Hamlet

Major Characters: 

Hamlet: The main character of the play and the prince of Denmark. His father died and he is the heir to the throne however his uncle rules as king until Hamlet is "fit" even though he is around thirty. His uncle also married his mother with is considered to be incest because when two people get married they become "one" so The King technically married his sister.

Claudius: He is portrayed as a bad/evil character in the play, Hamlets uncle and The King of Denmark. He murdered old Hamlet by pouring poison in his ear.

Polonius: The father of Ophelia and Leartes, The Kings right hand man. He is very smart and is scheming through the entire play. Hamlet eventually kills him because he thought it was Claudius hiding behind a curtain instead of Polonius.

Ophelia: Hamlet is in love her, she is a character that is made out to be naive in the play however she can be quite clever and witty as well. She goes crazy from Hamlet's insanity and her father dying at the same time.  She commits suicide by drowning herself.

Leartes: He is Ophelia's brother and Polonius' son. He is a foil to Hamlet and battles him in the end of the play trying to kill Hamlet.

Gertrude: Hamlet's mother. After her husband old Hamlet died she got married to Claudius. She dies from drinking from a poison cup.

Horatio: He is Hamlet's trusted friend throughout the play, he is the only character that survives in the end and never gets wrapped up in the death that seems to follow Denmark. He helps Hamlet make important decisions.

The Ghost: Supposedly old Hamlet coming back as a ghost to tell Hamlet about how he got murdered to tell Hamlet to avenge him. This is where one of the major questions in the play starts on whether it is right for Hamlet to kill Claudius because Claudius killed his father. 

Motifs:

• Incest
• Identity
• Providence
• Revenge
• Control
• Religion
• Duality (Natural vs. Unnatural, identity vs. public appearance, father & son, light vs. day, pure vs. impure)
• Death
• Surveillance
• Ears & hearing
• Synecdoche
• Fortune/luck
• Lack of trust
• Mystery of death- afterlife
• Putting on persons- inner vs. outer self
• Lies
• Madness
  
  
  
  
  Theme:  Shakespeare’s Hamlet cautions that self doubt paired with moral corruption can lead to the subversion of providence.
  
  
  
  
  Explanation of the Theme:  In the play Hamlet is constantly struggling with self doubt, he can't decide what is right and what is wrong. That leads to nearly all the conflict because he doubts himself on whether he will make the right decision, to usurp God's power and kill Claudius to avenge his father or to go against his father and let God punish Claudius. He is also being moral corrupted by what is "rotten in Denmark" and his fathers ghost telling him to take revenge. These two major factors leave to the destruction of Hamlet himself and almost everyone around him.
  
  
  Symbols: 
  
  
  Holding Yoricks scull: Hamlet is staring at death itself and realizes that it is part of God's power and nature itself, it is not his decision and should not be feared either.
  
  
  The Poison: A symbol of lies and corruption
  
  
  The Flowers: Ophelia is using them to help her communicate through her insanity
  
  
  Hamlet: There is some evidence that he is a Christ figure in the play
  
  
  Author's Style and Narrative Voice: Shakespeare is writing not only to create a wonderful piece of literature but also to please the people. The common motif of usurping power could be pointed towards Queen Elizabeth and the motif of incest to the people. Hamlet is loaded with Imagery and allusions as well as figurative language. Shakespeare also ads in some parts of the play for comic relief so there is not tragedy upon tragedy that would make it almost comical. 
  
  
  Quotes:
  
  
  "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
  
  
  This is very important to the play because it goes along with the central conflict. This line is spoken by Horatio (the most trusted character and most reliable) because he can see that the ghost is not a good thing. The ghost shows that through Claudius's crime there is now almost a curse placed on Denmark. 
  
  
  "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;
  Words without thoughts never to heaven go."
   
  This is said by Claudius when he is praying and Hamlet was about to kill him but didn't. It could either mean that Claudius doesn't truly mean what he is praying it just trying to put on a show or that God will not forgive him for killing old Hamlet so he will not hear his prayers anyway. 
   
  Setting: It is set in Denmark in Elsinore. It is a large castle where Hamlet is forced to stay instead of returning to college. Set in the 13th Century.
  
  
  Plot:  (From the Review)
  • Act 1
  • Scene 1
  • Horatio is told that the Ghost of the old king of Denmark, Hamlet, has been seen
  • Horatio sees the Ghost and attempts to talk to it, but it does not answer Horatio.
  • King Hamlet led a conquest against old Fortinbras
  • Scene 2
  • Claudius is introduced and makes a speech about his marriage and how young Fortinbras demands the lands taken by King Hamlet. Claudius sends ambassadors to stop an attack.
  • Laertes is given leave to go to France, with permission of Polonius.
  • Hamlet is introduced and is mourning his father, Claudius and Gertrude tell him to get over his father’s death.
  • Hamlet is not given permission to leave and go back to Wittenberg.
  • Hamlet is forced to stay in Denmark. He is upset about his mother’s marriage to his uncle. (Took place “within a month”)
  • Horatio and friends tell Hamlet about the Ghost and he agrees to join them.
  • Scene 3/4/5
  • Laertes (leaving for France) warns Ophelia not to fall for Hamlet and not to trust him.
  • Polonius says the same thing and orders her not to see Hamlet.
  • Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus are visited by the Ghost.
  • The Ghost wants to only speak to Hamlet.
  • The Ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. The Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his murder.
  • Hamlet makes his friends swear to secrecy.
  • Act 2
  • Scene 1
  • Polonius does not trust Laertes in France and sends someone there.
  • Ophelia was visited by Hamlet, who seemed crazy.
  • Polonius thinks that Hamlet is crazy because Ophelia will not see him.
  • Scene 2
  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to spy on Hamlet by Gertrude and Claudius.
  • Polonius tells Claudius that Hamlet is crazy with love for Ophelia. They go to spy on Hamlet.
  • Hamlet knows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are spying for Claudius.
  • Hamlet decides to prove his uncle’s guilt by staging a play, The Murder of Gonzago.
  • Act 3
  • Scene 1-To Be or Not To Be
  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cannot find why Hamlet is mad.
  • Polonius makes Ophelia to find out about Hamlet’s madness and goes to spy with Claudius.
  • Hamlet sees Ophelia and is nice, but then he changes his attitude.
  • Hamlet says he never loved her.
  • After Hamlet leaves Claudius does not think that love is the cause of his madness. He decides to send Hamlet to England.
  • Polonius says not to and wait until Gertrude talks to him.
  • Scene 2
  • The play occurs. Hamlet and Horatio watch for a reaction from Claudius.
  • The Player King is killed by having poison poured in his ear.
  • Claudius gets upset and leaves.
  • Hamlet is asked to go see Gertrude.
  • Scene 3
  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are ordered to take Hamlet to England.
  • Polonius plans to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude.
  • Claudius starts to pray and Hamlet wants to kill him there, but cannot because then Claudius would go to Heaven.
  • Scene 4
  • Polonius hides behind a tapestry in Gertrude’s room.
  • Hamlet enters and scares Gertrude, who calls for help. Polonius then calls for help.
  • Hamlet, thinking that Polonius is Claudius, stabs the tapestry.
  • Hamlet is then upset at Gertrude for marrying Claudius, when the Ghost appears and he is the only one to see. Gertrude thinks he is mad.
  • The Ghost reminds Hamlet to avenge King Hamlet’s death.
  • Act 4
  • Gertrude tells Claudius that Polonius is dead. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet, and the body.
  • Hamlet does not say where he put the body.
  • Claudius orders Hamlet to leave immediately for England. Claudius tells the audience he plans to have Hamlet killed in England.
  • Hamlet sees Fortinbras and his army.

  • Act 5
  • Scene 1
  • Two clowns (gravediggers) dig up poor Yorick’s bones to make room for Ophelia.
  • Scene 2
  • Hamlet has his “fall of the sparrow” speech.
  • He then duels with Laertes, is mortally wounded, kills Claudius, then relinquishes his control to Fortinbras
   
   
  Tone: The tone is very dark and sometimes depressing. There is the motif of death and corruption through the whole play so other than the comic relief the tone is pretty dismal.