Guarding the castle at Elsinore, soldiers Marcellus and Bernardo tell Horatio that they have seen the ghost of the dead King Hamlet. The Ghost reappears, and they decide they must tell the dead king’s son (also named Hamlet) about it. Young Hamlet is present at a reception being given by his uncle Claudius, who has just married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Claudius is sending ambassadors to Norway to stop a planned invasion by young Fortinbras.
Hamlet reflects on the hasty marriage, and learns of the Ghost’s visit. That night he meets the Ghost, who reveals that he is the spirit of Hamlet’s deceased father, and furthermore that he had been murdered by none other than Claudius. The Ghost demands vengeance, and Hamlet agrees to be the means of that revenge. He warns Horatio and the others not to speak of what has happened, even if he should behave strangely. Polonius and Ophelia bid farewell to Laertes as he returns to college in France.
Polonius warns his daughter Ophelia against Hamlet’s courtship. Later, she tells Polonius of a strange visitation by Hamlet, and he orders her to break it off with Hamlet completely, and to turn over the love letters Hamlet wrote to her. Polonius shows the letters to the King and Queen, concluding that rejected love is the cause of Hamlet’s supposed madness.
Hamlet’s fellow students Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, invited by the King to find out what is wrong. Polonius arranges for Ophelia to meet Hamlet where he and Claudius can observe them. Hamlet reflects to himself on the nature of life and death, and which one is a preferable state. Ophelia arrives and attempts to return Hamlet’s love letters, but he claims he never wrote her any. They argue, and Hamlet accuses her of being false, and tells her she should go to a nunnery. Claudius witnesses part of this exchange, and is convinced that love is not the cause of Hamlet’s behavior, and decides to send his moody nephew abroad.
Meanwhile, travelling players have arrived, and Hamlet asks them to perform The Murder of Gonzago for Claudius so that he and Horatio can judge Claudius’ guilt by his reaction. Hamlet contrasts his own inaction with the way the players can become so involved in their characters. When one of the players enacts the poisoning of a king, Claudius becomes agitated and stops the play, leading Hamlet to believe that this behavior is proof of his guilt.
Gertrude asks to see Hamlet, and Polonius decides to hide in the room to hear what is said. On his way, Hamlet comes across Claudius alone, trying to pray for forgiveness. Though he considers the idea at length, Hamlet decides he can’t kill Claudius while he’s in prayer or his soul may go to heaven. Players (or actors) in Elizabethan England were viewed with scorn by the higher classes, partly due to bawdy plays, and partly to the fear of crowded theater spaces during the killer plague outbreak.
Thirty years earlier, Hamlet’s father had killed Fortinbras’ father in a duel. By the mutually agreed upon terms of the duel, some land was won by the victor (Hamlet’s father). Now young Fortinbras is breaking his father’s word of honor by attempting to recover that land “by strong hand and terms compulsatory.” When Hamlet arrives at his mother’s “closet” (bedroom), he finds someone hiding behind the curtain and murders him, assuming it’s Claudius. It turns out to be Polonius, father of Hamlet’s estranged girlfriend. Hamlet argues fiercely with Gertrude, eventually persuading her to change her ways. The Ghost appears, restraining Hamlet’s anger towards his mother, and reminding him of the need for revenge. Claudius instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet immediately to England. They have been instructed to present a letter to the English King upon arrival demanding that Hamlet be immediately executed. While travelling to the ship, Hamlet passes the Norwegian army on its way to fight for a small patch of land, and contrasts their determination with his own lack of resolve.
In Elsinore, Ophelia has descended into madness. Laertes returns, blaming Claudius for his father’s death, and is incensed to see Ophelia in this state. Claudius persuades him that the blame is Hamlet’s. When Claudius receives a letter from Hamlet reporting his return to Denmark, he embarks on a new scheme to kill him with Laertes’ help. They arrange a duel in which Laertes’ sword will be unblunted and poisoned. Claudius will also poison a drink, which he will offer Hamlet. Gertrude arrives with the news that Ophelia has drowned.
Hamlet meets Horatio on returning to Elsinore. On the way, they see two clowns digging a grave, and Hamlet talks to the one of the gravediggers, reflecting on the skulls he finds. They discover that the grave is for Ophelia. Hamlet reveals himself to the funeral party, proclaiming his love for Ophelia is greater than Laertes’, which doesn’t sit very well with him. Later, Hamlet tells Horatio how the trip to England was a subterfuge for his death, arranged by Claudius, and how he managed to escape by replacing the letter with one saying Rosencrantz and Guildenstern should be executed instead.
Osric enters with news of the proposed fencing match, and Hamlet accepts the challenge. After Hamlet wins the match, Gertrude toasts him, and unknowingly drinks from the poisoned cup. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned rapier, and is then wounded with it by Hamlet. Before he dies, Laertes apologizes to Hamlet, and tells him about Claudius’ plots. Hamlet cuts the King with the poisoned blade and forces him to drink from the poisoned cup. Fortinbras arrives with a number of men, who declare that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Hamlet, close to death, passes the Danish succession to Fortinbras, and instructs Horatio to tell his story.
©2005-2012 PlayShakespeare.com. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this information under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. Terms at http://www.playshakespeare.com/license
Credits:
Photos by Liz Lauren