PLOT DIAGRAM
1. Exposition information – In the story Hamlet is the prince of Denmark, his father was the king
(King Hamlet). The King had died, before anything could have happened. Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius,
married the queen (Gertrude or Hamlet’s mother), and then soon he owned the throne (became
king). Then, one day, Hamlet’s father appeared in the form of a ghost and informed Hamlet that
Claudius was the one who murdered him. So Hamlets swore to take revenge.
2. Inciting incident or conflict – Hamlet’s father (king Hamlet) was murdered by Claudius and Hamlet
swore to take revenge for his father.
3. Rising Action – Hamlet then got the idea to make the actors perform a play similar to the murder
scene of his father. He wanted to ensure if Claudius was guilty through observing how he will react
upon seeing the scene. When the murder scene was played, Claudius stood up with anger then
left the hall to be alone. Then, alone, he prayed to the lord to ask for forgiveness then admitted
that he did murder Hamlet’s father. Hamlet hesitated to kill Claudius at that moment, because he
feared that if he were to kill Claudius while he is praying then he’ll sure go to heaven and Hamlet
wanted him to go to hell. Therefore he decided to kill Claudius later in an act of vice.
4. Climax –
1. First Climax: Hamlet stabbed Polonius after the talk with his mother about how she’s
wrong in marrying Claudius, as then he committed himself due to his violent action and
brought himself into a conflict with the king and Ophelia as well.
5. Falling action – Ophelia decided to suicide due to her father’s death. Hamlet then was sent to
England by Claudius and was meant to put to death, but soon people realized that Hamlet was
alive because he maintained to retrieve the death sentence letter. Hamlet then fought the fencing
match.
6. Climax –
1. Second Climax: In the fencing match, when Gertrude started to drink the poisonous drink
that Claudius intentionally made for Hamlet’s, then they all started to fight and died.
7. Denouement – Hamlet told Horatio to remain and announce the truth, later Prince of Norway,
Fortinbras arrived with his army and so he saw that the whole family had died, he claim the
kingdom for himself.