whereas Hamlet contemplates everything (character foil)
- Hamlet’s broken family v. Laertes normal
one
- As Laertes prepares to leave for France, he warns his sister, Ophelia, not to fall in love
with Hamlet. He feels that Hamlet is too high socially to love her with honor.
- Sexual overtones in this speech reinforce the theme/tone of incest He is wordy,
and worried about their public image, and his sister’s virtue
- She says she will consider his advice, but warns
that he needs to take care of himself as well
- Polonius was once a respected advisor, but is
now hard to trust, does give wise advice
- “Neither a borrower nor a lender be:…
/ This above all,- to thine own self be true;”
(p.17)
o
Polonius advises
his son to behave with integrity and practicality. He recommends keeping his
thoughts to himself and to not act on rash desires, to hold onto old friends and be cautious with new ones, don’t quarrel
hastily, but be a bold fighter if needed, to listen more than speak, dress nicely, but don’t overdo it, be careful with
money, and to be true to himself – his words are simplistic and will later contradict themselves. Likes to hear himself speak
- Polonius wants to know what Laertes said to
Ophelia and she says that it involved Hamlet. He asks about their relationship
and she says that Hamlet claims to love her. Polonius does not want her to associate
with Hamlet anymore, claiming that Hamlet has proclaimed love falsely (he is not serious and may not be able to marry her
because she is not nobility)
- Father to son relationship is much stronger
than father to daughter
Act I sc. iv
- The once separate settings now join together
as Hamlet is seen outside the confines (safety) of the castle Castle=joy,
Outside=terror/doom
- At night, Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus wait
in the cold for the ghost
- Trumpets and gunfire are heard and Hamlet says
the king is carrying on the Danish custom of partying
- Hamlet is disgusted, says custom should be broken,
claiming that it makes Denmark a laughingstock
and makes the country’s accomplishments seem less
- Hamlet’s long speech talks about how the
kingdom is deteriorating w/ Claudius as king, the drunkenness is giving Denmark
a bad rep., and how one bad fault can destroy an otherwise good person
- The ghost shows, Hamlet calls to it, ghost asks
Hamlet to follow it
- His friends do not want him to go, fearing the
ghost might lead him to harm
- “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
– refers to the overall state of the country; brother is king, not son; incestuous relationship with the queen; state
is full of drunkards and people are swine; ghost has come to avenge death. A
line spoken by Marcellus. The country is rotting from the top down.
- Hamlet wonders if it is his father’s spirit
or a demon
- Caring nothing for his life, Hamlet says the
ghost cannot harm his soul if it is immortal – follows ghost
- The others are stunned and become concerned
for the country
- Horatio say Heaven will oversee the situation
but Marcellus says they should follow, to protect Hamlet
Act I sc. v
- “Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing/
To what I shall unfold” (p.23)
o
The ghost wants to
make sure that Hamlet does not feel sorry for him, but to pay close attention to what he has to say.
- Still dark, the ghost speaks to Hamlet –
claims to be his father’s spirit who wants young Hamlet to avenge his death “…foul and most unnatural murder…”
(main point of Act I because sets plot in to motion)
- Sin must be returned with justice
- “The serpent that did sting thy father’s
life,/ Now wears his crown.”(24)
- Hamlet is appalled at the idea that his father
was murdered
o
Father was sleeping
in his garden, a villain (Claudius) poured poison in his ear this confirms Hamlet’s worst fears
- Ghost says that Claudius has corrupted Denmark and Gertrude by seducing her
- Claudius has poisoned the ear of Denmark (poison and ears becomes a reoccurring image)
- Ghost does not want Hamlet to harm his mother,
telling him to leave her to her conscience
- “…meet it is I set it down, / That
one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;” (26).
o Soliloquy. Hamlet speaks about Claudius after seeing the ghost. He
learns that Claudius murdered old Hamlet. Hamlet is pointing out that Claudius seems caring but is evil.
- Sun rises, ghost disappears, Hamlet swears to
obey
- Friends arrive and ask what happened, Hamlet
refuses and begs to keep what was seen secret
- Tells them that he may pretend to be a madman
- The ghost is heard three times from below ground
saying the word “swear” Horatio and Marcellus take the oath upon
Hamlet’s sword
- Scene ends with Hamlet acknowledging the task
before him. Hamlet is excited and ready to take revenge, but is repulsed by the
idea of murder
- In regard to question 3, Old Hamlet is in purgatory
is because he has died without a religious relief of his sins
Between the Acts
- Ophelia has not been in contact with Hamlet
- Hamlet is acting mad
- Hamlet has lost respect for women
Act II sc. i
- The main purpose of this two part scene is for
the reader to get to know Polonius
- Is he a fool or a good manipulator???
- Polonius sends notes and money to Laertes via
Reynaldo. The catch is that Rey. is also being sent to spy on Laertes using a
specific set of directions
- Polonius doesn’t trust his behavior when
gone
- “Lord Hamlet,…/ with a look so piteous
in purport,/ As if he had been loosed out of hell / To speak of horrors,–he comes before me.” (31-32)
o Ophelia is describing Hamlet to her father. Hamlet is behaving in a
wild, bizarre manner. He is unkempt (uncared for) and pitiful.
- This conversation shows the reader how words
can be used to shape the truth (the art of snooping)
- Ophelia enters the room upset, saying that Hamlet
approached her in a bad way – he grabbed and held her without speaking
- Hamlet has been acting strange since he the
ghost
- Polonius’ response is that Hamlet must
be mad with love for her because she had been avoiding him
- He also thinks that his lovesickness has caused
Hamlet to be moody
- Ophelia is not sure what to think about his
behavior
- Is Hamlet truly mad, or is it part of the act?
- Keep in mind that his mother’s recent
marriage has changed Hamlet’s view of women (misogamy)
- Polonius leaves to tell Claudius of his thoughts
which sets the stage for further plot development with Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius
Act II sc. ii
- This is the longest scene in the play and is
divided into four parts: Pol. conversation with Claud. and Ger.,
Ham. conversation with Pol., Ham. reunion with friends, and the conversation with the actors and Hamlet’s soliloquy.
Each furthers the plot, and takes place in the same location
- Two of Hamlet’s friends from school, Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are welcomed by Claudius and Gertrude – the two men appear to be so alike that they are interchangeable
(see lines 33-34)
- The royal couple has invited them to the castle
because they are worried about Hamlet. Hopefully the two can bring him out of
his sadness and crazy behavior
- They are Hamlet’s friends, but have been
hired by Claud. to spy on Hamlet
- Polonius shows up to tell Claudius that the
messengers that he sent to Norway have
returned
- Fortinbras’ attempt to seek war on Denmark has been criticized by his uncle (who is the new king of Norway)
and Fortinbras swore to never again attack the Danes – it is instead suggested (by his uncle) that Fortinbras attack
Poland instead
- Fortinbras sent a letter back to Denmark asking permission to send his army through Demark in order to get to Poland
- Claudius is relieved and says he will deal with
the request later. Claudius seems to be more concerned with Hamlet than the possibility
of an invasion
- Fortinbras is a lot like Hamlet, (both have
dead fathers and their uncles are now king) but Fortinbras is dedicated to revenge while Hamlet is sad and feels sorry for
himself; also Fortinbras looks for help from the general public in order to get his revenge
- After everyone leaves, Polonius goes into another
one of his long speeches and eventually gets to the point where he states that he thinks Hamlet is mad
- “But what might you think, / When I had seen
this hot love on the wing- / As I perceived it, I must tell you that, . . .what might you, / Or my dear Majesty your Queen
here, think, / If I had play’d the desk or table-book; Or given my heart a winking, mute, and dumb, / Or look’d
upon this love with idle sight; / What might you think?”
o Polonius
is telling Claudius why he thinks that Ophelia should reject Hamlet. Polonius
is only worried about his own reputation. He has no concern for his daughters
feelings.
- Polonius shows Claud. And Ger. love letters that Ham. gave Oph.
- Pol. Has a plan to show that Hamlet is mad
- He suggests that they hide behind a curtain
in the castle lobby and listen when Oph. confronts Hamlet. If Hamlet is mad,
it will show in their conversation
- Claud. agrees to the plan
- Hamlet is approaching the group and Pol. Says
he will talk to Hamlet
- Polonius speaks to Hamlet, but Hamlet answers
questions irrationally and calls Pol. a “fishmonger”
- Ham is happy to see his friends and they discuss
how Hamlet is, and what is happening in Denmark
- Hamlet wants to know why they are here
- They say just to visit but Hamlet says that
he knows they were sent for – they admit to this and Hamlet says that he knows it is because of how he feels
- Rose. Wants to know Hamlet’s feelings
about a theatrical group that is approaching the castle. Trumpets announce the
arrival of the theater group
- Hamlet says that the King and Queen are deceived
in his madness because he is sane part of the time – “I am but mad north-north-west…”
- Polonius announces the actors and Hamlet welcomes
them
- Hamlet asks for a speech on the fall of Troy and the deaths of Priam and Hecuba (the Trojan king and queen)
- Hamlet says that tomorrow they shall hear “The
murder of Gonzago” with an addition written by Hamlet.
o
Hecuba is grieving
over her murdered husband, Priam which is significant because Hamlet has not taken action against Claudius and he feels that
his mother has not properly grieved for her husband
- This brings about the idea that real life is
like a play
- Everyone leaves – Hamlet is left alone
and begins cursing himself because the actor did a better job of speaking of dead figures that mean nothing to him
o
Actors can shed tears
over stories, but he can’t
- He vows to create a trap for Claudius: Claudius
shall listen to a play where the plot is closely related to what happened to Old Hamlet.
Hamlet hopes that this will cause Claudius to show some signs of guilt. Hamlet
then plans to find concrete evidence to support this – “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the
conscience of the king.” (50)
-
In Hamlet’s soliloquy, he states
how he believes that man can be a noble person, but that man is also capable of evil and animal-like behavior. He sees the world as empty and man as nothing. Hamlet, in another soliloquy, questions the truthfulness of the ghost; it may be the
devil tricking him into murdering Claudius. He needs objective evidence of Claudius’ guilt, and Hamlet’s altered
play will prove or disprove Claudius’ murder.
Act III sc.i
- Ros. and Guil. say they don’t know why
Hamlet is sad, as expressed in their conversation with the Queen and King
- They mention that he was enthused about the
actors
- This encourages them and they agree to see the
play
- Claudius sends everyone out so that he and Polonius
could spy on Hamlet and Ophelia
- The king speaks to himself “is not more
ugly to the thing that helps it…” which is him expressing his guilt over Old Hamlet’s death
- Polonius sends Ophelia to the lobby and when
they hear Hamlet coming, they hide
- “The harlot’s cheek, beautied with
plast’ring art, / Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it, / Than is my deed to my most painted word: / O, heavy
burden!”(53)
o Claudius
speaking in an aside, feeling guilty about what he did.
- Hamlet enters thinking aloud about his thoughts
on suicide “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (85) (Considered to be one of the most famous lines in
English lit.) He means something he does not speak. Does he know what he is saying??? Hamlet is considering suicide and is trying to come up with the nerve to do it. He never really says why he wants to kill himself, in fact in the entire soliloquy
he never uses first person.
- In his famous speech, Hamlet also talks about
human misery, wanting to rid the world of corruption, illness and pain, the fear of death, and the inability to seek revenge
- From a universal standpoint, these are things
that everyone thinks about a one point in their lives
- Hamlet does a lot of talking to himself which
implies that there is something going on in his mid subconsciously
- Hamlet goes on to say that life’s miseries
are so great that nobody can bear them except that the fear of what may happen after death is worse (line 80) Bear the “ills
we have” rather than face the afterlife
- Hamlet stops in the middle of his thought as
Ophelia approaches. Upon orders from her father, she tells Hamlet that she wants
to return the tokens of love that he bestowed upon her
- This makes Hamlet angry and he says that he
hasn’t given her anything
- Hamlet said that he loved Ophelia once and never
to have loved her at all and he talks of the dishonesty of beauty
- He claims that it is a woman’s fault that
men behave like monsters and for living dishonestly by wearing makeup in order to look more beautiful (misogyny) “I
have heard of your paintings too…” (55)
o Hamlet to Ophelia. He is raging at her about her falseness. He is also
speaking about women in general, including Gertrude.
- Still angry, Hamlet denounces (protests) Ophelia,
women, and pretty much humankind in general; wanting to do away with marriage
- “And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
/ That suck’d the honey of his music vows, / Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, / Like sweet bells jangled,
out of tune and harsh;” (55)
o Ophelia, alone on stage after Hamlet leaves. She is suffering because
she had believed Hamlet loved her and because she believes Hamlet is insane.
- After Hamlet leaves, Ophelia says “And
I, of ladies most deject and wretched…” she is talking about how she once loved Hamlet and now suffers because
of how he treated her. She believes he is going insane
- Ophelia says that Hamlet’s “noble
mind” has been replaced with madness
- In a way, Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia
is a way of venting his frustrations toward his mother
- Keep in mind they we (the reader) know more
than Claud. does. We know that Hamlet is only acting crazy in order to lure Claudius
into his plan for revenge
- However, this causes the reader to wonder what
is going on with Hamlet. When he does speak aloud, does he mean what he says?
- His words are self-destructive and hard to overcome
and well as intense
- The spies show themselves; Claud. says that
Hamlet’s madness is not a result of his love for Ophelia and is not a speech of insanity.
- Claudius compares a bird sitting on an egg to
melancholy sitting on Hamlet’s soul, which he says is dangerous because he fears what will happen when the egg hatches
- Claudius decides he will send Hamlet to England hoping that a change of scenery will do him some good
- Polonius agrees but still thinks that Hamlet’s
problems stem from his love for Ophelia
- Polonius wants Claud. to send Ham. to Ger. chambers after the play so he can hide again in hope
that he will see some evidence that Hamlet’s insanity is a result of love. Polonius
agrees claiming that madness much be watched closely. “Madness in great
ones…” (56)
Claudius is telling Polonius that he feels threatened by Hamlet
- How do we know when (or if) Hamlet crosses the
bridge from sane to insane?
Act III sc. ii
- Later that evening, the castle is turned into
a theater
- Hamlet (in an intense mood) tells the players
how to perform the lines he had written
- Hamlet is pleased to see Horatio when he enters
the room and Hamlet compliments him on his self-control (his ability to control his emotions)
- “Give me that man / That is not passion’s
slave, and I will wear him / In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, / As I do thee.” (59)
o Hamlet is expressing his high regard for Horatio. He / respects Horatio
because Horatio has self-control and he doesn’t let his emotions control / him.
- Trumpets sound as the players prepare to begin
- Hamlet warns Horatio that he plans to act strangely
- Claudius asks Hamlet how he is doing and his
response in ln. 84-86 seem nonsensical
- Hamlet questions Polonius on his past acting
experience
- Hamlet speaks erotic puns to Ophelia, aggravating
her
- Players present a “dumbshow” or
a silent version of the play that they are about to perform – this mimics what the ghost of Hamlet told his son (there
is no reaction from Claudius at this)
o
A queen and king
show their love. The king goes to sleep and the queen leaves. A man comes and puts poison in the ear of the king. The man
seduces the queen and she accepts
- The actual play begins and we learn the man
is the king’s nephew
o
Gonzago is the duke
of Vienna. His
wife Baptista marries Gonzago’s nephew, Lucianus
- Hamlet makes comments about what is taking place
and continues to bug Ophelia with his crude remarks. He speaks to her not as
a woman he once loved, but as an immoral person
- When the poison is poured into the king’s
ear, Claudius stands and requests for light causing chaos as the play stops suddenly and the king leaves the room as torches
are lit, and Hamlet and Horatio are the only ones left
- “The lady doth protest
too much, methinks.” (63)
o
Gertrude, in response to Hamlet’s question of how she likes the play.
- They comment on Claudius’s behavior which
excites Hamlet to a point that he speaks in a fast and confusing manner, reciting poems
- Ros. and Guild. show to tell Hamlet that he
is needed in his mother’s chambers
- Ros. asks Hamlet about his behavior, making
Hamlet mad so he accuses them of trying to play him like a musical pipe
- Polonius takes Hamlet to the queen where he
hopes to be brutally honest with her without losing control – “I will speak daggers to her, but use none.”
(68)
o Hamlet, soliloquy. He is going to see his mother to confront her with
her wrongdoing. He wants to sway her to his side against Claudius. He must not harm her (the ghost’s command), but he
must speak sharply to her.
Act III sc. iii
- Hamlet feels that the play has succeeded in
proving Claudius’s guilt and therefore it is time to get revenge
- Claudius is speaking to Ros. and Guild. Clau.
wants them to immediately take Hamlet to England
because Claud. (who is still shaken from the play) fears that Hamlet’s madness is dangerous
- Rosencrantz speaks of the importance of a king
to his kingdom – the livelihood of the kingdom rests on the shoulders of the king, if the king dies, all members of
the country suffer, the king never suffers alone the kingdom suffers the consequences too
- Polonius comes to remind Claudius about the
plan to hide in Gertrude’s room
- After Polonius leaves, Claud. expresses guilt
over what he has done – he wants to ask for forgiveness but he is not willing to give up everything he has gained. He falls to his knees and prays
- “I…do this same villain send to heav’n.
/ O, this is hire and salary, not revenge… / To take him in the purging of his soul, / When he is fit and season’d
for his passage? No! / Up, sword;”
o Hamlet is ready to kill Claudius, certain of the King’s guilt.
Claudius, however, is praying.
- Hamlet sneaks into the room and thinks about
killing Claudius, but he realizes that if he kills him while he is praying (receiving forgiveness) his soul will go to Heaven which is not a good form of revenge especially since his father did not get
a chance to repent his sins (he wants the punishment to be fair)
- “I must be cruel, only to be kind: / Thus
bad begins, and worse remains behind.”
o Claudius’ soliloquy. Can he be forgiven for killing his brother
while he still / keeps the crown? He knows he can not.
- Hamlet decides that he will kill Claudius when
he is in the process of sinning
- Claudius stops praying because he has not been
able to pray wholeheartedly – “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.”
Act III sc. iv
- In the queen’s chamber, Polonius urges
her to be harsh with him so that Hamlet’s madness will truly show
- Hamlet storms into the room wanting to know
why she wants to see him
- She says that he has offended Claudius, he responds
by saying that she had offended Old Hamlet
- Hamlet attacks her and says that he will make
her sins well known
- Scared, Gertrude cries out
- Staying hidden for now, Polonius calls out for
help
- Hamlet realizes that someone is hiding behind
the curtain and cries out “How now! A rat?”
- Hamlet draws his sword and stabs at the curtain
killing Polonius (1st murder)
- Hamlet’s flaw is that he cannot coordinate
his thoughts with his actions (stabbing the curtain without knowing what was there)
- Gertrude wants to know what Hamlet has done,
and Hamlet wants to know if it was Claud. behind the curtain
- “I must be cruel, only to be kind: / Thus
bad begins, and worse remains behind.”
o Hamlet to his mother. He is telling her the painful truth to save her
from sin, etc. He had not wanted to kill Polonius, but more evil will occur.
- When Ger. Says that it was a “rash and
bloody murder” Hamlet replies that it is almost as rash as killing a king and marrying his brother – she counters
with the question “Kill a king?”
- Hamlet moves the curtain and realizes that he
has killed the seemingly innocent Polonius, calling him an “intruding fool”
- Hamlet show his mother a picture of his father
and speaks of his father’s greatness over his uncle and wants to know how she could marry a man as rotten as Claud.
- She begs him to stop, but he continues to torment
her with his words until the ghost of his father reappears
- “These words like daggers enter my ears.”
(75)
- Gertrude cannot see the ghost and thinks that
Hamlet is crazy as she thinks he is speaking to nothing
- The ghost is here to remind Hamlet of his task
- The ghost asks Hamlet to describe him to Gertrude
but still she sees nothing
- The ghost leaves and Hamlet tries very hard
to convince his mother that he is not mad, that it was only an act. He begs her to get rid of Claudius to return to a good
conscience – very graphically, he tells her to stay out of Claudius’s bed among other things
- Hamlet begs her not to reveal that his madness
is an act
- Still shaken, she agrees
- “O, Hamlet! thou hast
cleft my heart in twain.” (77)
o Gertrude to Hamlet. He has broken her heart and hurt her with his words,
lunacy, and cruelty. It is possible that she has realized her sins.
- As he tells her goodnight, he points to Polonius’s
body saying that Heaven has used him to punish Polonius for his sins and Hamlet for his, as his soul is now stained with blood
- Finally, Hamlet reminds his mother that he leaves
for England in the morning, but will watch
them as though they were poisonous snakes (“adders fang’d”) because he fears that they are loyal to Claudius
- Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius’s body
behind him
- Thought provoking question – what is the
point of the confrontation between Hamlet and his mom? Does he want to get further evidence against Claudius, or does he want
to see if his mother was involved??? – really, he just wants her to repent her sins
- This scene finally allows us to get a good look
at Gertrude’s character as she goes through several different emotions
- We can see that she is easily overpowered by
men which would explain why she remarried so quickly and why she took Hamlet’s side in this scene
Act IV sc. i
- Gertrude is upset about her encounter with Hamlet
and rushes to Claudius who is speaking with Ros. and Guild.
- When the two are alone she tells Claudius that
Hamlet is as mad a the sea in a violent storm and that he killed Polonius (she has gone back on her promise to help Hamlet
but she does keep his insanity act intact)
- This shows the audience that she is willing
to side with the king rather than her own son
- Claudius said that had he been hiding behind
the curtain, Hamlet would have killed him as well
- Claudius wonders how to handle the situation
without losing control over the country
- Rather than being concerned for Gertrude’s
safety, he immediately is concerned with what would have happened had he been in the room
- He says that they must ship Hamlet to England at once
- He calls for Ros. and Guild., tells them about
the murder, and sends them to find Hamlet
Act IV sc. ii
- Hamlet has just finished getting rid of the
body
- Ros. and Guild. arrive wanting to know what
he did with the body
- Hamlet does not give a direct answer, but instead
says that “The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body”
- Once again, Hamlet gets upset because he feels
that he is being questioned because the two are spies for Claudius, this time he calls Ros. a sponge as an insult, for soaking
up the king’s favors
- Hamlet agrees to let the two take him to Claudius.
Act IV sc. iii
- Whether sane or mad, Hamlet is now a real threat
to Claudius
- Claudius tells a group of servants about Polonius’s
death and his plan to send Hamlet to England
- Hamlet is brought in by Ros. and Guild.
- Claudius wants to know where the body is
- Hamlet turns insane saying that the body is
being eaten by worms and that Claudius could send a messenger to see if he is in heaven or go look for him in hell himself
- Hamlet finally says that the body is under the
stairs near the castle lobby
- The king sends the servants to look for the
body
- Hamlet is told he must leave at once for England
- Claudius is left alone to think where he says
that he hopes that England will follow
through with the secret orders sent with Ros. and Guild. (The orders call for Hamlet’s murder/execution
- Claudius wants to have Hamlet murdered in England because he is beloved in Denmark
- Claudius seems calm on the outside, but Hamlet’s
blood rages him on the inside
Act IV sc. iv
- Fortinbras is marching his army through Denmark in order to get to Poland
- He sends one of his men to get permission from
Claudius
- The man encounters Hamlet, Ros., and Guild.
on their way to board the ship to England
- The man tells Hamlet that they plan to fight
over a small piece of land
- Hamlet can’t figure out why such a bloody
war shall be fought over something so minor. He doesn’t understand why
humans act so violently for such little gain
- Keep in mind that Hamlet has a lot to gain from
killing Claudius, yet he has failed to act
- Hamlet claims that from now on, his thoughts
shall be bloody
- In Hamlet’s soliloquy, he calls himself
a coward and seems to despise himself
- “Sure, he that made us with such large discourse,
/ Looking before and after, gave us not / That capability and god-like reason / To fust in us unus’d. Now, whether it
be / Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple / Of thinking too precisely on the event,”
o Hamlet, soliloquy. Hamlet realizes he has spent too much time thinking,
/ not acting. He realizes that to think is to use his greatest gift: reason.
Act IV sc. v
- This scene is used to show how the health of
a state affects the entire kingdom
- As the scene opens, Gertrude and Horatio are
talking about Ophelia
- The queen does not want to see her, but Horatio
thinks she should because she is full of grief
- Ophelia enters, covered in flowers and singing
strange songs (she seems to have gone crazy)
- Ophelia has fennels and columbines for the queen
which are considered to be flowers that represent unfaithfulness; she gives the king rue to symbolize repentance and a daisy
for unreturned love
- Claudius enters the room talking about how Ophelia’s
grief stems from her father’s death and her fellow countrymen talking suspiciously about his death. He also mentions that Laertes has secretly returned from France
- “O, this is the poison of deep grief; it
springs / All from her father’s death.” (88)
o Claudius to Gertrude about Ophelia’s madness. He is sorry for
the indirect consequences of his evil act.
- A loud noise is heard and Claudius summons guards
to figure out what is going on. It appears the Laertes has entered the castle
with an angry mob
- The mob is whispering that Laertes should be
king
- Laertes enters, wanting to avenge his father’s
death
- “To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest
devil! / Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! / I dare damnation: to this point I stand, / That both the worlds I
give to negligence, / Let come what comes; only I’ll be reveng’d / Most thoroughly for my father.”
o Laertes is speaking to Claudius. He is demanding to know how his father
died. He will avenge his father’s death no matter what the consequences.
- Claudius tries to calm Laertes down and the
queen is assuring him that Claudius had nothing to do with the murder
- Ophelia enters the room acting crazy and Laertes
is once again filled with rage, demanding revenge
- Claudius tries to assure Laertes to see revenge
on the proper person and asks him to listen to his side of the story – “Where th’ offence is, let the great
axe fall”
- We can see that Laertes is willing to act which
is the opposite of Hamlet (his foil)
- Laertes is willing to kill Hamlet in a church,
but Hamlet did not kill Claudius because he was in the act of praying
Act IV sc. vi
- Horatio is in another part of the castle where
he receives a letter from Hamlet presented by two sailors
- The letter states that the ship was captured
by pirates who sent him back to Denmark. In the letter Hamlet also asks Horatio to take the sailors to the king and queen because
the sailors have letters for them also
- The sailors take the letters to the king and
queen and then they lead Horatio to Hamlet who hides near the castle (the letters contain orders for Ros. and Guild. to be
executed
- The pirate attack has little to do with themes
of the story, but has a great deal to do with plot development – Hamlet has not been executed, but has returned to Denmark
Act IV sc. vii
- Horatio is off talking to the sailors
- A much calmer Laertes is talking to Claudius
about his father’s death – Claud. explains that the body was buried secretly and Hamlet was sent away rather than
punished because he was so loved by the people of Denmark
as well as his mother, and Claudius did not want to upset either one.
- A messenger brings a letter that states Hamlet
will return to Denmark tomorrow –
this makes Laertes happy because he can get revenge sooner
- Claudius encourages Laertes to get revenge since
Hamlet is a threat to his throne and begins to think of ways Laertes can get revenge without anyone suspecting foul play
- Laertes is considered to be great with a sword
and Claudius remembers that Hamlet was jealous because Laertes had been complimented by a great Frenchman, so Claudius suggests
a possible duel between the two which would give Laertes a chance to kill Hamlet
- Laertes agrees and they work out the details
o
Instead of using
a dull sword, Laertes will use a sharpened sword
o
The sword will be
coated in poison so even a scratch will kill Hamlet
o
If Hamlet should
happen to win the duel, the king will give him a poisoned cup of wine in celebration
- Gertrude enters with the sad news that Ophelia
has gone mad and drowned in the river
- Laertes leaves, upset, and Claudius urge Gertrude
to follow him. Laertes tells her that he fears that his sisters death will cause
his rage to reappear
Act V sc. i
- Two gravediggers (described
as clowns or peasants) dig out a grave for Ophelia in a church graveyard
- Since her
death looks like a suicide, they argue whether she should be buried there or not
- The gravediggers
are engaged in riddles: the first asks “What is he that builds stronger than the mason, the shipright, or a carpenter?” The second says that is should be the gallows-maker since it can outlast 10,000 hangings. The first said no, it is the gravedigger because their “houses” last forever
- Hamlet and
Horatio arrive and watch the men work
- Hamlet comments
on the skulls that are being removed, and the jobs once done by the owners of the skulls
- Hamlet asks
who grave he is digging and the grave-digger gets smart with Hamlet and says that it is his since he is digging it, then he
said it is not a man or woman’s because they are living things
- Eventually,
he says that the grave belongs to a woman
- The gravedigger
does not recognize Hamlet and says that he has been a gravedigger since the days when King Hamlet defeated Fortinbras which
was the day Hamlet was born
- Hamlet picks
up a skull that belonged to King Hamlet’s jester, Yorick “Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well”
- “Now
get you to my lady’s chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this / favour she must come; make her laugh
at that.”
Hamlet to the skull of Yorick. Hamlet is musing on death, claiming that no matter how a person (in this case Gertrude
or Ophelia) tries to look pleasing to the eye, she will still end up in a grave.
- Though they
are truly not clowns, the gravediggers are meant to provide some comic relief to the serious scenes that will take place
- Hamlet realizes
that at some point all men become dust
- Ophelia’s
funeral procession makes its way to the graveyard and Hamlet wonders whose funeral it is.
He notices that the funeral rites are different so the person must have taken his or her life
- Hamlet and
Horatio hide
- Hamlet realizes
the body belongs to Ophelia
- Laertes gets
upset at the priest over the funeral rites
- Laertes jumps
into the grave to hold his sister one more time (a suggestion of incest)
- Hamlet leaps
out and professes his love for Ophelia and he leaps into the grave and fights with Laertes saying “forty thousand brothers,
could not with all their quantity of love, could make up my sum”
- He proclaims
that he could do things for her that Laertes could not dream of
- He thinks
that Hamlet is being overly dramatic and is not really sincere
- The two are
pulled apart
- The king and
queen declare Hamlet is mad
- Hamlet runs
off and Horatio follows him
- The king tells
Laertes to be patient and they will put their plan into action
- Hamlet does
not feel guilty over Ophelia’s death
- “This
is mere madness, / And thus a while the fit will work on him; / Anon… / His silence will sit drooping.”
Gertrude
to Laertes. She wants the fighting to stop and tells Laertes that Hamlet is
simply insane and will calm down soon.
- “Was’t Hamlet wrong’d Laertes?
Never, Hamlet: / If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away, / And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes, / Then
Hamlet does it not,… / Who does it then? His madness;”
o Hamlet to Laertes. He is explaining (or lying) that it was not really
Hamlet who killed Polonius and is responsible for Ophelia’s death; it is Hamlet’s lunacy.
Act V sc. ii
- In this scene,
Hamlet seems perfectly sane, though rather sad, and he no longer fears death
- Hamlet feels
that it is fate that has allowed him to return to Denmark
to get another chance at revenge; He says that fate has more control over a person than their own desires
- It is the
next day, in the castle, and Hamlet is telling Horatio how he foiled Claudius’s plan to have him executed
o Hamlet switched out the letters being carried by Ros. and Guild.
- He
does however say that he feels sorry for the way he treated Laertes which leads to a change in Hamlet’s mental state
- He says that he sees his own self in Laertes
and desires to get along with him
- Osric, a messenger, comes in and agrees with
every-thing that Hamlet says even if Osric makes no sense
- He is there to tell Hamlet that Laertes wants
a fencing duel and that Claudius has made a bet with Laertes that Hamlet will win
- Osric, in a confusing way, praises Laertes
- Hamlet say “”There’s special
providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis to come; if it
be not to come; it will be now, if it be not now, yet it will come.” Referring to the fact that death is inevitable
and that one must be ready for it
- Hamlet heads to the hall where the battle will
take place and begs Laertes for his forgiveness, claiming that he only killed Polonius because he was mad
- Laertes will not accept his forgiveness until
he has been advised by an elder
- They select their swords or foils and the king
makes a wager saying that if Hamlet wins the first or second hit that he will drink a glass of wine in his honor and then
refill the cup (this time with poison) and give it to Hamlet to drink
- Hamlet gets the first hit but will not drink
from the cup
- Hamlet gets another hit but does not drink from
the cup
- Gertrude wants to drink from the cup but the
king tells her not to
- She drinks from the cup anyway
- The king says in an aside “It is the poison’d
cup: it is too late”
- Laertes murmurs to himself that it is almost
against his good conscience to kill Hamlet with the sword
- The duel resumes and Laertes gets a hit on Hamlet
and draws blood
- A
scuffle begins and the swords are switched
- Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned sword
- Laertes says “I am justly kill’d
with my own treachery” realizing that he has been wounded by his sword
- The queen falls over telling everyone the cup
has been poisoned, she calls out to Hamlet and dies (3rd death)
- Laertes calls out saying that he has been poisoned
by his own sword, and the cup and sword are both Claudius’s fault
- Hamlet charges Claudius with the poisoned sword
and forces him to drink what is left in the poisoned cup
- Claudius exchanges forgiveness with Laertes
and Laertes frees Hamlet from his guilt
- Laertes dies
- Claudius, crying for help, dies
- Marching can be heard from outside and Fortinbras
is marching by, having defeated Poland
- Hamlet tells Horatio that he is dying and begs
his friend not to commit suicide, but to live to tell the story
- As Hamlet dies, he announces that Fortinbras
should be made King of Denmark
- Fortinbras and English authorities enter the
room to tell us that Ros. and Guild. are dead
- As the play closes, Horatio tells everyone in
the castle what caused this outcome
- King Hamlet can now rest in peace
- Fortinbras’s first duty is to have Hamlet
carried out like a soldier
- Maybe the level-headed and strong-willed Fortinbras
can restore Denmark to a noble state
