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Title: Hamlet
Author:
William Shakespeare
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre:
Play
Pages: 347
Words: 97K
From Wikipedia:
Act I
Prince Hamlet of Denmark is the son of
the recently deceased King Hamlet, and nephew of King Claudius, his
father's brother and successor. Claudius hastily married King
Hamlet's widow, Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and took the throne for
himself. Denmark has a long-standing feud with neighbouring Norway,
in which King Hamlet slew King Fortinbras of Norway in a battle some
years ago. Although Denmark defeated Norway and the Norwegian throne
fell to King Fortinbras's infirm brother, Denmark fears that an
invasion led by the dead Norwegian king's son, Prince Fortinbras, is
imminent.
On a cold night on the ramparts of
Elsinore, the Danish royal castle, the sentries Bernardo and
Marcellus discuss a ghost resembling the late King Hamlet which they
have recently seen, and bring Prince Hamlet's friend Horatio as a
witness. After the ghost appears again, the three vow to tell Prince
Hamlet what they have witnessed.
The court gathers the next day, and
King Claudius and Queen Gertrude discuss affairs of state with their
elderly adviser Polonius. Claudius grants permission for Polonius's
son Laertes to return to school in France, and he sends envoys to
inform the King of Norway about Fortinbras. Claudius also questions
Hamlet regarding his continuing to grieve for his father, and forbids
him to return to his university in Wittenberg. After the court exits,
Hamlet despairs of his father's death and his mother's hasty
remarriage. Learning of the ghost from Horatio, Hamlet resolves to
see it himself.
As Polonius's son Laertes prepares to
depart for France, Polonius offers him advice that culminates in the
maxim "to thine own self be true."[5] Polonius's daughter,
Ophelia, admits her interest in Hamlet, but Laertes warns her against
seeking the prince's attention, and Polonius orders her to reject his
advances. That night on the rampart, the ghost appears to Hamlet,
tells the prince that he was murdered by Claudius, and demands that
Hamlet avenge the murder. Hamlet agrees, and the ghost vanishes. The
prince confides to Horatio and the sentries that from now on he plans
to "put an antic disposition on", or act as though he has
gone mad. Hamlet forces them to swear to keep his plans for revenge
secret; however, he remains uncertain of the ghost's reliability.
Act II
Ophelia rushes to her father, telling
him that Hamlet arrived at her door the prior night half-undressed
and behaving erratically. Polonius blames love for Hamlet's madness
and resolves to inform Claudius and Gertrude. As he enters to do so,
the king and queen are welcoming Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two
student acquaintances of Hamlet, to Elsinore. The royal couple has
requested that the two students investigate the cause of Hamlet's
mood and behaviour. Additional news requires that Polonius wait to be
heard: messengers from Norway inform Claudius that the king of Norway
has rebuked Prince Fortinbras for attempting to re-fight his father's
battles. The forces that Fortinbras had conscripted to march against
Denmark will instead be sent against Poland, though they will pass
through Danish territory to get there.
Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude
his theory regarding Hamlet's behaviour, and then speaks to Hamlet in
a hall of the castle to try to learn more. Hamlet feigns madness and
subtly insults Polonius all the while. When Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern arrive, Hamlet greets his "friends" warmly but
quickly discerns that they are there to spy on him for Claudius.
Hamlet admits that he is upset at his situation but refuses to give
the true reason, instead remarking "What a piece of work is a
man". Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that they have
brought along a troupe of actors that they met while travelling to
Elsinore. Hamlet, after welcoming the actors and dismissing his
friends-turned-spies, asks them to deliver a soliloquy about the
death of King Priam and Queen Hecuba at the climax of the Trojan War.
Hamlet then asks the actors to stage The Murder of Gonzago, a play
featuring a death in the style of his father's murder. Hamlet intends
to study Claudius's reaction to the play, and thereby determine the
truth of the ghost's story of Claudius's guilt.
Act III
Polonius forces Ophelia to return
Hamlet's love letters to the prince while he and Claudius secretly
watch in order to evaluate Hamlet's reaction. Hamlet is walking alone
in the hall as the King and Polonius await Ophelia's entrance. Hamlet
muses on thoughts of life versus death. When Ophelia enters and tries
to return Hamlet's things, Hamlet accuses her of immodesty and cries
"get thee to a nunnery", though it is unclear whether this,
too, is a show of madness or genuine distress. His reaction convinces
Claudius that Hamlet is not mad for love. Shortly thereafter, the
court assembles to watch the play Hamlet has commissioned. After
seeing the Player King murdered by his rival pouring poison in his
ear, Claudius abruptly rises and runs from the room; for Hamlet, this
is proof of his uncle's guilt.
Hamlet mistakenly stabs Polonius
(Artist: Coke Smyth, 19th century).
Gertrude summons Hamlet to her chamber
to demand an explanation. Meanwhile, Claudius talks to himself about
the impossibility of repenting, since he still has possession of his
ill-gotten goods: his brother's crown and wife. He sinks to his
knees. Hamlet, on his way to visit his mother, sneaks up behind him
but does not kill him, reasoning that killing Claudius while he is
praying will send him straight to heaven while his father's ghost is
stuck in purgatory. In the queen's bedchamber, Hamlet and Gertrude
fight bitterly. Polonius, spying on the conversation from behind a
tapestry, calls for help as Gertrude, believing Hamlet wants to kill
her, calls out for help herself.
Hamlet, believing it is Claudius, stabs
wildly, killing Polonius, but he pulls aside the curtain and sees his
mistake. In a rage, Hamlet brutally insults his mother for her
apparent ignorance of Claudius's villainy, but the ghost enters and
reprimands Hamlet for his inaction and harsh words. Unable to see or
hear the ghost herself, Gertrude takes Hamlet's conversation with it
as further evidence of madness. After begging the queen to stop
sleeping with Claudius, Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius's corpse
away.
Act IV
Hamlet jokes with Claudius about where
he has hidden Polonius's body, and the king, fearing for his life,
sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet to England
with a sealed letter to the English king requesting that Hamlet be
executed immediately.
Unhinged by grief at Polonius's death,
Ophelia wanders Elsinore. Laertes arrives back from France, enraged
by his father's death and his sister's madness. Claudius convinces
Laertes that Hamlet is solely responsible, but a letter soon arrives
indicating that Hamlet has returned to Denmark, foiling Claudius's
plan. Claudius switches tactics, proposing a fencing match between
Laertes and Hamlet to settle their differences. Laertes will be given
a poison-tipped foil, and, if that fails, Claudius will offer Hamlet
poisoned wine as a congratulation. Gertrude interrupts to report that
Ophelia has drowned, though it is unclear whether it was suicide or
an accident caused by her madness.
Act V
Horatio has received a letter from
Hamlet, explaining that the prince escaped by negotiating with
pirates who attempted to attack his England-bound ship, and the
friends reunite offstage. Two gravediggers discuss Ophelia's apparent
suicide while digging her grave. Hamlet arrives with Horatio and
banters with one of the gravediggers, who unearths the skull of a
jester from Hamlet's childhood, Yorick. Hamlet picks up the skull,
saying "Alas, poor Yorick" as he contemplates mortality.
Ophelia's funeral procession approaches, led by Laertes. Hamlet and
Horatio initially hide, but when Hamlet realizes that Ophelia is the
one being buried, he reveals himself, proclaiming his love for her.
Laertes and Hamlet fight by Ophelia's graveside, but the brawl is
broken up.
Back at Elsinore, Hamlet explains to
Horatio that he had discovered Claudius's letter with Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern's belongings and replaced it with a forged copy
indicating that his former friends should be killed instead. A
foppish courtier, Osric, interrupts the conversation to deliver the
fencing challenge to Hamlet. Hamlet, despite Horatio's pleas, accepts
it. Hamlet does well at first, leading the match by two hits to none,
and Gertrude raises a toast to him using the poisoned glass of wine
Claudius had set aside for Hamlet. Claudius tries to stop her but is
too late: she drinks, and Laertes realizes the plot will be revealed.
Laertes slashes Hamlet with his poisoned blade. In the ensuing
scuffle, they switch weapons, and Hamlet wounds Laertes with his own
poisoned sword. Gertrude collapses and, claiming she has been
poisoned, dies. In his dying moments, Laertes reconciles with Hamlet
and reveals Claudius's plan. Hamlet rushes at Claudius and kills him.
As the poison takes effect, Hamlet, hearing that Fortinbras is
marching through the area, names the Norwegian prince as his
successor. Horatio, distraught at the thought of being the last
survivor and living whilst Hamlet does not, says he will commit
suicide by drinking the dregs of Gertrude's poisoned wine, but Hamlet
begs him to live on and tell his story. Hamlet dies in Horatio's
arms, proclaiming "the rest is silence". Fortinbras, who
was ostensibly marching towards Poland with his army, arrives at the
palace, along with an English ambassador bringing news of Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern's deaths. Horatio promises to recount the full story
of what happened, and Fortinbras, seeing the entire Danish royal
family dead, takes the crown for himself and orders a military
funeral to honour Hamlet.
Reading this, I can understand why it
is as popular as it is. I enjoyed this but had one serious problem
with it.
To find out what that problem is,
please insert
10dollars/euros/gallonsofsyrup/poundsofgold/whateveryouuseforcurrency
and I will send you a special link initiating you into the mysteries
of Shakespeare and what my problem with him is.
What’s that? You don’t care enough
to pay money to hear my opinion, which you already hear too much of
for free? Gadzooks! I hadn’t thought of that. Fine, you talked me
into it, I’ll tell you my opinion for free, this time! But watch
out, for I shall send 3 ghosts to visit you to help you stop being
such a skinflint. When the clock strikes midnight! Reeeeemembeeeer,
wheeeeen the cloooock strikes midniiiiight!
Why did Hamlet pretend to go mad to get
his revenge on his uncle? Why not just kill the guy and tell your mom
you knew she had killed your dad so she could shack up with his
brother and give her the choice of taking poison or getting a real
close haircut with your sword? Why the elaborate play of insanity
that by the end seems to have become the real thing?
I thought going into things that Hamlet
had a plan. Apparently not. That bugged me. You gotta have a plan.
Otherwise it’s not worth doing. As Hamlet found out when he died by
a poisoned sword. Way to go Shakespeare. Next time write better, kay?
Maybe watch a few movies from the 80’s to see how it should be
done.
★★★✬☆
