Planning Sheet – Hamlet
Plot – main incidents
Setting
1. ghost’s request for revenge
Denmark – Claudius’ palace
2. Hamlet’s delay – disorder spreads
Main Conflicts
- become a madman
Hamlet vs. Claudius
3. play within the play – determines Claudius’ guilt Hamlet’s internal dilemma: to act or
4. death: Polonius, Ophelia
procrastinate
5. climax: Hamlet escapes from the pirates
-reason for delay: “thinking too
-confrontation – Hamlet finally acts
precisely on the event”
(he has no time to think out his actions as he kills
Point of View
Laertes and Claudius as Gertrude drinks the
-seen mainly from Hamlet’s perspective,
poison.)
but we do see the guilt and anguish of
Illumination – Fortinbras is named by Hamlet as
Claudius in the prayer scene.
the next king.
Themes
-order is restored
1. It is important to live up to one’s
responsibilities.
2. The individual must learn that
Characters
Traits
Values
appearances can be deceptive.
Hamlet
Intelligent,
revenge
3. Evil breeds evil and leads to more
hesitant
evil.
Claudius
Intelligent,
Power,
4. Power corrupts; absolute power
proud, crafty, ambition
corrupts absolutely.
deceitful
(crown most
Symbols
important)
1. poison seeps through the country to
Ophelia
Shy,
Hamlet’s love,
reflect the moral disorder
submissive,
her family
-Hamlet Sr.’s death
innocent
- poisoned tipped swords
Gertrude
Loyal to
Her love for
- Gertrude’s poisoned drink
Claudius,
Claudius,
2. Yorick’s skull – represents the
weak-willed
inevitability of death
Laertes
Impulsive,
Family
Allusions
brave,
honour,
-Garden of Eden – Denmark under
intelligent
Hamlet Sr.’s rule
Polonius
Nosey,
The King’s
officious,
favour
long-winded
buffoon
Ironies
1. ironical that when Hamlet finally acts, he
has lost all who were meaningful to him.
2. dramatic irony
Other Techniques
-imagery throughout the play
-contrasting characters – Hamlet and Claudius
were mighty opposites