Background

Hamlet may be one of the most famous plays by the world’s most famous playwright, William Shakespeare.  While the fact that Shakespeare wrote in Elizabethan-era English makes much of his writing seem inaccessible to many people today, it is a mistake to think of Shakespeare’s writing as elevated or high-brown.  Instead, Shakespeare was like the Stephen King of his day.  He wrote prolifically and his plays had popular, character-driven storylines, which incorporated elements of the supernatural.  

There are few certain details about Shakespeare’s life, though there is plenty of speculation.  Many people believe that someone other than Shakespeare was actually responsible for writing his plays, with suggestions including almost all of the other popular authors of his time.  However, Shakespeare was an actor in addition to being a playwright, which makes his play writing make sense.  It is known that Shakespeare was born, and later died, in Stratford-upon-Avon.  He acted and wrote for at least two companies, Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men.  It is also known that he married a woman named Anne Hathaway, and that they had three children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith.  He married a woman named Anne Hathaway at the age of 18.  

Hamlet is considered by many to be the most influential play ever written.  Like many of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet was inspired by an older story; in this case, it was an old Norse tale, and the Danish setting for the play reflects its Norse roots.  However, the darkness of the play is sometimes attributed to the fact that Shakespeare wrote it after the death of his own father, and other times to the fact that Shakespeare’s similarly-named son, Hamnet, died before he wrote the play.  

Plot Summary

Hamlet has a very specific setting: Elsinore Castle in Denmark.  King Hamlet has recently died, and his brother Claudius has not only ascended to his throne, but also married his widow, Gertrude.  The King’s son, Hamlet, has been away from Elsinore, but has recently returned.  The first scene of the play is set at night, and two watchmen see a ghost that they believe King Hamlet.  They get Hamlet, who can not only see the ghost, but also hear it.  The ghost tells him that that he was murdered by Claudius and asks his son to seek revenge.  Hamlet decides that he must avenge his father’s death, but first he wants to take steps to ensure that Claudius was really responsible.  As his behavior grows more erratic, Gertrude and Claudius get two of his childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to watch him.  Claudius also directly spies on him, watching an interaction with Ophelia, who appears to have been a romantic object for Hamlet at some time in the pass, in which Hamlet says he wants to ban marriages and tells Ophelia to get to a nunnery.  

When a troop of actors comes to Elsinore, Hamlet decides to use them to see if he can satisfy himself that Claudius is guilty.  He writes a scene that has the king killed by poison in his ear, which is how King Hamlet’s ghost said that Claudius murdered him.  The scene appears to impact Claudius, who flees from the room when he sees the murder portrayed.  Hamlet follows him, intent on killing him.  However, he finds Claudius in prayer and does not kill him.  Hamlet goes to find Gertrude, searching in her bedchamber.  Polonius, one of Claudius’ lackeys and Ophelia’s father, is hiding behind some tapestry in the room.  Mistaking him for Claudius, Hamlet stabs him, killing him.  Claudius and Gertrude send him to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  They are supposed to give the King of England instructions to kill Hamlet.  

Characters

Hamlet

Prince Hamlet is the play’s protagonist, though he is not necessarily the “good guy.”  Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark, and the son of King Hamlet and Gertrude.  His father died while he was abroad.  Hamlet is morose and angry, suspicious of his mother’s new husband and overly interested in his mother’s sexuality.  While Hamlet is often portrayed as being contemplative, he oftentimes behaves in an impulsive manner.  

Claudius

The new King of Denmark, Claudius is the brother of the dead King Hamlet.  Claudius is the antagonist of the play, and theoretically killed his brother in order to get the throne, Gertrude, or both.  

Gertrude

the Queen of Denmark, she was married to King Hamlet, but it now married to his brother, Claudius.  Gertrude seems to have motherly love for Hamlet.  Depending on how the play is focused, Gertrude can be played as helpless and weak or as a conniving schemer.

Polonius

A member of the court, Polonius is a bit of a know-it-all.  He is the father of Laertes, one of Hamlet’s childhood companions, and Ophelia.  

Ophelia

Hamlet’s maybe love interest, Ophelia’s role in the play has been the subject of a lot of commentary.  Ophelia is generally portrayed as naïve and pliable, willing to spy on Hamlet for her father, even though she seems to dislike the idea.  When Hamlet is cruel to her, Ophelia descends into madness and eventually drowns in the river.  Her death is probably suicide. 

Horatio

Hamlet’s best friend, Horatio studied with Hamlet in Wittenberg.  He remains Hamlet’s steady companion throughout the play, but is somehow untouched by Hamlet’s plotting and scheming.  He is the one who survives to tell Hamlet’s story to Fortinbras.  

Laertes

Son to Polonius and brother to Ophelia, Laertes is in France for most of the play.  He is portrayed as rash and passionate, which is often contrasted with Hamlet’s brooding and inability to act.  

Character Analysis

Hamlet

There have been so many contradictory things written about Hamlet that creating a short character analysis of him is difficult. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that when viewing an analysis of Hamlet, there is almost certainly another analysis out there suggesting the complete opposite.  The fact that Hamlet is enigmatic is a large part of the appeal of the play and the character. 

The first thing to note is that, even though he was the King’s son, Hamlet did not ascend to the throne.  This contradicts what people believe they know about how monarchy works.  However, Denmark’s monarchy did not pass to the oldest male son of the current monarch by law, but instead depended on an election.  Lines in the play suggest that Gertrude may have supported Claudius and that the election may have been held while Hamlet was still abroad.  This would help explain some of Hamlet’s anger about his mother’s sexuality and marriage to Claudius.   

Hamlet is generally portrayed as being contemplative, cautious, and philosophical.  However, he can actually be extremely impulsive.  The conflict between the impulsive behavior and his contemplative nature seems to impact how other characters view him.  They are surprised when he acts because he has a reputation as being philosophical.  Hamlet feels the need to avenge his father’s death, but he also wants to be certain of his uncle’s guilt. Hamlet also appears to be significantly depressed.  He talks about suicide and what happens after death.  The back-and-forth nature of Hamlet’s personality, which vacillates between overly contemplative and too impulsive give hints to the reader about why he might not have been the Danes’ choice as a leader.  

Hamlet also appears to have some real problems with women.  He has issues with his mother’s sexuality and many unresolved feelings about his mother’s remarriage to his uncle. He also treats Ophelia, who was at least a one-time love interest, with disdain.    

Claudius

The play’s antagonist, Claudius is unapologetically power hungry and lustful to Gertrude.  He stands in stark contrast to the play’s other characters, because he is the only character who is focused only on himself.  Claudius is the ultimate politician, who has been able to convince the people of Denmark that he provides their best option for safety and security.  Claudius has also married his husband’s widow.  While it is unclear whether he loves Gertrude, he is very openly lustful of her.  

Claudius is perceptive.  He seems very concerned about Hamlet’s erratic behavior and he plays off that concern as fears about Hamlet’s mental state.  However, he may realize that Hamlet knows Claudius murdered King Hamlet.  The more he comes to fear Hamlet, the more self-involved Claudius appears, ignoring the fact that Hamlet could also be a danger to Laertes and Gertrude.  Claudius is so concerned about making sure that Laertes can kill Hamlet that he poisons the sword and puts poison in the cup, which results in the deaths of Laertes and Gertrude, as well as Claudius’s own death. 

Themes

Themes refer to the messages or topics that are addressed in a work of literature.  There are a number of recurrent themes that one sees throughout Hamlet. What makes the play so fascinating is that it does not take a simple approach to any of the themes

Revenge

At its heart, Hamlet is a revenge play.  Hamlet is asked by his father’s ghost to avenge King Hamlet’s murder and much of the action in the play is focused on Hamlet slowly moving his revenge plot forward.  Of course, Hamlet is not the only person seeking revenge in the play.  Fortinbras is coming to Denmark in order to avenge the death of his father at the hands of King Hamlet.  Laertes also challenges Hamlet to a duel in order to avenge the death of Polonius.  

Indecision

However, Hamlet differs from most revenge plays in a very significant way; the main character, Hamlet, is not sure whether he should be seeking revenge.  Both Laertes and Fortinbras know that their fathers were murdered and can openly seek revenge, based on that knowledge.  In contrast, Hamlet is not even certain that his father was killed; the only evidence of a murder is the words of a ghost, which only Hamlet can hear.  As a result of this uncertainty, Hamlet is mired in indecision.  

However, while Hamlet’s indecision seems to have been exacerbated by the death of his father, it seems to have existed before then.  For example, the semi-romantic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia suggests that Hamlet has had a difficult time making lasting decisions.  His vacillating feelings about Gertrude also hint at this uncertainty.   

Chapter Summary Analysis by Scene

Act I: Scene 1

The play opens in Elsinore Castle.  Bernardo, a watchman, is relieving Francisco.  They cannot see each other because of the darkness and scare each other.  Francisco goes home and Marcellus and Horatio join Bernardo.  The two watchmen have asked Horatio to join them because they have seen a ghost two night in a row.  The ghost appears and Horatio acknowledges that the ghost does look like King Hamlet.  Horatio fears this appearance means bad things for Denmark, perhaps in retaliation for King Hamlet’s actions in Norway and killing of King Fortinbras. When the ghost appears again, Horatio tries to speak with it, but it will not speak with him.  Horatio believes that they need to tell Prince Hamlet about the ghost. 

The play must be considered against the political atmosphere of Shakespeare’s time, which was near the end of Elizabeth I’s reign.  Elizabeth had no heirs and there were questions about who would succeed her to the throne.  Therefore, the question of transfer of power, would have been one that the audience would have considered, and the appearance of the ghost (which were very real to an Elizabethan audience) would have signaled that something was wrong in Denmark.  

Act I: Scene 2

Scene 2 introduces Claudius.  He is giving a speech to the courtiers.  This speech explains that he has married Gertrude, and lets them know that Fortinbras wants him to relinquish the lands won by King Hamlet.  Claudius interacts with Laertes and Polonius as Laertes asks Polonius for permission to return to France. 

We also meet Hamlet in this scene.  Claudius notes that Hamlet is still in mourning, and both he and Gertrude encourage Hamlet to stop mourning.  However, Hamlet makes it clear that he is still grieving his father.  Claudius suggests that Hamlet’s grief is unmanly and tries to get Hamlet to view him as a new father.  

Although Claudius gave Laertes his blessing to return to France, he refuses Hamlet’s request to return to Wittenberg.  Once the rest of the people leave, Hamlet talks about his desire to die.  He is upset about his father’s death and his mother’s hasty remarriage.  He also believes that his uncle is no substitute for his father.  Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo enter the room and tell Hamlet that they believe they have seen the ghost of King Hamlet.  

Although Claudius appears jovial in this scene, his speech is marked by apparent contradictions, which furthers the idea that there is something wrong in Denmark.  The scene fleshes out the idea that there is already conflict between Claudius, who took a throne that would presumably have been Hamlet’s, and that the Danish people are uncomfortable with Gertrude and Claudius marrying.  Against the background of this unrest, there is the introduction of the ghost.  

Act I: Scene 4

Hamlet has joined Horatio and Marcellus on the night watch, to see if the ghost appears.  While they are waiting, they can hear Claudius partying and Hamlet makes his disgust for the custom, and for his uncle, clear.  The ghost appears and beckons Hamlet to follow it.  His companions worry that the ghost could harm him and urge him not to follow, but Hamlet does, with Horatio and Marcellus following shortly behind him.  This is a fairly straightforward scene, which serves to move the action forward to the conversation between Hamlet and the Ghost.  

Act I: Scene 5

This is where Hamlet finally speaks with the Ghost, and their conversations is full of revelations.  The Ghost informs Hamlet that his death was a murder, and that Claudius killed him by pouring a poison in his ear.  The Ghost urges Hamlet to take revenge against Claudius, but asks him to leave Gertrude alone, portraying Gertrude as an innocent victim in Claudius’s schemes.  Horatio and Marcellus join Hamlet after the Ghost has gone and, while he will not share what the Ghost has told him, Hamlet tells them that he may pretend to be mad and makes them swear that they will not reveal his motives. 

This is the most important scene in the first Act, and sets up the revenge plot for the rest of the play by making it clear that the sickness in Denmark will only be cured once there has been justice for King Hamlet.  However, it also makes it clear that this is not going to be a typical revenge play, because Hamlet is already expressing skepticism about whether the Ghost is actually his father’s ghost. 

Act II: Scene 1

Polonius sends his spy, Reynaldo, to France to see how Laertes is faring.  Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet has been acting crazy.  Polonius believes that the root of Hamlet’s madness can be traced to Ophelia rebuffing him.  The scene demonstrates how manipulative Polonius can be, but also shows that Ophelia has obeyed her father and ended her relationship with Hamlet.  The idea that Hamlet’s madness is lovesickness sets up many of the actions in the later part of the play.  

Act II: Scene 2 

This is a busy scene that introduces new characters to the play, while also reinforcing some existing themes.  Hamlet’s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to the castle, where they have been summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to help find the root cause of Hamlet’s sadness.  Voltimand and Cornelius, the ambassadors that Claudius sent to Norway, return with the news that Fortinbras has promised not to attack Denmark, but wants permission to move his armies through Denmark to attack Poland.  Polonius informs Claudius that Hamlet is lovesick for Ophelia and suggests that they could hide behind a curtain and spy on Ophelia confronting Hamlet, to determine whether she is the cause of his madness.  Hamlet enters the room and Polonius attempts to talk to him, but Hamlet responds in a way that appears crazy, but also contains a number of hidden barbs towards Polonius. Polonius leaves, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reenter, admitting that Claudius and Gertrude sent for them.  Hamlet acknowledges that he has been depressed, but lets his friends know that he is not really mad.  During their conversation, Rosencrantz informs Hamlet that a theatre troop is coming towards Elsinore.  

Polonius comes back into the room, announcing the arrival of the players.  Hamlet interacts with the players, seems pleased by them, and orders Polonius to give them rooms in the castle.  He announces that they will perform The Murder of Gonzago the following night.  Once the players leave, Hamlet begins to lament that they are able to show more emotion for fictions than he is for his father, and frets about his inability to take revenge for his father’s death.  He decides that he will use the players in his revenge plot, by having them put on a play that will reveal whether or not Claudius is guilty of King Hamlet’s murder. 

This scene has more action than any of the preceding scenes and is where it becomes impossible to determine whether Hamlet is truly mad or simply pretending to be mad.  If he is sane, he is still in a fragile emotional state.  If he is insane, he still has enough moments of lucidity to behave in ways that can be calculating and shrewd.  The scene sets up the contrast between Hamlet and Fortinbras, another son of a murdered man, contrasting Fortinbras’s decisive action and Hamlet’s indecision.  The arrival of the players reinforces the theme of acting, as well as highlighting Hamlet’s vacillating moods, which swing between very dramatic and almost without affect.  

Act III: Scene 2

Hamlet has given the players his own play, which he intends to use to see if Claudius is guilty.  He asks Horatio to watch for Claudius’s reaction.  Hamlet continues to act mad, engaging with Polonius and Ophelia in a manner that is intended to make him appear unstable.  In the play, a man kills a king by pouring poison in his ear, and then seduces the queen.  When the killer pours the poison in the king’s ear, Claudius calls out for light and flees the room.  General pandemonium ensues, and, eventually Hamlet and Horatio are left alone in the room.  They agree that Claudius’s behavior reinforces the idea that he is guilty.  First Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, then Polonius, come to fetch Hamlet to speak with Gertrude in her chambers.  He agrees to go, determined that he will tell her the truth of what happened. 

While Claudius’s response may seem to indicate his guilt, it is important to realize that Claudius does not respond during the dumbshow preview of the play, where the murderer is seen pouring the poison into the sleeping king’s ear, but during the play itself, where the murderer is the king’s nephew.  Is he acting out of guilt for killing King Hamlet, or out of fear at what could be interpreted as a death threat against him by Prince Hamlet?  Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia, which is laced with innuendo serves as foreshadowing for his upcoming confrontation with Gertrude.

Hamlet goes to Gertrude’s chamber, where Gertrude and Polonius await him.   Polonius hides behind the curtains to spy on their interactions, after telling Gertrude to be harsh with Hamlet.  When Hamlet enters, Gertrude chastises him for being rude to his father, meaning Claudius.  Hamlet unleashes his fury on her, calling her out for her treatment of King Hamlet.  He is so angry that Gertrude fears him and cries out.  Polonius then calls for help.  Hamlet hears him, draws his sword, and stabs through the curtain, killing Polonius.  Gertrude condemns him, and it is then that he tells her about Claudius murdering King Hamlet, though he does not explain his comment.  The Ghost appears and Hamlet speaks to it, but Gertrude can neither see nor hear it.  The Ghost reminds Hamlet that he has promised to avenge him.  The Ghost also asks Hamlet to act as a go between, so that the Ghost can communicate with Gertrude.  Hamlet reveals that he has been feigning madness and asks Gertrude to keep his secret.  

Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother is one of the play’s most controversial scenes because of the sexual overtones of the play.  Is he distressed because he feels his father has been betrayed, or because his mother remarried and is once again symbolically unavailable to Hamlet?  The apparent ease with which Hamlet gets Gertrude to be on his side and keep his secrets is suspect.  It may reveal that she is easily dominated by the men in her life, or it might suggest that she worked with Claudius to kill King Hamlet.  Either way, it foreshadows the fact that she will not keep Hamlet’s confidence for long.  Finally, the murder of Polonius is interesting.  While Hamlet believed he was Claudius, he only took the action when Claudius was obscured behind the curtain.  Whatever else is going on with him, it seems clear that Hamlet is reluctant to seek vengeance, even if he feels it is his duty.  He may loathe Claudius, but he does not necessarily want to kill him.  Now that he has killed an innocent, Polonius, Hamlet feels like he is tainted.

Act IV: Scene 1

Gertrude goes to find Claudius, who is conferencing with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  She tells him that Hamlet has gone mad and describes the murder of Polonius.  Claudius realizes to things: first, that Hamlet may have thought he was killing Polonius and is a real danger; and, second, that it will be difficult, politically, to handle what Hamlet has done. They decide to immediately ship Hamlet to England.  

The most significant aspect of this scene is that Gertrude betrays Hamlet.  No longer can the audience assume that Gertrude is merely naïve.  She actively betrays Hamlet.  What is open for interpretation is whether she betrays him because she worries he is mad and is trying to keep him safe, or whether the betrayal is motivated by her own self-interest. 

Act IV: Scene 2

Hamlet disposes of Polonius’s body.  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come for him.  He makes it clear he knows that they are working with Claudius, but agrees to let them escort him to Claudius.  What is significant about this interaction is that it reveals Hamlet’s mental state.  Though he has killed an innocent man, Hamlet does not seem remorseful or contrite about his actions.  Instead, he is defensive and self-righteous.  While Hamlet has been able to claim the moral high ground through most of the play, he begins to seems far more morally ambiguous. 

Act IV: Scene 3

Claudius makes an announcement about Polonius’s death and his intention to send Hamlet to England.  Hamlet reveals the location of Polonius’s body, and agrees to go to England.  Once alone, Claudius reveals that he has sent sealed papers with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, which ask the King of England to kill Hamlet. The animosity between Claudius and Hamlet is no longer veiled, but Claudius is either too cowardly, or too savvy a politician, to kill Hamlet himself; he knows that Hamlet remains beloved by the people of Denmark. 

Act V: Scene 2

In this scene, we start to see Hamlet show some remorse, though we also see him engage in some cold calculation.  He tells Horatio about how he switched the letter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were carrying, which called for his execution, with one that called for their execution.  He says he feels no guilt for this because they had betrayed him by working with Claudius.  However, he confesses that he feels guilty for how he treated Laertes.  Osric enters the hall and says that Laertes wants to fence with Hamlet.  Hamlet agrees, and when Laertes enters, he asks for forgiveness.  They enter into the duel.  Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup, and Laertes scores a hit on Hamlet with the poisoned blade, then the swords get mixed up in the scuffle and Hamlet wounds Laertes with his own blade.  Laertes reveals the treachery to Hamlet, who runs Claudius through with the