Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Hamlet Summary
Summary
TLDRIn Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', the Danish prince grapples with the murder of his father by his uncle Claudius, who then marries Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Haunted by his father's ghost, Hamlet feigns madness to plot revenge. Amidst political intrigue and tragic love with Ophelia, Hamlet's actions lead to a series of deaths, culminating in a climactic fencing match where Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius all meet their end. The play explores themes of betrayal, revenge, and the moral complexities of justice.
Takeaways
- ๐ Hamlet is the prince of Denmark, dealing with his father's death and his uncle Claudius's ascension to the throne and marriage to his mother, Gertrude.
- ๐ป The ghost of Hamlet's father appears, resembling the late king, and is witnessed by soldiers who later inform Hamlet of the sighting.
- ๐ Claudius urges Hamlet to move on from his grief, but Hamlet is inwardly disgusted by his mother's quick remarriage to his uncle.
- ๐ Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia is strained as her family, led by Polonius, believes Hamlet's intentions are dishonorable.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Hamlet encounters the ghost, who reveals that he was murdered by Claudius through poison poured into his ear, prompting Hamlet to vow revenge.
- ๐ญ Hamlet devises a plan to use a play to expose Claudius's guilt by staging a scene mirroring the king's murder, which Claudius reacts to incriminatingly.
- ๐ก๏ธ Polonius is mistakenly killed by Hamlet, who believes he is attacking Claudius, further complicating the plot.
- ๐ข Hamlet is sent to England by Claudius, but he escapes and returns to Denmark, foiling Claudius's plan to have him killed.
- ๐ฐ A fencing match is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes, which is rigged by Laertes and Claudius with a poisoned sword and poisoned wine.
- โ๏ธ The climax of the play involves a series of tragic deaths: Gertrude from the poisoned wine, Laertes and Hamlet from the poisoned sword, and Claudius from both the sword and the wine, leading to the end of the royal family's rule.
Q & A
Who is the main character in the play 'Hamlet'?
-The main character in 'Hamlet' is Prince Hamlet of Denmark.
What significant event occurs before the play begins?
-Before the play begins, Hamlet's father, the king, dies.
Who becomes the king after Hamlet's father's death?
-Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, becomes the king after the death of Hamlet's father.
What does the ghost that appears at the beginning of the play resemble?
-The ghost resembles Hamlet's father, the dead King.
Why does Claudius tell Hamlet to stop acting so sad about his father's death?
-Claudius tells Hamlet to stop acting sad to maintain appearances and to move on from his father's death.
Who is Ophelia and what is her relationship with Hamlet?
-Ophelia is Hamlet's girlfriend, and her father and brother try to convince her that Hamlet does not truly love her.
What does the ghost reveal to Hamlet about his death?
-The ghost reveals that he is Hamlet's father and that Claudius murdered him by pouring poison in his ear.
How does Hamlet plan to confirm Claudius's guilt?
-Hamlet plans to confirm Claudius's guilt by having a group of actors perform a play that mimics the murder of his father and observing Claudius's reaction.
What happens when Claudius sees the play performed by the actors?
-When Claudius sees the play, he becomes upset and leaves, which Hamlet interprets as proof of his guilt.
How does Polonius die in the play?
-Polonius dies when Hamlet, thinking he is Claudius, stabs him through a tapestry while Polonius is eavesdropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother.
What is the outcome of the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes?
-During the fencing match, both Hamlet and Laertes are wounded with a poisoned sword, and Gertrude is accidentally poisoned. This leads to the deaths of Laertes, Gertrude, and Claudius, and ultimately Hamlet as well.
Outlines
๐ Royal Turmoil in Denmark
The script opens with an introduction to Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, who is grieving the death of his father, the king. His uncle Claudius has assumed the throne and married Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. A ghost resembling the late king appears to soldiers and is later revealed to Hamlet, who learns of his father's murder by Claudius. Hamlet feigns madness to plot revenge, leading to a series of misunderstandings and tragic events. Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest, is convinced by her family that Hamlet's affections are insincere due to his royal status. This culminates in a tragic sequence where Hamlet inadvertently kills Polonius, thinking it's Claudius, and Ophelia's subsequent descent into madness and death.
๐ก๏ธ Deadly Fencing and Resolution
In the continuation of the narrative, Hamlet survives a pirate attack and returns to Denmark, only to find a kingdom in turmoil. Ophelia's death by drowning adds to the grief. A gravedigger's scene provides a moment of dark humor. Laertes, Ophelia's brother, blames Claudius for his father's death and his sister's madness, leading to a tense confrontation. Claudius and Laertes devise a plan to kill Hamlet in a fencing match using a poisoned sword. The plan goes awry as Gertrude accidentally drinks from a poisoned cup, and both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded by the poisoned sword. In the ensuing chaos, Hamlet kills Claudius and Laertes, and in his final moments, he tasks Horatio with telling his story. The play ends with the arrival of Fortinbras, who claims the kingdom.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กHamlet
๐กClaudius
๐กGhost
๐กOphelia
๐กRevenge
๐กMadness
๐กPolonius
๐กLaertes
๐กGertrude
๐กFencing Match
๐กFortinbras
Highlights
Hamlet is the prince of Denmark dealing with his father's death and his uncle's ascension to the throne.
The ghost of Hamlet's father appears, resembling the late king, and is seen by soldiers.
Claudius, now king, urges Hamlet to move on from his father's death.
Hamlet is disgusted by his mother's quick marriage to Claudius.
Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, is influenced by her family to distance herself from Hamlet.
The ghost reveals to Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius with poison.
Hamlet plans to use a play to confirm Claudius's guilt by observing his reaction.
Claudius's abrupt departure during the play suggests his guilt.
Hamlet's hesitation to kill Claudius while he prays reflects his moral conflict.
Accidental death and eavesdropping lead to Polonius's demise by Hamlet's hand.
Ophelia's tragic death by drowning is a significant plot point.
Laertes's return and subsequent conflict with Claudius over his father's death add tension.
Hamlet's escape from England and return to Denmark are pivotal to the story's climax.
A fencing match is orchestrated as a plot to kill Hamlet, which leads to a dramatic turn of events.
The play's climax involves a deadly fencing match, poisoning, and the revelation of Claudius's scheme.
The tragic ending sees the deaths of multiple characters, including Hamlet, and the ascension of Fortinbras.
Transcripts
Hamlet is the prince of Denmark
his father was the king, but he died before the play begins
Hamlet's uncle Claudius has taken over as King and married Hamlet's mother
Gertrude. At the beginning at the play
a ghost appears to some soldiers; he looks just like Hamlet's father,
the dead King. The soldiers agree to tell Hamlet all about it.
Claudius tells Hamlet he has to stop acting so sad about his father's death.
Hamlet says he will. But, when he's by himself,
he says he's disgusted that his mother married Claudius.
Hamlet's girlfriend is Ophelia.
Her father Polonius and her brother Laertes try to convince her that
Hamlet doesn't love her
they point out that because he's a prince he can't marry whoever he wants
they think he's more likely to seduce her than marry her.
Ophelia agrees not to talk to Hamlet any more
Hamlet sees the ghost, who says he
is Hamlet's father he also says that Claudius murdered him by pouring poison
in his ear
Hamlet swears to take revenge. He mentions to the soldiers that in the future
he may find it useful to act as if he's crazy. Ophelia tells her father that
Hamlet came to see her after she returned his love letters
and he seems insane his clothes were messed up
he was trembling and pale and he looked scared. Polonius now thinks Hamlet
really did love Ophelia
and he's gone mad because she rejected him. Claudius and Gertrude
ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, some friends of Hamlet's from school,
to spend time with them and try to find out why he's been acting crazy
Rosencrantz and Guiledenstern try to cheer Hamlet up by telling him the group of
actors has arrived at the castle
Hamlet decides he'll have the actors perform a play that mimics the murder of
his father.
He wants to see if Claudius reacts to it and shows his guilt.
he says the ghost might actually be a lying devil
Claudius's reaction to the play will clear up the mystery
Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius want to test the theory that Hamlet is acting crazy
because he is lovesick
so they spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet is very nasty to
Ophelia and tells her she should go become a nun
after hearing this Claudius decides Hamlet is not in love
he does think Hamlet's obsessed with something and since he thinks Hamlet
poses a threat to him
he decides to send him to England that evening
the actors perform the play Hamlet requested. When Claudius sees a scene
where a king is murdered by having poison poured in his ear
he becomes so upset that he gets up and leaves. Hamlet sees this reaction as
proof that Claudius did indeed murder his father.
When Claudius is by himself he admits he murdered Hamlet's father.
he tries to pray for forgiveness but he can't seem to make himself do it
hamlet comes into the room behind him with a sword
but he decides not to kill him because he thinks claudius will go straight to
heaven if he dies while he's praying
and he wants him to go to hell hamlet goes to see his mother
not knowing that she's given Polonius permission to hide behind a tapestry
and listen to their conversation. Hamlet makes her sit down and tells her
she's not leaving until he shows her how bad she really is.
Gertrude gets frightened and calls out for help
hearing her, Polonius calls out for help too and Hamlet, thinking it's Claudius behind
the tapestry
stands polonius through the clock and kills him. Hamlet tells his mother how
awful it is that she sleeping with Claudius
he doesn't come right out and say that road is murder King Hamlet
or that he thinks gertrude knew about it he focuses more on how much better his
father was the glorious
and tries to make his mother promise not to sleep with claudius anymore
she tells hamlet that he's making her feel guilty
the ghost enters and scolds Hamlet for taking so long to get revenge
hamlet sees the ghost but his mother doesn't she thinks is crazy
Hamlet leaves hauling away Polonius's body
claudius and hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
but he's by himself he says he's given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed
letters
ordering the king of england hamlet today immediately after opening the
latter
a three-year loses her mind following her father's death
Laertes returns to Denmark billion noisy crowd of supporters
he blames Claudius for his father's death and his sisters insanity
and threatens to overthrow him Claudius manages to persuade Laertes that
Hamlet is really to blame
Horatio gets a letter from Hamlet saying that the ship he was on was attacked by
pirates
hamlet was taken prisoner by himself and brought back to Denmark
Claudius and Laertes also receive a letter from Hamlet in which he says he's
arrived back to Denmark alone
and will come to see Claudius the next day
now that they know hamlet didn't die in England they start plotting a new way to
kill him
the look like an accident
Gertrude brings the news that Ophelia drowned in a stream.
Two grave diggers talk and joke while digging Ophelia's grave
Hamlet gets into a conversation with one of them he doesn't yet know that Ophelia
is dead
Claudius, Gertrude and Laertes arrive to bury Ophelia
they lay here in the ground but before they can throw earth on her
Laertes leaps to into the grave to hug her one more time
Hamlet finally realizes who they're burying and starts swearing that no one
loved Ophelia more than he did
he jumps into the grave too and he and Laertes fight until they're pulled apart
Hamlet tells Horatio that on the way to England he stole the letter that would have
sentenced him to death
and wrote a replacement telling the king of england to put Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to death
he managed to get free during the pirate attack and then he returned to Denmark.
A courtier named was Osric interrupts them to invite Hamlet
to a fencing match with Laertes to be held in front of the King and Queen
Hamlet agrees
before the match Laertes poisons the tip of his sword and Claudius
poisons a cup of wine. Hamlet gets the first hit
claudius is going to give him a precious pearl as a reward
and he drops the pearl into the poison Cup and offers it to Hamlet
but hamlet says he's not ready to drink yet
Hamlet gets the second hit. Gertrude picks up the poisoned cup
drinks from it before Claudius can stop her
Laertes finally gets a hit wounding Hamlet with a poison sword
and they both get mad and start grappling with each other
in the scuffle they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the
poisoned one
gertrude collapses and says she's been poisoned
Laertes confesses to hamlet he poisoned the sword and says they're both
going to die
he blames Claudius for the scheme. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword
and forces him to drink from the poisoned cup . Claudius dies.
Laertes dies saying he's sorry for what he's done
Hamlet tells Horatio to remain behind and tell the truth about everything that has
happened
then he dies
Fortinbras a prince in Norway arrives with his army on a visit to Claudius
when he sees that the whole royal family is dead
he claims the kingdom for himself
for more information about Hamlet see the Hamlet SparkNote on sparknotes.com
If you'd like a translation of Hamlet into modern English
see No Fear Hamlet on sparknotes.com
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