HAMLET

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince Hamlet's mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." The play was one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed, topping the Royal Shakespeare Company's performance list since 1879. It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most filmed story after Cinderella".

Shakespeare based Hamlet on the legend of Amleth, preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum as subsequently retold by 16th-century scholar François de Belleforest. He may also have drawn on or perhaps written an earlier (hypothetical) Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-Hamlet. He almost certainly created the title role for Richard Burbage, the leading tragedian of Shakespeare's time. In the 400 years since, the role has been performed by highly acclaimed actors and actresses from each successive age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet

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“Shakespeare in Love” (1998)

The theatres

1. Where were the theatres located at that time in London? Why?

2. Did you see any examples of control of the theatres?

3. Why was it not possible to have women actors?

4. Describe the architecture of the theatres.

5. Describe the stage – look at the drawing on the right. The drawing was created in 1596 by Johannes de Witt, a Dutch traveller who made the sketch while on a trip to London, shortly after the Swan playhouse was built.

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The opening lines of the playACT I

SCENE I. Elsinore. A platform before the castle.

FRANCISCO at his post. Enter to him BERNARDO

BERNARDO Who's there?FRANCISCO Nay1, answer me: stand, and unfold2 yourself.BERNARDO Long live the king3!FRANCISCO Bernardo?BERNARDO He.FRANCISCO You come most carefully upon your hour.BERNARDO 'Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco.FRANCISCO For this relief much thanks: 'tis bitter cold,And I am sick at heart4.BERNARDO Have you had quiet guard?FRANCISCO Not a mouse stirring.BERNARDO Well, good night.If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,The rivals5 of my watch, bid them make haste.FRANCISCO I think I hear them (…)

Questions:1. What is the situation here (who, where,

what)?2. What is the first thing the audience sees?3. What effect does it have that it’s Bernardo

and not Francisco who calls out?4. Why does Francisco say “Nay”?5. Identify all words or phrases that help create

the tension.

1 Nay = no2 Unfold = identify3 This is the password the guards have to use to identify themselves4 Sick at heart = full of disappointment OR full of fear or grief OR unhappy5 Rivals = partners

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Meet the Ghost ACT ISCENE I. Elsinore. A platform before the castle.

(…)BERNARDO Welcome, Horatio: welcome, good Marcellus.MARCELLUS What, has this thing appear'd again to-night?BERNARDO I have seen nothing.MARCELLUS Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy,And will not let belief take hold of himTouching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us:Therefore I have entreated6 him alongWith us to watch the minutes of this night;That if again this apparition come,He may approve our eyes and speak to it.HORATIO Tush, tush, 'twill not appear.BERNARDO Sit down awhile;And let us once again assail7 your ears,That are so fortified against our storyWhat we have two nights seen.HORATIO Well, sit we down,And let us hear Bernardo speak of this.BERNARDO Last night of all,When yond8 same star that's westward from the poleHad made his course to illume that part of heavenWhere now it burns, Marcellus and myself,The bell then beating one,--

Enter Ghost

MARCELLUS Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again!BERNARDO In the same figure, like the king that's dead.MARCELLUS Thou art a scholar9; speak to it, Horatio.BERNARDO Looks it not like the king? mark10 it, Horatio.HORATIO

6 entreated = asked7 assail = attack, challenge8 yond = up there9 scholar = an educated man10 mark = look at

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Most like: it harrows11 me with fear and wonder.BERNARDO It would be spoke to12.MARCELLUS Question it, Horatio.HORATIO What art thou that usurp'st13 this time of night,Together with that fair and warlike formIn which the majesty of buried Denmark14

Did sometimes march? by heaven I charge thee, speak!MARCELLUS It is offended.BERNARDO See, it stalks away!HORATIO Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!

Exit Ghost

MARCELLUS 'Tis gone, and will not answer.BERNARDO How now, Horatio! you tremble and look pale:Is not this something more than fantasy?What think you on't15?HORATIO Before my God, I might not this believeWithout the sensible and true avouch16

Of mine own eyes.MARCELLUS Is it not like the king?HORATIO As thou art to thyself:Such was the very armour he had onWhen he the ambitious Norway combated17;So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle18,He smote the sledded Polacks19 on the ice.'Tis strange.MARCELLUS Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour,With martial20 stalk hath he gone by our watch.HORATIO

11 harrows = fills12 It wants us to speak to it13 usurp’st = steals14 the buried King of Denmark15 on’t = about it16 avouch = proof17 combated = fought18 parle = battle19 He beat the Polish soldiers on their sledges20 martial = like a warrior

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In what particular thought to work I know not;But in the gross and scope 21of my opinion,This bodes22 some strange eruption23 to our state.

Questions:6. How many times have Marcellus and Bernardo seen the Ghost?7. What is Horatio’s initial attitude to this?8. At what time does it appear?9. In what way does the Ghost ressemble the dead King?10. What do we learn about the dead King?11. How does Horatio interprete the Ghost’s appearance?12. Later on, they describe the Ghost as both “majestical” and “a guilty thing”. What does that

indicate?

After this appearance of the Ghost, Horatio and Marcellus talk about the situation in Denmark. The country is preparing for war against Norway; shipbuilders are even called in to work on Sundays which is a sin in a Christian country. Fortinbras, the Norwegian Prince, wants to invade Denmark to win back the land his father lost when King Hamlet killed him.

21 all in all22 bodes = forebodes = signals23 eruption = that something strange will happen

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Summary

ACT IScene 1 Denmark is in a state of alert fearing a Norwegian invasion. A Ghost closely

resembling the late King appears.

Scene 2 Claudius, the new King of Denmark, has married his brother’s widow Gertrude. He addresses the court, but his nephew, the dead King’s son Prince Hamlet, responds with bitterness. In a soliloquy, Hamlet expresses his disgust. Hearing of the ghost, he decides to speak to it.

Scene 3 Hamlet has declared his affection for Ophelia. Her brother, Laertes, and her father, Polonius, instruct her to reject Hamlet’s love. She promises to do so.

Scene 4 The Ghost appears and signals to Hamlet to follow him.

Scene 5 Alone with Hamlet, the Ghost tells him that he is the spirit of Hamlet’s father who was poisoned by Claudius. The Ghost commands Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet decides to play mad and vows his friends, Horatio and Marcellus, to secrecy.

ACT IIScene 1 Ophelia tells her father about a strange visit she has had from Hamlet. Polonius

decides to tell the King.

Scene 2 Claudius determines to spy on Hamlet. A company of actors arrives, and Hamlet

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makes a plan to test the truth of the Ghost’s story.

ACT IIIScene 1 The King and Polonius eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia.

The King is convinced that his nephew is dangerous.

Scene 2 The play-within-the-play is performed and breaks up in confusion.

Scene 3 The King prays to God for forgiveness, not knowing that Hamlet, given the opportunity to kill him, spares his life.

Scene 4 Hamlet kills Polonius accidentally. Rebuked by her son, Gertrude confesses her sins. The Ghost reappears. Hamlet hides Polonius’ body.

ACT IVScene 1 Alone together the King and Queen tell each other lies.

Scene 2 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the King’s hirelings, ask Hamlet where he has hidden Polonius’ body.

Scene 3 Polonius’ body is discovered. Hamlet is sent to England where Claudius plans to have him executed.

Scene 4 Hamlet meets the army of Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, on its way to fight in Poland. Hamlet reflects on the nature of honour.

Scene 5 Ophelia goes mad and Laertes returns to avenge his father, Polonius.

Scene 6 We learn that Hamlet has escaped back to Denmark.

Scene 7 Claudius and Laertes plan Hamlet’s death.

ACT VScene 1 Two gravediggers discuss Ophelia’s suicide. Hamlet meditates on death and then

fights Laertes by Ophelia’s grave.

Scene 2 Hamlet is challenged to a fencing match with Laertes. Claudius poisons Hamlet’s wine, but Gertrude drinks it. Both Hamlet and Laertes are struck by a poisoned blade. Before they die, everything is sorted out and Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the poisoned wine. They die, and Fortinbras arrives and becomes King of Denmark.

From: Hamlet – Cambridge School Edition , CUP, 1994

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Hamlet’s soliloquiesA soliloquy is a kind of internal debate spoken by a character who is alone on stage (or believes himself or herself to be alone). Soliloquies reveal the character’s true thoughts and feelings.

Hamlet has 7 soliloquies:

Act I, Scene 2: “O that this too too solid flesh would melt…” (pp. 74-75)

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Act I, Scene 5: “O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?...” (pp. 92-93)

Act II, Scene 2: “Now I am alone….” (pp. 120-121)

Act III, Scene 1: “To be, or not to be, that is the question -…” (pp. 124-125)

Act III, Scene 3: “’Tis now the very witching time of night,…” (p. 142)

Act III, Scene 3: “Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying,…” (pp. 144-145)

ACT IV, Scene 4: “How all occasions do inform against me,…” (pp. 160-161)

Questions for “O that this too too solid flesh would melt…” (pp. 74-75)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. What does Hamlet want to do, and why is it impossible? (lines 129-132)3. What is it that he describes as “weary, stale, flat” etc.? (lines 133-1374. What was his father like and how does he compare him to Claudius? (lines 138-140)5. What does he say about his parents’ love for each other? (lines 140-145)6. What are his feelings for his mother’s recent marriage to Claudius? (lines 146-157)7. What does he conclude and what does he decide? (lines 158-159)8. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy?9. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?...” (pp. 92-93)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. What does Hamlet swear?3. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy?4. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “Now I am alone….” (pp. 120-121)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. What is he saying about the actor? (lines 457-563)3. And about himself? (lines 563-586)4. Comment on what he is saying about the ghost (line 582, lines 596-601). 5. He gets an idea. What is it? (lines 586-603)6. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy?7. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “To be, or not to be, that is the question -…” (pp. 124-125)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. What is he thinking about (again) in lines 56 to 60?3. What is he looking forward to in lines 60 to 64?4. In lines 64 to 68 he is talking about a rub, an obstacle. What is the problem?5. What is it that makes people endure life? (lines 68-82)6. What is the problem with “conscience” and “thought”? (lines 83-88)7. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy?

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8. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “’Tis now the very witching time of night,…” (p. 142)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. In Shakespeare’s time, revenge was a crime in law, and was also an irreligious act. For the Church of

the late sixteenth century, revenge was considered a sin. The revenger’s soul was damned, condemned to suffer everlasting torment in hell. How do we see this in this soliloquy?

3. What does the reference to Nero (line 401) indicate?4. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy? 5. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying,…” (pp. 144-145)1. Why would it not be revenge to kill Claudius at this point? (lines 73-79)2. Why is it that Hamlet’s father did not go to heaven, but must be a ghost? (lines 80-84)3. What does he answer “no” to in line 87?4. What does Hamlet decide to do? (lines 88-96)5. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy? 6. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

Questions for “How all occasions do inform against me,…” (pp. 160-161)1. Put the soliloquy into context: what is the background for this speech?2. What is the meaning of the first two lines, and why the word “spur”? (lines 32-33)3. What is the difference between man and beast? (lines 33-43)4. What can he learn from Fortinbras (a delicate and tender prince)? (lines 43-56)5. How does Hamlet convince himself that he should not delay in his revenge? (lines 56-66)6. What does the audience learn from this soliloquy? 7. What does this soliloquy add to the plot?

AF/ 2015

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