In an incredibly convoluted plot, the most complicated and most interesting in all literature, he manages to (impossible to put this in exact order) feign (or perhaps not to feign) madness, murder the "Prime Minister", love and then unlove an innocent who he drives to madness, plot and then unplot against the uncle, direct a play within a play, successfully conspire against the lives of two well-meaning friends, and finally take his revenge on the uncle, but only at the cost of almost every life on-stage, including his own and his mother's. In a supernatural episode, he discovers that his uncle, who he hates anyway, murdered his father. Hamlet (Sir Kenneth Branagh), son of the King of Denmark (Brian Blessed), is summoned home for his father's funeral and his mother Gertrude's (Julie Christie's) wedding to his uncle Claudius (Sir Derek Jacobi).
Summary of hamlet series#
The fencing match, and the deaths of Laertes, Queen, King, Hamlet.Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Introduction to Hamlet Hamlet, the first in Shakespeares series of great tragedies, was initially classified as a problem play when the term became fashionable in the nineteenth century.Like Shakespeares other problem plays - Alls Well that Ends Well, Troilus and Cressida and Measure for Measure- Hamlet focuses on the complications arising from love, death, and betrayal, without offering.
Osric invites Hamlet to the fencing match with Laertes. Scene 2: Hamlet tells Horatio how he returned to Denmark. Act 5 Scene 1: Hamlet and the gravediggers. Queen Gertrude tells the story of Ophelia's drowning. Scene 7: The King and Laertes plot their revenge on Hamlet. Scene 6: Sailors tell Horatio that Hamlet has returned to Denmark. Laertes demands revenge for Polonius' death. Hamlet's fourth soliloquy ("How all occasions do inform against me"). Scene 4: Hamlet sees Fortinbras leading his army to Poland. A summary of the play, quoted directly from. Scene 2: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to get Hamlet to tell them where he has hidden the body of Polonius. The play tells the story of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, who avenges the murder of his father by his uncle. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sent to find Hamlet. Act 4 Scene 1: The Queen reports the killing of Polonius.
Hamlet summoned to speak with his mother.
Scene 2: Performance of "The Murder of Gonzago". The King decides to send Hamlet to England, but Polonius wants to overhear what Hamlet might say to his mother. Hamlet's third soliloquy ("To be or not to be, that is the question"). This Study Guide consists of approximately 45 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Hamlet. Hamlet's second soliloquy ("O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!") Act 3 Scene 1: The King and Polonius use Ophelia as bait, so they can spy on Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern examine Hamlet. Ophelia tells Polonius of Hamlet's strange visit Scene 2: The King tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to investigate Hamlet's madness. Act 2 Scene 1: Polonius sends Reynaldo to check up on Laertes. Scene 3: Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet. Hamlet's first soliloquy ("O that this too too solid flesh would melt"). They wonder what it portends and decide that Hamlet should be told. The soliloquy is essentially all about life and death: 'To.
Its iconic 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, spoken by the titular Hamlet in Scene 3, Act 1, has been analyzed for centuries and continues to intrigue scholars, students, and general readers alike. Weller, an Eastern Washington University professor of English and Shakespearean scholar for more than 50 years.Īct 1 Scene 1: The Ghost of Hamlet's father appears to Horatio and two sentinels. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most popular, well-known plays in the world. Welcome to my web site, now under development for more than twenty years.ĭr.