Hamlet Plot Overviewcharacters.docx

Hamlet Plot Overviewcharacters.docx

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HamletPlotOverviewcharacters

PlotOverview

Onadarkwinternight,aghostwalkstherampartsofElsinoreCastleinDenmark.Discoveredfirstbyapairofwatchmen,thenbythescholarHoratio,theghostresemblestherecentlydeceasedKingHamlet,whosebrotherClaudiushasinheritedthethroneandmarriedtheking’swidow,QueenGertrude.WhenHoratioandthewatchmenbringPrinceHamlet,thesonofGertrudeandthedeadking,toseetheghost,itspeakstohim,declaringominouslythatitisindeedhisfather’sspirit,andthathewasmurderedbynoneotherthanClaudius.OrderingHamlettoseekrevengeonthemanwhousurpedhisthroneandmarriedhiswife,theghostdisappearswiththedawn.

PrinceHamletdevoteshimselftoavenginghisfather’sdeath,but,becauseheiscontemplativeandthoughtfulbynature,hedelays,enteringintoadeepmelancholyandevenapparentmadness.ClaudiusandGertrudeworryabouttheprince’serraticbehaviorandattempttodiscoveritscause.TheyemployapairofHamlet’sfriends,RosencrantzandGuildenstern,towatchhim.WhenPolonius,thepompousLordChamberlain,suggeststhatHamletmaybemadwithloveforhisdaughter,Ophelia,ClaudiusagreestospyonHamletinconversationwiththegirl.ButthoughHamletcertainlyseemsmad,hedoesnotseemtoloveOphelia:

heordershertoenteranunneryanddeclaresthathewishestobanmarriages.

AgroupoftravelingactorscomestoElsinore,andHamletseizesuponanideatotesthisuncle’sguilt.HewillhavetheplayersperformascenecloselyresemblingthesequencebywhichHamletimagineshisuncletohavemurderedhisfather,sothatifClaudiusisguilty,hewillsurelyreact.Whenthemomentofthemurderarrivesinthetheater,Claudiusleapsupandleavestheroom.HamletandHoratioagreethatthisproveshisguilt.HamletgoestokillClaudiusbutfindshimpraying.SincehebelievesthatkillingClaudiuswhileinprayerwouldsendClaudius’ssoultoheaven,Hamletconsidersthatitwouldbeaninadequaterevengeanddecidestowait.Claudius,nowfrightenedofHamlet’smadnessandfearingforhisownsafety,ordersthatHamletbesenttoEnglandatonce.

Hamletgoestoconfronthismother,inwhosebedchamberPoloniushashiddenbehindatapestry.Hearinganoisefrombehindthetapestry,Hamletbelievesthekingishidingthere.Hedrawshisswordandstabsthroughthefabric,killingPolonius.Forthiscrime,heisimmediatelydispatchedtoEnglandwithRosencrantzandGuildenstern.However,Claudius’splanforHamletincludesmorethanbanishment,ashehasgivenRosencrantzandGuildensternsealedordersfortheKingofEnglanddemandingthatHamletbeputtodeath.

Intheaftermathofherfather’sdeath,Opheliagoesmadwithgriefanddrownsintheriver.Polonius’sson,Laertes,whohasbeenstayinginFrance,returnstoDenmarkinarage.ClaudiusconvinceshimthatHamletistoblameforhisfather’sandsister’sdeaths.WhenHoratioandthekingreceivelettersfromHamletindicatingthattheprincehasreturnedtoDenmarkafterpiratesattackedhisshipenroutetoEngland,ClaudiusconcoctsaplantouseLaertes’desireforrevengetosecureHamlet’sdeath.LaerteswillfencewithHamletininnocentsport,butClaudiuswillpoisonLaertes’bladesothatifhedrawsblood,Hamletwilldie.Asabackupplan,thekingdecidestopoisonagoblet,whichhewillgiveHamlettodrinkshouldHamletscorethefirstorsecondhitsofthematch.HamletreturnstothevicinityofElsinorejustasOphelia’sfuneralistakingplace.Strickenwithgrief,heattacksLaertesanddeclaresthathehadinfactalwayslovedOphelia.Backatthecastle,hetellsHoratiothathebelievesonemustbepreparedtodie,sincedeathcancomeatanymoment.AfoolishcourtiernamedOsricarrivesonClaudius’sorderstoarrangethefencingmatchbetweenHamletandLaertes.

Thesword-fightingbegins.Hamletscoresthefirsthit,butdeclinestodrinkfromtheking’sprofferedgoblet.Instead,Gertrudetakesadrinkfromitandisswiftlykilledbythepoison.LaertessucceedsinwoundingHamlet,thoughHamletdoesnotdieofthepoisonimmediately.First,Laertesiscutbyhisownsword’sblade,and,afterrevealingtoHamletthatClaudiusisresponsibleforthequeen’sdeath,hediesfromtheblade’spoison.HamletthenstabsClaudiusthroughwiththepoisonedswordandforceshimtodrinkdowntherestofthepoisonedwine.Claudiusdies,andHamletdiesimmediatelyafterachievinghisrevenge.

Atthismoment,aNorwegianprincenamedFortinbras,whohasledanarmytoDenmarkandattackedPolandearlierintheplay,enterswithambassadorsfromEngland,whoreportthatRosencrantzandGuildensternaredead.Fortinbrasisstunnedbythegruesomesightoftheentireroyalfamilylyingsprawledonthefloordead.Hemovestotakepowerofthekingdom.Horatio,fulfillingHamlet’slastrequest,tellshimHamlet’stragicstory.FortinbrasordersthatHamletbecarriedawayinamannerbefittingafallensoldier.

CharacterList

Hamlet - ThePrinceofDenmark,thetitlecharacter,andtheprotagonist.Aboutthirtyyearsoldatthestartoftheplay,HamletisthesonofQueenGertrudeandthelateKingHamlet,andthenephewofthepresentking,Claudius.Hamletismelancholy,bitter,andcynical,fullofhatredforhisuncle’sscheminganddisgustforhismother’ssexuality.AreflectiveandthoughtfulyoungmanwhohasstudiedattheUniversityofWittenberg,Hamletisoftenindecisiveandhesitant,butatothertimespronetorashandimpulsiveacts.

Claudius - TheKingofDenmark,Hamlet’suncle,andtheplay’santagonist.Thevillainoftheplay,Claudiusisacalculating,ambitiouspolitician,drivenbyhissexualappetitesandhislustforpower,butheoccasionallyshowssignsofguiltandhumanfeeling—hisloveforGertrude,forinstance,seemssincere.

Gertrude - TheQueenofDenmark,Hamlet’smother,recentlymarriedtoClaudius.GertrudelovesHamletdeeply,butsheisashallow,weakwomanwhoseeksaffectionandstatusmoreurgentlythanmoralrectitudeortruth.

Polonius - TheLordChamberlainofClaudius’scourt,apompous,connivingoldman.PoloniusisthefatherofLaertesandOphelia.

Horatio - Hamlet’sclosefriend,whostudiedwiththeprinceattheuniversityinWittenberg.HoratioisloyalandhelpfultoHamletthroughouttheplay.AfterHamlet’sdeath,HoratioremainsalivetotellHamlet’sstory.

Ophelia - Polonius’sdaughter,abeautifulyoungwomanwithwhomHamlethasbeeninlove.Opheliaisasweetandinnocentyounggirl,whoobeysherfatherandherbrother,Laertes.Dependentonmentotellherhowtobehave,shegivesintoPolonius’sschemestospyonHamlet.Eveninherlapseintomadnessanddeath,sheremainsmaidenly,singingsongsaboutflowersandfinallydrowningintheriveramidtheflowergarlandsshehadgathered.

Laertes - Polonius’ssonandOphelia’sbrother,ayoungmanwhospendsmuchoftheplayinFrance.Passionateandquicktoaction,Laertesisclearlyafoilforthereflective Hamlet.

Fortinbras - TheyoungPrinceofNorway,whosefathertheking（alsonamedFortinbras）waskilledbyHamlet’sfather（alsonamedHamlet）.NowFortinbraswishestoattackDenmarktoavengehisfather’shonor,makinghimanotherfoilforPrinceHamlet.

TheGhost - ThespecterofHamlet’srecentlydeceasedfather.Theghost,whoclaimstohavebeenmurderedbyClaudius,callsuponHamlettoavengehim.However,itisnotentirelycertainwhethertheghostiswhatitappearstobe,orwhetheritissomethingelse.Hamletspeculatesthattheghostmightbeadevilsenttodeceivehimand tempthimintomurder,andthequestionofwhattheghostisorwhereitcomesfromisneverdefinitively resolved.

RosencrantzandGuildenstern - Twoslightlybumblingcourtiers,formerfriendsofHamletfromWittenberg,whoaresummonedbyClaudiusandGertrudetodiscoverthecauseofHamlet’sstrangebehavior.

Osric - ThefoolishcourtierwhosummonsHamlettohisduelwithLaertes.

VoltimandandCornelius - CourtierswhomClaudiussendstoNorwaytopersuadethekingtopreventFortinbrasfromattacking.

MarcellusandBernardo - TheofficerswhofirstseetheghostwalkingtherampartsofElsinoreandwhosummonHoratiotowitnessit.MarcellusispresentwhenHamletfirstencounterstheghost.

Francisco - AsoldierandguardsmanatElsinore.

Reynaldo - Polonius’sservant,whoissenttoFrancebyPoloniustocheckuponandspyonLaertes.

AnalysisofMajorCharacters

Hamlet

Hamlethasfascinatedaudiencesandreadersforcenturies,andthefirstthingtopointoutabouthimisthatheisenigmatic.Thereisalwaysmoretohimthantheothercharactersintheplaycanfigureout;eventhemostcarefulandcleverreaderscomeawaywiththesensethattheydon’tknoweverythingthereistoknowaboutthischaracter.Hamletactuallytellsothercharactersthatthereismoretohimthanmeetstheeye—notably,hismother,andRosencrantzandGuildenstern—buthisfascinationinvolvesmuchmorethanthis.Whenhespeaks,hesoundsasifthere’ssomethingimportanthe’snotsaying,maybesomethingevenheisnotawareof.TheabilitytowritesoliloquiesanddialoguesthatcreatethiseffectisoneofShakespeare’smostimpressiveachievements.

Auniversitystudentwhosestudiesareinterruptedbyhisfather’sdeath,Hamletisextremelyphilosophicalandcontemplative.Heisparticularlydrawntodifficultquestionsorquestionsthatcannotbeansweredwithanycertainty.Facedwithevidencethathisunclemurderedhisfather,evidencethatanyothercharacterinaplaywouldbelieve,Hamletbecomesobsessedwithprovinghisuncle’sguiltbeforetryingtoact.Thestandardof“beyondareasonabledoubt”issimplyunacceptabletohim.Heis