1600-ish

The plot of Shakespeare’s version is based largely on the plot of the Scandinavian legend of Amleth, son of the king of Jutland (now Denmark).

• The action takes place around Elsinore Castle in (what is now) Kronborg, Denmark

• Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet dies under suspicious circumstances and Hamlet’s uncle quickly marries the Queen.

• Hamlet’s father’s ghost visits Hamlet and tells him to avenge his death at the hands of Claudius, the uncle.

• Hamlet wants to please his father but does not want to commit a murder if the ghost is a figment of his imagination, so he procrastinates and thinks and thinks and thinks, acting insane the whole time in order to buy some more time to think.

• The nature (and mystery) of life and death• What it means to be sane and insane• The workings of fate upon an individual• The difficulty of achieving certainty before you

act• The slipperiness of language and meaning• Diseased relationships: family and societal

dysfunction resulting in spying and deceit

The Pivotal Play Scene

• Has the effect of bringing the audience into the play as they watch characters watching a play

• Reveals to King Claudius that Hamlet is aware of the details of his father’s murder

• Reveals to Queen Gertrude Hamlet’s true feelings about her quick marriage to Claudius

• All of the action that takes place afterward is a direct result of what is revealed in this scene(the King’s order that Hamlet be sent to England, Polonius’s death, Hamlets rebuke of his mother, Laertes’s quest for revenge, Ophelia’s madness, etc.)

Mirror Images (Foils)

• King Hamlet (good) and Claudius (bad)– King Hamlet is manly, regal, and honest– Claudius is sneaky, drunken, and conniving

• Gertrude (bad) and Ophelia (good)– Gertrude is unfaithful, lustful, and a symbol for

human corruption – Ophelia is innocence, purity, and a symbol for the

wholesomeness of nature

Mirror Images (Foils)

• Horatio (good) and Polonius (bad)– Horatio is humble, honest, and wise– Polonius is vain, deceitful, and a babbler

• Horatio (good) and Rosencrantz/Guildenstern (bad)– Horatio is loyal, honest, and virtuous– R & G are disloyal, sneaky, and fake

Mirror Images (Foils)

• Hamlet and Laertes (both good and bad)– Both seek revenge for wrongs against their families– Hamlet is more thoughtful while Laertes acts without

thinking– Both meet their doom – Both are generally sympathetic characters though very

flawed– Both are similar to the young Fortinbras, but Fortinbras

gets to live at the end because he exercised self-control in not attacking Denmark as he had originally planned

The Sickness that Spreads from Unnatural Deeds

• The murder leads to:– Relationship dysfunction– The end of wholesome, young love / the growth

of unnatural love– Spying and secrets– The death of nearly everybody– Insanity– Remorse and sadness– The fall of an entire kingdom

Themes: Appearances vs. Reality

– Hamlet pretends to be crazy while a good deal of the rest of the characters play-act in front of Hamlet to try to figure him out

– Hamlet sees through most of what is going on, particularly with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whose pretend friendship he despises

– Hamlet unmasks King Claudius by the use of play-actors, which is ironic because they have all been masking their deeds by play-acting themselves around Hamlet

Selfish Actions Have Consequences

• The murder leads to a cover-up, which leads to lying and spying

• The “disease” of the cover-up spreads as more and more characters engage in sneaky activities

• The contagion of the dishonesty and deceit leads to the break up of the family and the deaths of most of the main characters

Language vs. Action

• Hamlet is young and inexperienced. He therefore has to talk himself into killing his uncle, though the effect of his talk and thoughts is to make him less inclined to go through with it.

• Words and thoughts dull the passions and lead to questions and uncertainties that delay action.

Loss of Hope Ruins the Joy of Life

• Hamlet wants to die because of what was occurred to his father

• The shock of the death is compounded both by how his father dies and what he is asked to do to avenge it.

• Hamlet has an appreciation for the beauty of nature and the greatness of mankind’s potential, but he is completely disappointed by both and finds no joy in either, under the circumstances.

Hamlet: Good Prince or Monster?

• Feels a great deal of loyalty to his father, the murdered King• Has an affectionate, thoughtful nature that doesn’t turn to

violence easily• Condemns dishonesty and improper family relationships• Is loyal to true friends like Horatio• Kills Polonius without knowing who is behind the curtain• Condemns King Claudius’s soul to Hell by waiting to kill him at

a time when he is sinning• Is the cause of the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern• Is cruel to Ophelia after the ghost’s visit• Selfishly quarrels with Laertes on top of Ophelia’s casket

Those Tainted by the Contagion are Killed

• Gruesome deaths:King Claudius dies for his murderHamlet and Laertes die for their lack of self-

controlGertrude dies for her lust and infidelityPolonius dies for his foolishness and deceit

• Poetic deaths: Ophelia’s death is described as tragic but beautiful to show that innocence and naturalness cannot survive in such a corrupted state as Denmark