Hamlet

Hamlet (pronounced “Hammlayyyyy”) was written by William Shakespeare. You may have heard of him. The setting is the castle of Elsinore, in Denmark.

Hamlet: The main character. He spends the play agonizing over whether he should kill his uncle for killing his father.

Claudius: Hamlet’s uncle. He killed Hamlet’s father.

Gertrude: Hamlet’s mom. She loves Hamlet(maybe a little too much), but doesn’t understand the situation she is in.

Polonius- He is a pompous douche. Also the father of Ophelia and Horatio.

Ophelia- Hamlet loves her. She is obedient to her family.

Laertes- The brother of Ophelia. He is a foil to Hamlet.

Hamlet(Dead version)- Hamlet’s dead father. Killed by Claudius.

                Shakespeare’s writing style is legendary. He is well known for his use of Soliloquy. His “To be or not to be” soliloquy is one of the most well-known passages in English literature. He makes use of extended metaphors and he is known for his double entendres, bawdy humor being a favorite of his. The tone of Hamlet is exceptionally dark, but that comes with the territory, especially when incest is a motif. The ghost in the novel is a symbol of death, and how no man can escape it, even the greatest of kings.  The most notable image in the novel is in the beginning when the image of Elsinore as a dark, foreboding place is etched in the readers mind, foreshadowing the rest of the novel.

The play begins with two watchmen witnessing the dead king of Denmark floating around. They quickly summon Hamlet and he speaks to his apparition. The apparition tells him that Claudius killed his father. Its then that Hamlet begins his struggle over whether or not to kill Claudius, although he swears to do it, the thought of it sends him to the brink of madness. The new king and old queen notice and recruit some of his old friends to intervene (they are dead). Ophelia agrees to let Polonius to spy on her conversation with the humble prince. Hamlet goes ham on her.

                Sometime after a troupe of actors plays a scene very similar to Claudius’ killing of the old king. When Claudius reacts vehemently to it, it proves his guilt in Hamlet’s mind. Hamlet rushes to talk to his ma, and hears a noise behind ye old tapestry. AH! RAT! *STAB* *POKE* *GASP* dead polonius. Hamlets friends plot to kill him in England, on the king’s orders. Ophelia goes crazy and drowns herself. Laertes is pissed. Claudius sees his chance and sets up a duel. He poisons Laertes blade and a goblet. He has them fight, and hamlet hits first but denies a drink from the goblet. Then the queen drinks from it and dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet, then gets hit by his own blade, and on his death bed professes the plan to Hamlet. Hamlet proceeds to kill Claudius and dies himself. Fortinbras comes and buries Hamlet a hero.

“To be or not to be, That is the question”

Classic quote. He is discussing whether or not to kill himself. It, and the rest of the soliloquy debate the morality of the whole issue. Explores the complexity of human emotion, particularly the dark side of the range, which much of the rest of the play does as well.

“’tis an unweeded garden, that grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely.”

This is a commentary on the Royal house of Denmark. The incest had made it rotten. However, it wasn’t merely a warning for Royal Houses or against just incest. It was a warning that any excess, sin, or the like does not go unpunished, and Denmark was going through hard times because of poor choices made.

Theme: It is impossible to be entirely certain of anyone one action.

                The uncertainty of action and decisions is the overarching theme in Hamlet. Hamlet’s directive, to kill his Uncle, is clear. Yet throughout the play he struggles with that concept. He debates his own morality, and his possible madness, seeking the right course of action. He sees in himself a lot of his uncle, the man he seeks to murder. He ponders whether it is a power grab or a just action that will serve the people of Denmark well.