The Tragedy of

HAMLET
Prince of Denmark

ACT 1
Scene 1
(Francisco, Barnardo, later Marcellus, Horatio)
SUMMARY
The play opens with the changing of the guard on the battlements at the royal castle of Elsinore in
Denmark. It is late at night and very cold. The atmosphere is tense. The two guards, Barnardo and
Francisco are nervous. As Francisco leaves to go off duty, Marcellus and Horatio arrive. Marcellus
has brought Horatio, Hamlet's friend and a student, to see and speak to the ghost which they had
seen on the two previous nights. The ghost appears. It looks just like the dead King Hamlet (Prince
Hamlet's father), dressed in armour. It will not speak. It vanishes and Marcellus asks Horatio to
explain why they have to keep guard and why cannons and ships are being built as if for war.
Horatio explains that Old King Hamlet, having been challenged by King Fortinbras of Norway,
killed Fortinbras, and so won some of his land, which young Prince Fortinbras, heir to the throne,
wants to reclaim. The ghost reappears and Horatio begs it to speak, but it vanishes again just as the
cock crows. Horatio believes the Ghost will speak to Hamlet and they agree to tell him.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet was written around the year 1600 in the final years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who
had been the monarch of England for more than forty years and was then in her late sixties. The
prospect of Elizabeth's death and the question of who would succeed her was a subject of grave
anxiety at the time, since Elizabeth had no children. (When Elizabeth died in 1603, James, the son
of Mary Queen of Scots inherited the throne, becoming King James I. Shakespeare wrote the play
Macbeth during his rule.) Many of Shakespeare's plays from this period focus on the uncertainties,
betrayals, and upheavals which accompany such shifts in power, and the general sense of anxiety
and fear that surround them. Elizabeth's reign was known as the Golden Age of England, as it was
characterised by peace and prosperity. This had not been the case during the rule of the majority of
kings who preceded her.
In this first scene Shakespeare presents his audience with the terrifying fact of a good and noble
king who has died and the even more terrifying fact that the dead King's ghost is appearing,
signifying that there is something terribly wrong. Shakespearean audiences, who believed in
ghosts and witches, would have been suitably terrified by this opening scene, and anticipating
trouble to come. The Ghost is an ill omen boding upheaval and disturbance in the state of Denmark.
To make the appearance of the ghost convincing to the more intellectual and sceptical among the
audience, Shakespeare presents the reaction of Horatio, who is himself educated, intelligent and
initially sceptical. Horatio's character is established as trustworthy and loyal.
"This bodes some strange eruption to our state."

Act 1 Scene 2
(Claudius, Gertrude, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Cornelius, Voltemand, Lords, later
Horatio, Marcellus, Barnardo)
SUMMARY
Claudius makes a suspiciously hypocritical speech in the Council Chamber justifying his hasty
marriage to the newly widowed Gertrude. Claudius dispatches Cornelius and Voltemand with
letters to Prince Fortinbras's uncle the King of Norway to persuade him to put a stop to Prince
Fortinbras's hostile activities. Claudius now turns to Laertes who has a request. He wants to return
to France from whence he came for the coronation. Claudius establishes Polonius's standing in his
court (he is the chief councillor). Laertes is given permission to go. Both Claudius and Gertrude
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now turn to Hamlet to try to persuade him to throw off his grief. They also want to prevent him
from returning to Wittenberg University (why?). Hamlet tries to tell them that he is grieving deeply
for his father. Notice Claudius's reply: although his words sound very polite and fatherly,
underneath he is being extremely critical. He tells Hamlet that his grief is ummanly, that such grief
shows him to be stupid and uneducated! Finally, when Gertrude begs Hamlet to stay, he agrees.
Claudius grasps the opportunity to celebrate by having a noisy drinking party.

The first of Hamlet's famous soliloquys follows. He is alone on stage - symbolic of his stand
against the corruption he sees all around him. He wishes he were dead or allowed to commit
suicide (suicide was viewed as a crime and the suicide's body could not be buried in church ground
as the soul of such a person was condemned to eternal suffering in hell). His soul is in anguish as
he cries out to God. The whole world and everything in it is corrupted, like a beautiful garden
overgrown with disgusting weeds. The reason for his deep despair now becomes apparent: his
father has not been dead two months and his mother is already married to his uncle (his father's
brother). He sees his father as a great king and loving husband, while Claudius is compared to a
satyr (a half-human, half-beast associated with wine and lechery).
His mother had been very much in love with his father, yet within a month after he died, she was
married to Claudius. He is disgusted by her actions: an animal would have mourned longer.
(At this stage he does not yet know about her adultery.) He is repulsed by the fact that not only did
she jump into bed with Claudius very soon after her beloved husband's death, but by doing so she
has committed the sin of incest. He cannot, however, do anything or say anything about it at this
point. (The audience is now prepared for his future treatment of Ophelia, since his mother's
behaviour turns him against all women, whom he now believes to be weak and sinful.)

Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo enter. Note Hamlet's bitter tone when he refers to the funeral's
baked meats being served up again for the wedding feast. Horatio tells Hamlet about his father's
ghost. Hamlet tells the others not to say a word about the ghost and arranges to meet them that
night. Hamlet is perplexed by the thought of his father's ghost appearing in armour and
immediately suspects foul play.

ANALYSIS
The audience is given a negative first impression of Claudius. The corruption of the new King and
indeed the entire court of Denmark is established, as the court has elected Claudius as king rather
than the legitimate heir, Prince Hamlet, while they have at the same time condoned Claudius'
marriage to Gertrude (such a marriage would have been regarded as incestuous, but the Court has
allowed it, i.e. legalised it). Claudius has thus usurped the throne, which rightly belongs to Hamlet.
By this act Claudius disturbs the natural order of things, about which the Elizabethans were very
sensitive. The Shakespearean audience would have experienced the increase in tension. Prince
Hamlet, devastated by his father's death and betrayed by his mother's marriage which has brought
dishonour to the royal house of Denmark, stands alone in his unwillingness to accept the status quo.
His soliloquy shows him to be a man of enormous intellect, but in a state of utter despair and
contemplating suicide, which, within the Christian framework of the play, was not an option. The
audience would see him as a key figure in the play, therefore his outbursts would cause them to
anticipate conflict, while at the same time they would feel great sympathy for his cause.
"Frailty, thy name is woman!"

Act 1 Scene 3
(Laertes and Ophelia, later Polonius)
SUMMARY
Laertes is leaving for France. He advises his sister Ophelia not to take Prince Hamlet seriously,
since, as he is a prince he will not be allowed to choose his own wife. Polonius enters and lectures
Laertes. It is all sound advice, but coming from Polonius it is rather false, as he is a shallow and
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insincere person. After Laertes leaves, Polonius questions Ophelia about Hamlet. He has heard
(spies?) that Hamlet and Ophelia have been spending a lot of time together and he demands to know
what is going on. Ophelia tries to explain the fine nature of their relationship but Polonius forbids
her to see Hamlet again. (Later however he will use her to set a trap for Hamlet.)

ANALYSIS
Both Polonius and Laertes are more concerned about Ophelia retaining her virginity than about her
feelings. Chastity was important and highly prized in a woman: the loss of Ophelia's virginity
would mean loss of family honour and make it extremely difficult to marry her off to some
respectable man, which is really her only value to them. Both men are concerned with appearances,
rather than truth and honesty. Laertes is introduced as a foil to Hamlet's character (a foil is a
character who by contrast emphasises the characteristics of another character). Laertes's family
situation appears relatively normal compared to the fractured state of Hamlet's family. Ophelia's
submissive nature as a woman completely controlled by the men in her family, is established.
"I shall obey, my Lord."
Act 1 Scene 4
(Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus)
SUMMARY
It is midnight. The three men have come to the place where the ghost last appeared. Claudius is
having a drunken party inside the castle. Hamlet reflects that the Danes have this one fault: they
drink too much, and as in any good man, one fault spoils the whole character. (Hamlet's own
characteristics of honour, integrity and sincerity are brought to ruin by his negative characterstics:
to speculate rather than to act; and his rash and impulsive behaviour.) The Ghost appears and
Hamlet speaks to it. It beckons to him to follow.
ANALYSIS
The King's carousing is a further sign of the state's corruption, and the appearance of the Ghost is
seen as a sign of Denmark's decay. Hamlet's uncertainty about the nature of the Ghost will lead him
to wrenching considerations of moral truth. Hamlet follows the Ghost when it beckons to him
because he feels he has nothing to lose.
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Act 1 Scene 5
(Hamlet and Ghost, later Horatio and Marcellus)
SUMMARY
The Ghost of Hamlet's father tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius who had seduced
Hamlet's mother causing her to commit adultery. Claudius had poured poison in his brother's ear
while he lay sleeping in the orchard. The Ghost wants Hamlet to take revenge on Claudius, but to
leave Gertrude to heaven and her own conscience.

Horatio and Marcellus enter and Hamlet swears them to secrecy concerning the appearance of the
Ghost and the pretended madness that he will assume.
ANALYSIS
The revelation by old King Hamlet's ghost that he was murdered is extremely shocking news for
Hamlet as well as the Shakespearean audience who viewed the murder of a King as the worst
possible crime and an extreme violation of the natural order of things.
This scene sets the main plot of the play into motion and leads Hamlet to the idea of feigning
madness, which becomes his primary mode of interacting with other people for most of the next
three acts. His decision to feign madness, ostensibly in order to keep the other characters from
guessing the motive for his behaviour, will lead him at times perilously close to actual madness. In
fact, it is impossible to say for certain whether or not Hamlet actually does go mad. Though
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thoughtful by nature, he has an excitable streak, which makes him erratic, nervous and
unpredictable. This, coupled with his uncertainty about the Ghost and about how to deal with the
burden of revenge, thrust on him when he is already in a despairing and suicidal frame of mind,
would be enough to tip him over the edge.
Hamlet is extremely disturbed by the prospect of having to take revenge. He is also not sure about
the nature of the Ghost: whether it is truthful or deceitful; he is distrustful of it and needs proof of
guilt before he will act. The news of his mother's betrayal has shocked him to the core and accounts
for (but does not justify) his harsh treatment of Ophelia and Gertrude later. In Shakespeare's day
revenge was contrary to the will of God. Justice was carried out by the King and his judges and
officers of state. However, many people felt honour-bound to take revenge personally even if it
meant punishment in this world and damnation in the next. Revenge, being such a controversial
issue, was an extremely popular theme in the plays of the time: the avenging hero gained the
audience's sympathy, but his revenge was shown to be wrongful and he usually paid for it with his
own life. Revenge corrupts the noblest mind and we see in this play how the noble character of
Hamlet is indeed corrupted by the destructive nature of revenge. The classic conception of the
nature of tragedy is that of a destructive destiny on the one hand and a humanly fallible hero on the
other. This combination leads to the inevitable downfall of the protagonist. Hamlet, being too much
of a noble intellectual, cannot take appropriate action when confronted by evil and corruption. The
evil forces beyond his control combined with his own inability to act, and alternating with his bursts
of irrational behaviour, result in tragedy.
"The time is out of joint; O cursèd spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!"

ACT 2
Scene 1
(Polonius, Reynaldo, later Ophelia)
SUMMARY
The meddlesome and devious Polonius is sending his servant Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris.
Reynaldo departs and Ophelia enters. She is upset: Hamlet had entered her room and behaved very
strangely. His clothes were untidy, he sighed pathetically and gazed at her face for a long time
without saying a word. Polonius immediately decides that Hamlet is love-sick and has gone mad
because of Ophelia's rejection of him. Polonius goes off to tell Claudius.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet has been behaving like a madman, as we learn from Ophelia's report of his behaviour
towards her. Polonius' sudden idea that it is due to lovesickness could be because he is just a silly
old man who thinks he is clever, or does he have another agenda? If it can be proved that Ophelia's
rejection is the cause of Hamlet's madness, then marriage to Ophelia would be the 'cure', making
him father of the future Queen of Denmark! Polonius' insistence that this is the cause of Hamlet's
madness leads to important developments in the plot.
Polonius' instructions to his servant develops the idea in the play that words can be used to bend and
alter the truth; in Claudius' mouth words become a tool for influencing the minds of others and
controlling their perception of the truth (as can be seen in Claudius' first speech in Act 1 Sc 2).
Remember that Claudius killed King Hamlet by pouring poison into his ear. Shakespeare
continually illustrates that words can function as poison in the ear as well. The Ghost says that
Claudius has poisoned "the whole ear of Denmark" with his words (Act 1 Sc 5).
"This is the very ecstacy of love"
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Act 2 Scene 2
(King, Queen, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, later Polonius, Cornelius and Voltemand,
Hamlet, and travelling actors)
SUMMARY
R & G, old friends of Hamlet, have been sent for to find out what is causing Hamlet's "madness".
Polonius informs Claudius that he has discovered the cause of Hamlet's lunacy. C & V arrive with
a peace treaty from Norway. Here is evidence of Claudius's statesmanship - he is a competent ruler,
but at the moment he is too anxious about Hamlet to give his full attention to state matters.
Polonius makes a boring speech full of meaningless words to explain Hamlet's madness. He reads a
love letter written by Hamlet to Ophelia.

Hamlet enters unobserved and overhears Polonius and Claudius plotting to prove Polonius's theory
by setting Ophelia as bait and then spying on him.

Hamlet and Polonius converse but Polonius can make no sense of what Hamlet is saying. Hamlet is
playing word games with him. Hamlet greets his old friends R & G warmly, but is soon aware from
their manner that something is not as it should be. He immediately suspects and mistrusts them.
He tells them he knows that his uncle and his mother have sent for them. G admits that this is true.
Hamlet tells them his madness is the result of disillusionment.

The travelling actors arrive and Hamlet takes one of them aside. He wants the play of The Murder
of Gonzago acted with lines written by himself included.

The second of Hamlet's famous soliloquys follows. He compares the display of passion by the actor
to his own lack of passion apparent in his inaction. He calls himself a coward for not having killed
Cluadius yet. He curses the fact that instead of taking action, he thinks too much and procrastinates.
He discloses the fact that he wants to set a trap for Claudius to betray his guilt by watching his
reaction to the play which will portray the murder of his father. He needs 'proof' that the Ghost is
not an evil spirit tempting him to do evil, but the true spirit of his father wanting revenge.
ANALYSIS
The plot develops with great rapidity in this scene, as a number of revelations follow in quick
succession. Firstly R & G are introduced as 'old and trusted' friends of Hamlet, who quickly earn his
mistrust as he soon concludes that they are in the employ of the King and are actually there to spy
on him. Claudius and Polonius plan to spy on Hamlet, and he becomes aware of this too. Hamlet is
seen by the audience for the first time with his "antic disposition" on in conversation with Polonius.
It is clear that he is feigning madness, as his apparently lunatic comments are cleverly disguised
insults. In his interaction with the players (travelling actors) Hamlet is the confident young prince
he would have remained had not his father been treacherously murdered. When Hamlet is once
again alone (again emphasising his isolation), he expresses his frustration with his own inability to
take revenge. He has thought of a plan to force Claudius to display his guilt.
Fortinbras, like Hamlet, is the grieving son of a dead king, a prince whose uncle inherited the throne
in his place. He is used deliberately by Shakespeare as a foil for Hamlet: where Hamlet has sunk
into despair, contemplation and indecision, Fortinbras has devoted himself to the pursuit of revenge.
This contrast will be explored much more thoroughly later in the play.
"The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
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ACT 3
Scene 1
(King, Queen, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Ophelia, Hamlet)
SUMMARY
The King wants to know if R & G have managed to find out why Hamlet is behaving in such a
dangerously mad way. He sees Hamlet as a threat. R & G cannot give a satisfactory answer.
Polonius informs the King and Queen that Hamlet wants them to watch the performance of the
travelling actors that same night. Claudius informs Gertrude that he and Polonius are going to spy
on Hamlet using Ophelia as bait to try and find out once and for all whether Hamlet's madness is
caused by rejected love. He makes it sound acceptable and above-board. The Queen leaves and
while Polonius gives instructions to Ophelia, Claudius admits to the audience the heavy burden of
his guilt. Claudius and Polonius hide.

The third (and most famous) of Hamlet's soliloquys follows ("To be or not to be …"). He
contemplates living as opposed to dying. Life is bitter, full of heartache, and a sea of troubles.
Which is nobler, to endure it or to end it? The only reason people do not end their own wretched
lives, he argues, is that no-one knows what is really on the other side of death, and this fear of the
unknown prevents humans from ending their own suffering here on earth. He considers committing
suicide but wonders whether death may not be even more horrible than life. Similarly,
contemplation of any kind leads to inaction. The central theme of passion versus reason is explored
here.

Hamlet now sees Ophelia and proceeds to be very cruel to her. He knows that she is tricking him
and that he is being spied upon by Claudius and Polonius. Everything he says is meant for their
ears. He is sickened and disgusted by their (and her) falseness, which reminds him of his disgust
for his mother. He says all women are false and adulterous and Ophelia belongs in a "nunnery"
(convent, but also slang word for a brothel). He is very agitated. Ophelia is very upset about the
change in Hamlet and reminds the audience of his princely nature, of what a perfect example of a
fine and noble prince he used to be. (The corruption of Hamlet's noble mind can be seen here, as
well as his wasted potential.) Claudius, who is not a fool, although he may be wicked and
debauched, sees immediately that Hamlet is not mad and that Hamlet suspects him. He makes a
quick decision to eliminate the danger of Hamlet's presence at Elsinore, by sending him to England
on some state errand. He seizes the opportunity to use Hamlet's "madness" to get rid of him.
Polonius still believes that Ophelia is the cause of Hamlet's madness and persuades Claudius to set
up a meeting between Hamlet and his mother. Polonius will spy on them.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet's "antic disposition" fools everyone except Claudius, who promptly uses it against him,
making it an excuse to send him away. Hamlet's feigned madness has aroused Claudius' suspicions,
and soon, in the 'play scene' Cladius will become aware that Hamlet somehow knows about the
murder. Hamlet's contemplative nature is no match for the cunning and devious mind of Claudius.
Hamlet poses the question "To be, or not to be" as a matter of philosophical debate, as he would
argue the point with a fellow student. His thoughts are clear and lucid, but moments later when he
catches sight of Ophelia, he loses control and the audience is left wondering if his madness is not
bordering on real insanity. There is a passionate intensity to his unstable behaviour that keeps us
from viewing it as fake.
"To be or not to be, that is the question"
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Act 3 Scene 2
(Hamlet, Actors, Horatio, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, King, Queen, Ophelia,
Lords and Ladies)
SUMMARY
Hamlet talks to the players, revealing much of his true nature: he is cheerful, enthusiastic,
confident, intelligent and witty. He now tells Horatio of his plan to cause Claudius to expose his
guilt to them when the players act out a scene similar to his father's murder. The rest enter.
Ophelia is confused by Hamlet's attention to her which takes the form of sexual jokes. He is
sarcastic and his bitterness towards his mother and Ophelia are clearly seen. The 'play within a
play' begins and as the murderer pours the poison into the king's ear while he lies sleeping, Claudius
totters to his feet, very upset, and rushes off. In the chaos that follows, Hamlet and Horatio are left
alone on stage and confirm that both saw Claudius's guilt. Hamlet is glad that the ghost can be
believed. R & G enter to give Hamlet the message that his mother wants to see him in her
bedroom. Hamlet exposes the false friendship of R & G. Polonius arrives to urge him to go to his
mother. Hamlet is now intent on fulfilling his revenge plan, and leaves for his mother's bedroom.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet seems confident and full of determination to take revenge now that he has 'proved' to himelf
that Claudius is guilty. He is riding high on the wave of his success - his plan has worked and he
feels capable of taking action. However, his behaviour is rash and impulsive and he will not succeed
in taking revenge even when the opportunity presents itself because he will stop to think about it.
As for his mother, he is determined to bring her to the realization of her wrongdoing, but
remembers the Ghost's admonition not to harm her. His love for his mother and hope for her
redemption is revealed here.
"I will speak daggers to her, but use none."
Act 3 Scene 3
(Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, later Hamlet)
SUMMARY
Claudius tells R & G that he is sending Hamlet to England with them because he fears Hamlet's
madness endangers his own safety. Polonius comes to tell Claudius that he is on his way to
Gertrude's room to hide himself and spy on Hamlet.

Claudius, in a soliloquy, reveals that he is tormented by his conscience for the murder of his
brother. He kneels and tries to pray. Hamlet, passing, sees him, and only stops short of killing
Claudius on the spot because Claudius's soul will go straight to heaven if he is killed while at
prayer.
ANALYSIS
Ironically, Claudius cannot bring himself to repent, since he is not willing to give up what he gained
from his sinful act of fratricide, namely the crown and Gertrude. He knows that he has committed a
very serious sin against God, and he is aware that his deeds deserve to be punished, but his nature is
too corrupt for true repentance. Compounding his sin of murdering his brother, is the fact that King
Hamlet could not confess his sins before he died - the Elizabethans believed that such a soul could
not go to heaven, but would be condemned to hell. The audience now knows for certain that the
Ghost was truthful and they would feel that Hamlet is fully justified in taking his revenge now.
However Hamlet has been blamed by critics for overstepping the bounds of Christian morality by
trying to damn his opponent's soul as well as kill him. Hamlet's fascination with philosophical
questions prevents him from killing Claudius at this point. Perhaps the task he feels obliged to
perform - killing another human being in cold blood - is too much for him to face. Shakespeare is
able to convey to us a character that is truly three dimensional, in that we see signs that there is
something going on in the subconscious mind of Hamlet, that he himself is unaware of.
"O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven"
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Act 3 Scene 4
(Polonius, Gertrude, later Hamlet, later Ghost)
SUMMARY
Polonius warns Gertrude that Hamlet is approaching and hides behind the arras. Notice that
Gertrude, like Ophelia, allows herself to be used as a means to spy on Hamlet. Gertrude begins by
scolding Hamlet, but he quickly turns the tables on her and forces her to listen to him. He is in a
violent mood and frightens Gertrude, who calls for help. Polonius cries out from behind the arras,
and Hamlet runs him through with his sword, thinking it to be Claudius. He is disappointed to find
that it is Polonius, and not Claudius, whom he has killed. Hamlet now confronts his mother with
her complicity in the murder of his father and expresses his extreme disgust with her for choosing
Claudius over his father. She knows nothing of the murder but is greatly disturbed by his rejection
of her adulterous relationship with Claudius. He speaks "daggers to her" as he said he would and
she reponds with " these words like daggers enter in mine ears". As he continues to paint a black
picture of the real Claudius, the Ghost appears to remind him to get on with the revenge, and to treat
his mother gently. Hamlet speaks to the Ghost, but because Gertrude cannot see it, she thinks he
has gone mad again. He convinces her that he is not mad, however, and that she should refuse
Claudius her bed. As he leaves he tells her not to to let on to Claudius that he is assuming madness.
He reveals that he knows of the plot to get rid of him by sending him to England with R & G whom
he mistrusts completely, but that he has a counter-plot to outwit them and beat them at their own
game. He leaves dragging Polonius's body from the room.
ANALYSIS
What is Hamlet trying to do in his confrontation with his mother? This is another point in the play
where one feels that there is more going on than one can quite put one's finger on. Hamlet seems to
be jealous of the sexual side of Gertrude's relationship with Claudius. One can only guess at what is
going on in Hamlet's subconscious mind. Is he jealous on behalf of his beloved dead father? Or
perhaps Claudius' blatantly lecherous nature revolts him? Or does he suffer from the 'Oedipus
Complex' as suggested by Freud (repressed sexual desire for Gertrude)? Hamlet himself does not
seem to know exactly what motivates him here. The audience would be shocked by Hamlet's rash
behaviour in killing the meddlesome old man Polonius, but sympathetic about his dilemma.
However Hamlet has now murdered an innocent man and thereby been corrupted by the destructive
nature of revenge. The climax of the play has been reached in Act 3. It is the turning point in the
play. Claudius has admitted his guilt, Hamlet has rejected Ophelia, he has forced his mother to face
up to her actions and to the guilt of Claudius, he has killed Polonius, and knows that Claudius is
trying to get rid of him by having him killed in England.
"Almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king and marry with his brother."

ACT 4
Scene 1
(Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern)
SUMMARY
This scene follows immediately on Act 3 Scene 4. Hamlet has just dragged Polonius's body away
when Claudius enters with R & G, sees Gertrude upset and demands to know where Hamlet is.
Gertrude defends Hamlet by saying he was mad at the time he killed Polonius. Claudius, however,
realizes at once that if he had been behind the arras, he would be dead now. He is concerned that he
will be blamed for not restraining Hamlet. He wonders aloud how he will be able to handle this
public crisis without damaging his hold on Denmark. He tells Gertrude that they must ship Hamlet
to England at once and find a way to explain Hamlet's misdeed to the court and to the people. He
summons R & G and sends them to find the body of Polonius.
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(It is ironic that Claudius compares himself to "the owner of a foul disease" that feeds "even on the
pith of life", as it is largely owing to him, who should represent "the safety and the health of the
whole state" that moral disease and corruption are so widespread in the rotten state of Denmark.)
ANALYSIS
It is clear that Gertrude allies herself to Claudius rather than to her son, although she does keep her
promise to Hamlet not to reveal that he is pretending to be mad. As brief as it is, this scene is a
magnificent example of Shakespeare's skill at developing characters, illustrated by the subtle
development of Claudius. While most of the other male characters in the play are obsessed with
themes of honour, moral balance and retributive justice, Claudius is seen here as a selfish, ambitious
king who is more concerned with maintaining his own power and averting political danger than
achieving justice through his rule. He does not give a thought to the possible danger that Gertrude
might have been in, thinking only of his own narrow escape. We are shown a convincing depiction
of a conniving, ambitious politician.
"His liberty is full of threats to all"
Act 4 Scene 2
(Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern)
SUMMARY
Hamlet has hidden the body when R & G find him and demand to know where it is. Hamlet insults
them, plays word games with them, and runs away with them in pursuit.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet's murder of Polonius is one of the most disturbing moments in the play. It is clear that he
can no longer have the moral upper hand over Claudius. Just as Hamlet lost a father through the act
of murder, so Laertes and Ophelia have now been similarly wronged. In this scene Hamlet, rather
than being overwhelmed with contrition, as we might expect of a hero who committed such a
terrible mistake, seems manic, desperate and self-righteous, especially in his condemnation of R &
G. His biting ironic wit is combined with his rash impulsive streak, and his feigned madness seems
very close to the real thing.
"What have you done, my lord, with the dead body?"

Act 4 Scene 3
(King, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet)
SUMMARY
Claudius is not going to use the law against Hamlet because he knows that Hamlet is a prince
popular with the people and he is afraid that his own evil deads will be exposed. Hamlet is brought
in and now, at his most vulnerable moment is fully in control of himself and the situation. He puts
on his "antic disposition" and even appears to be enjoying the King's discomfort. He is witty and
amusing (which would have delighted Shakespeare's audience). Claudius uses his skill as a
statesman to send Hamlet off while making it sound as if it is for his own good. Once he is alone
on stage, however, he reveals that the sealed letters contain instructions for Hamlet to be killed.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet is in a frantic, unstable, frame of mind. He taunts Claudius, toward whom his hostility is
now barely disguised. Claudius' secret plan to have Hamlet executed in England, reveals the extent
to which he now fears Hamlet. Claudius is ruthless in preserving his own safety.
"Do it, England."
 10.
Act 4 Scene 4
(Fortinbras, Captain, later Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern)
SUMMARY
Fortinbras appears with his army to remind the audience of his existence and to remind Hamlet of
his uncompleted task: avenging the murder of his father.

The fourth soliloquy follows. Hamlet sees an army of men marching to their deaths because of a
dispute over a worthless patch of land, while he has the murder of his father and corruption of his
mother to avenge, and does nothing.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet considers the moral ambiguity of Fortinbras's action of wasting an army of men to reclaim a
worthless scrap of land for the sake of honour, but more than anything else he is impressed by the
forcefulness of it, and that forcefulness becomes a kind of ideal toward which Hamlet decides at last
to strive. Of course, he fails to put his words (see quote below) into action, as he has failed at every
previous turn to achieve his revenge on Claudius. Tellingly, Hamlet does not say "My deeds be
bloody."
"O, from this time forth, / My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!"

Act 4 Scene 5
(Queen, Horatio, Ophelia, later King, later Laertes)
SUMMARY
Ophelia has lost her mind. Claudius bewails the fact that everything seems to be going wrong.
Laertes has returned secretly from France and Claudius fears the blame for Polonius's death.
Suddenly Laertes bursts violently through the door, and threatens Claudius. Claudius once again
reaveals his statesmanship and gains control of the situation by remaining calm and confident.
Ophelia re-appears and Laertes is shocked by her pathetic mad state. Claudius, playing the master
politician, offers Laertes his crown, his kingdom and his life if he is proved guilty of Polonius's
death. If not he will help Laertes to avenge his father's death. Claudius now has Laertes firmly on
his side.
ANALYSIS
Laertes is Hamlet's best foil throughout the play and in this scene the contrast between the two, each
of whom has a dead father to avenge, reaches its peak. (A third figure with a dead father to avenge,
Fortinbras, lurks on the horizon.) Whereas Hamlet is reflective and has difficulty acting, Laertes is
active and has no use for thought. He has no interest in moral concerns, only in his consuming
desire to avenge the death of Polonius. Laertes is full of passion and action which is how Hamlet
wanted to be about avenging his father. This behaviour of Laertes, however, is hot-headed and
repulsive and makes Hamlet's behaviour seem attractive by comparison. The theme of madness is
repeated in Ophelia's real madness, brought about by the sudden death of her father, her treatment
by Hamlet and the lack of any support. She is obsessed with death and betrayal in love, as revealed
in her lunatic ravings.
"O heavens, is't possible a young maid's wits
Should be as mortal as an old man's life?
Act 4 Scene 6
(Horatio, Sailor)
SUMMARY
A sailor brings letters for Horatio from Hamlet explaining how he escaped from the ship bound for
England by boarding a pirate ship during an attack and being taken prisoner by the pirates who later
released him on the promise of a reward. Horatio is to make sure the other letters get to the King
and then go to meet Hamlet secretly.
 11.
ANALYSIS
Shakespeare returns Hamlet to Denmark through the bizarre "deus ex machina" (an improbable or
unexpected device or character used to resolve a situation in a drama) of the pirate attack.
The purpose of this short scene is to carry the action of the plot forward. The "mighty opposites",
Hamlet and Claudius, are now heading towards their final confrontation, and fate now seems to be
working with Hamlet rather than against him.
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England - of them
I have much to tell thee."

Act 4 Scene 7
(King, Laertes, later Queen)
SUMMARY
Claudius has explained to Laertes in private the circumstances of Polonius's death, and Laertes
wants to know why Claudius did not take action against Hamlet. Claudius explains: firstly Hamlet
has Gertrude's protection, and secondly Hamlet is very popular with the masses. He promises
Laertes further information soon. (This is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows that
Claudius is expecting news of Hamlet's death, but Hamlet is alive and well and has returned to
Denmark.) The next moment a messenger arrives with the letters from Hamlet announcing his
return. Claudius is astonished and taken aback, but Laertes welcomes the news as an opportunity to
take revenge on Hamlet for murdering his father. Once Claudius has regained his composure, he is
quick to think up another cunning plan to get rid of Hamlet. Hamlet's death must seem an accident.
He flatters and manipulates Laertes as he persuades him to participate in his evil scheme. He has to
be certain now that Hamlet will be killed. He cannot take the chance of Hamlet and Laertes
meeting and perhaps resolving the issue or of Hamlet killing Laertes in self-defence. Hamlet must
be tricked into his certain death. Claudius will arrrange a duel during which Laertes will choose a
sword without a guard and kill Hamlet as if by accident, thereby getting his revenge and assuring
Claudius's safety. Laertes agrees and takes this a step further: he will poison the tip of the sword.
Claudius, to make doubly sure, plans to offer Hamlet a poisoned drink during the match. The
Queen rushes in with the news that Ophelia has drowned. She died trying to hang the garland she
had woven on the willow branch suspended over the river.
ANALYSIS
This scene shows Claudius at his most cunning and devious as he plots Hamlet's death which must
appear to be an accident. Ophelia's tragic death is poignantly related by Gertrude, herself a victim of
the manipulations of men. The image of Ophelia drowning amid her garlands of flowers has proved
to be one of the most enduring images in the play, represented countless times by artists and poets
through the centuries. Ophelia is associated with flower imagery from the beginning; the fragile and
short-lived beauty of the flowers resembles Ophelia's own fragile beauty and character, as well as
her emerging sexuality, her confusion about love and sexual love, and her exquisite doomed
innocence. (Read pg 265 and 267 in the notes at the back of your book.)
"He being remiss, / Most generous, and free from contriving, /
Will not peruse the foils . . . "

ACT 5
Scene 1
(Grave-diggers, Hamlet, Horatio, later King, Queen, Laertes and funeral procession)
SUMMARY
The grave-diggers discuss Ophelia's death, which has been found by the coroner not to be suicide,
thus allowing her burial in consecrated ground. (We learn later that the church considered her death
to be suicide but that a royal order overruled the church law.) The grave-diggers' witty remarks
about their profession are an example of black humour. Hamlet approaches in sailor's clothing
with Horatio. Having contemplated death throughout the play, Hamlet now comes face to face with
 12.
the physical reality of it. He considers the very meaning and purpose of life and death. He is
impressed with the levelling force of death: great men and beggars both end as dust. Hamlet is
shown to have attained a mature, rational perspective in his calm and contemplative moments. His
conversation with the grave-digger is another example of dramatic irony as the audience is aware
that it is Ophelia's grave that is being dug, but Hamlet does not know it. He only realizes this with a
shock when the funeral procession approaches. Hamlet professes his true and deep love for Ophelia
and his heart-ache at her death, by challenging Laertes in his expressions of grief and leaping into
the grave to grapple with him. On Hamlet's departure from the graveside, Claudius reminds Laertes
of their plan (to kill Hamlet) which will have to be put into action immediately.
ANALYSIS
Hamlet's passionate outburst at Ophelia's graveside is another moment when his passion overrides
his reason and offers a glimpse of what his true feelings for Ophelia might once have been.
Interestingly, Hamlet never expresses a sense of guilt over Ophelia's death, which he indirectly
caused by killing her father. In fact, the only time he even comes close to taking responsibility for
Polonius' death at all is in the final scene, when he apologises to Laertes before the duel, blaming
his 'madness' for Polonius' death. This seems wholly inadequate, given that Hamlet has previously
claimed repeatedly to be feigning madness. But to expect moral completeness from a character as
troubled as Hamlet might simply be unrealistic. After all, Hamlet's defining characteristics are his
pain, his fear and his self-conflict. Were he to take full conscious responsibility for the death of
Polonius and the consequences thereof, he would probably not be able to withstand the
psychological torment of the resulting guilt. Why does Hamlet feign madness? In the beginning the
ghost leaves Hamlet in a pitiable state: Hamlet seems unable to control his dramatic mood swings,
which have him seesawing between hysterical jocularity and intense depression. He probably feels
he will not be able to control and conceal his state of mind, and that this might arouse suspicion and
excite comment, so his best plan of action is to pretend total madness - this will also serve to divert
interest from his plans to take revenge on Claudius.
"Sweets to the sweet. Farewell!
I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife. "

Act 5 Scene 2
(Hamlet, Horatio, later Osric, later King, Queen, Laertes, Lords, later Fortinbras and English
ambassadors)
SUMMARY
This is the final scene in the play. Hamlet tells Horatio what happened on the ship bound for
England: he took the sealed letters while R & G were sleeping and discovered Claudius's
instructions for him to be killed. He then wrote new letters instructing that the bearers be killed,
sealing the letters with his father's ring. He does not have R & G on his conscience, as they got
what they deserved. Hamlet clearly means to go on with his revenge plan against Claudius, who
murdered his father, corrupted his mother and plotted against his life. Horatio reminds him that
Claudius will soon hear the news about R & G from England. Hamlet knows that time is running
out. He regrets his behaviour towards Laertes and understands that he and Laertes are in the same
position: both of them want to avenge their fathers' deaths.

Osric arrives to invite Hamlet to the duel with Laertes, on which the king has placed a rich bet that
Hamlet will win. Claudius uses Hamlet's gullible honest nature against him: the unsuspecting
Hamlet agrees to fight the duel. The King, Queen and attendants enter and the King places
Hamlet's hand into Laertes's. Hamlet apologises to Laertes for his behaviour earlier at the
graveside. Laertes accepts his offer of friendship. This is an example of dramatic irony: the
audience knows that he is planning to kill Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet choose their weapons, and
the match begins. While it is in progress, Claudius drinks from a cup, drops a costly pearl (which is
poisoned) inside, and offers it to Hamlet. But Hamlet refuses it and when Gertrude drinks from the
 13.
cup, Claudius cannot stop her without revealing his evil intentions. Laertes wounds Hamlet, and
Hamlet in anger takes up the unguarded (and poisoned) sword and wounds Laertes in return as the
Queen collapses. As the Queen dies she warns Hamlet that the drink is poisoned. Laertes admits
his part in the plot, placing the blame on Claudius: the sword is poisoned and both he and Hamlet
are about to die. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword, then forces him to drink from the
poisoned cup, thus avenging the deaths of both his father and his mother. Laertes forgives Hamlet
for killing his father and asks for forgiveness before dying. Hamlet prevents Horatio from
committing suicide by drinking from the poisoned cup, insisting that Horatio remain alive to tell the
true story to the world of everything that has happened.

Fortinbras and the ambassadors from England approach. Before he dies, Hamlet declares it his
wish that Fortinbras should be the new king of Denmark.
ANALYSIS
In the final scene, the violence, so long delayed, erupts with dizzying speed. Characters die one
after the other as the theme of revenge and justice reaches its climax in the moment when Hamlet
finally kills Claudius. In the moments before the duel, Hamlet seems peaceful, though also quite
sad. He says that he feels ill in his heart but he seems reconciled to the idea of death and no longer
troubled by fear of the supernatural. Exactly what has caused the change in Hamlet is unclear -
possibly the shock of Ophelia's death - but his desire to attain Laertes' forgiveness clearly represents
an important shift in his mental state. He is now able to think sympathetically about others, whereas
before he was obsessed almost wholly with himself and his own family. He is punished for the
murder of Polonius in the end, since it is Laertes' desire to take revenge that leads to his death.
Hamlet achieves his father's vengeance, but only after being spurred to it by the most extreme
circumstances possible: watching his mother die and knowing that he, too, will die within moments.
The arrival of Prince Fortinbras effectively poses the question of political legitimacy once again. In
marked contrast to the corrupted and weakened royal family lying dead on the floor, Fortinbras
clearly represents a strong-willed, capable leader (co-incidentally bearing great similarity to the old
King Hamlet). It is interesting that Fortinbras' original quest for revenge has also been finally
settled by his assumption of the Danish crown. Dignity and order have been restored in Denmark
and Hamlet has purged the nation of the disease of moral corruption, but at the cost of many lives
and his own wasted potential.
"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"

THE END