Hamlet Analysis

Author Shakespeare

Setting Elsinore, the kingdom in Denmark.

Characters

-Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, son of the late king and of Gertrude. Thinks and ponders a lot. Considers committing suicide.

-Claudius: King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle. Married to Gertrude. Murdered brother who was the late king of Denmark (old Hamlet).

-Ghost: old Hamlet. Not sure whether he is Hell- or Heaven-sent.

-Gertrude: Originally married to old Hamlet. Re-married to Claudius a couple months after old Hamlet’s death. Mother to Hamlet.

-Polonius: Basically the right-hand-man/spy of Claudius. Worries and cares for children. Hopes to have more power one day.

-Laertes: Son of Polonius. Rash in action. Hamlet’s foil. Truly loves sister—possibly in a romantic way.

-Ophelia: Polonius’s daughter. Dispute over how innocent she really is. More loyal to Polonius than she is to Hamlet.

-Horatio: Hamlet’s close friend. Possibly has a bromance with Hamlet.

-Fortinbras: Rash and hot-headed. Hamlet’s foil. Prince of Norway.

Plot

The play opens with two guards, Marcellus and Barnardo, and Horatio talking. They mention how old Hamlet killed old Fortinbras, and took some of his lands. This introduces young Fortinbras, who apparently wants to start a rebellion against Denmark. The ghost of old Hamlet then enters, but leaves without saying anything. Horatio decides to tell Hamlet of the Ghost. The scene switches to the court. Claudius tries to justify his quick marriage to Gertrude, and tells Laertes he can leave for France. Hamlet enters, and it’s clear he disapproves of the Queen’s marriage. Later, Horatio tells Hamlet of the Ghost. That night, Horatio takes Hamlet to see it, and the Ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet decides to avenge his father, and to act crazy so no one suspects his true intentions. The scene switches to Ophelia telling Polonius about Hamlet. She is worried because Hamlet came to her acting crazy. Polonius decides that it’s because Hamlet’s is mad with love for her, and goes to tell the King. They make a plan to figure out if he really is mad with love. Later, as Hamlet is walking through the castle, Opehlia enters. She tries to return the letters he sent her. Hamlet is aware Polonius and Claudius are spying, and says he never loved her. He also breaks off their secret engagement. That evening, Hamlet puts on a play that mirrors Claudius’s murder and Gertrude’s marriage. He watches Claudius’s reaction to confirm that he’s guilty. The Queen later summons Hamlet to her chamber to scold him. Hamlet ends up scolding her for re-marrying to Claudius, and kills Polonius (who was spying behind a curtain). Gertrude seems genuinely regretful for her actions. The King finds out that Hamlet murdered Polonius, and sends Hamlet to England. Meanwhile, Ophelia has gone insane. There is evidence that she might have slept with Hamlet, and that she might be pregnant. Meanwhile, Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet that he’s returning to Denmark. By this point Laertes has returned, and wants vengeance. Claudius and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet with a poisoned sword—and if that doesn’t work, poisoned wine. The Queen comes in and interrupts to say that Ophelia has drowned herself. They go to bury her. Hamlet and Horatio see the procession and reveal themselves. Laertes and Hamlet begin fighting, but are broken apart. Back at Elsinore, Laertes challenges Hamlet to a duel, and Hamlet accepts. During the duel, the Queen drinks some of the poisoned wine and dies. Hamlet finds out it was Claudius who poisoned it, and promptly kills him. Both Laertes and Hamlet had been knicked by the poisoned sword while fighting. Laertes dies first, Hamlet second. Horatio wants to commit suicide, but Hamlet stops him. Young Fortinbras enters with an army, and instructs captains to bear Hamlet, not Claudius, like a soldier on stage.

Style

-no narrative voice because it is a play

-Shakespeare doesn’t really have a point of view in Hamlet. He doesn’t really try to push people in one direction with his writing. He leaves many things open for interpretation instead.

-writes in blank verse iambic pentameter

Quotes

-“To be, or not to be: that is the question:/ Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/ Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,/ And by opposing end them.” –Hamlet

This quote pretty much exemplifies Hamlet’s relationship with and curiosity about death. He contemplates death and suicide a lot in the play.

-“Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,/ For he was likely, had he been put on,/ To have proved most loyal…” –Fortinbras

This quote was interesting because Fortinbras, with no knowledge of what had gone down at Elsinore, immediately picked out Hamlet as the kingly figure. The line helped characterize Hamlet, and it showed the huge tragedy this play was. Hamlet could have made a great king, but he never got the chance.

Theme

One theme in Hamlet is the internal conflict of “who am I?”. Many characters have this internal struggle, Hamlet in particular. He constantly battles with himself over what course of action he should take. For example, he struggles to decide whether to live or to kill himself, and whether it’s okay for him to kill Claudius or not. This struggle reaches a climax when Horatio reprimands him for not even caring that he sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths. That’s when Hamlet figures out who he is and moves forward more sure of himself.