3/7/12
Act 1 Scene 2 (page
16)
Lines 1-40
Next to stage
directions:
King Claudius likes
to throw lavish
parties.
“Though yet of
Hamlet…taken to
wife” Claudius not
only marries
Gertrude RIGHT
after King Hamlet’s
death, but also has a
public ceremony and
think there’s
nothing wrong with
that.
“Now
follows…advantage”
Fortinbras wants to
attack Denmark
after K. Hamlet’s
death hoping to
catch them at a
disadvantage.
“He hath
not…valiant
brother” Old
Hamlet and Old
Fortinbras fought
one on one to the
death over a piece.
Fortinbras loses and
dies. Now, young
Fortinbras is trying
to get the land back.
“we have here
writ…gait herein”
Instead of fighting
Fortinbras like a
man, he chooses to
tattle, which shows
he’s manipulative
and cowardly.
“In that and all
things, we will show
our duty” The
people seem cool
with Claudius’
ruling the country.
Laertes, Polonius’
son and Ophelia’s
brother, wants to go
back to France to
finish school (read
school as party with
chicks). Claudius
says yes.
Lines 62 – 181
“A little more than
kin, and less than
kind” “Not so, my
lord. I am too much
in the sun” Puns, son
vs. sun, kin vs. kind.
Hamlet makes puns
that are good.
Hamlet hates
Claudius.
“How is it that the
clouds still hang on
you?” Claudius
thinks that Hamlet
should be over his
father’s death by
now and must be
pretending; this is
what is expected
from a son.
“Good
Hamlet…Denmark”
She thinks that
Claudius is a fair
man and Hamlet
should trust him.
“all that lives must
die…eternity” “Why
seems it so
particular with
thee?” She also
thinks that Hamlet is
putting on a show of
mourning because
it’s the right thing to
do (Claudius?)
“the dejected havior
of the visage…suits
of woe” In reality,
Hamlet really is
depressed and
distraught over his
father’s death.
3/9/12
Scene 2 (Lines 62181)
Pg 22 Line 86
“Your father lost a
father…obsequious
sorrow” He makes it
sound like sons only
morn their fathers
out of duty, not love.
Shows he’s selfish
and cold.
“To persever in
obstinate…’Tis
unmanly grief” He
tries to manipulate
Hamlet like Lady
Macbeth.
“You are the
most…toward you”
SEEMS harmless,
but he’s
backhandedly
reminding Hamlet
that if Gertrude and
Claudius have a son
that child will be
next in line.
“For you
intent…and our
son” He makes it
SEEM like he wants
Hamlet to stay out of
concern, but it’s
really “keep your
enemies closer.” C.
sneaky and
manipulative.
“Let
not…Wittenburg”
She really loves him
and wants him to
stay. She thinks is
what’s best for him.
“I shall…madam”
He pointedly gives in
to her and not
Claudius. (You’re
not my real dad)
“But the great
cannon…Come
away” Claudius is a
partier, wasteful,
selfish, and
arrogant.
“O that this…selfslaughter” ALL of
Hamlet’s soliloquy’s
are about suicide.
This is first, not the
last.
“But two month’s
dead, nay, not so
much, not two” H. is
angry that his
mother remarried so
quickly.
“So
excellent…satyr” He
thinks his uncle is
gross and dumb
compared to his dad.
“Why, she
would...frailty thy
name is woman” His
parents seemed to
have a really good
marriage, but she
still hopped right
into his uncle’s bed.
He now thinks that
ALL women are
weak and
promiscuous.
“A little
month…mourned
longer” His insults
toward his mother
are pretty brutal.
Elsinore – Hamlet’s
castle in Denmark.
“I prithee do not
mock…wedding”
“Thrift,
thrift…tables”
Hamlet thinks that
Gertrude married
Claudius too soon,
so he’s angry and
sarcastic.
Skipped section:
Horatio tells Hamlet
about the ghost.
3/12/12
Page 34
Act 1 Scene 2 line
244-258
“If it assume my
noble…my peace”
Hamlet wants to
speak to the ghost
even if it is the devil
trying trick him. He
trust his father so
much that he’s
willing to take his
chances with Casper
Hamlet.
“Let it be tenable in
your silence” He’s
telling his friends to
keep the ghost a
secret. He doesn’t
want Claudius
tipped off.
“My father’s
spirit…foul play”
Hamlet thinks that
his father must have
been murdered and
that’s why his ghost
is coming back.
Act 1 Scene 3 Lines
1-136
“For
Hamlet…minute, no
more” Laertes
warns Ophelia that
Hamlet is only
interested in her
physically.
“You must fear, his
greatness weighted,
his wil is not his
own. For he himself
is subject to his
birth…state”
Hamlet doesn’t
necessarily choose
his own wife, so even
if he loves Ophelia,
he may not get to
marry Ophelia.
“Then weigh what
los your honor may
sustain if with to
credent…importunit
y” Laertes advises
Ophelia to not sleep
with Hamlet because
he prolly can’t
marry her.
“Keep you in the
rear of your
affection, out of the
shot and danger of
desire” L. tells O. to
love H. less than he
loves her.
“But good my
brother…recks not
his own rede”
Ophelia tells Laertes
not to be a
hypocrite. She’s
very perceptive here.
“Give they
thoughts…husbandr
y” Polonius acts like
he’s giving Laertes
sage advice, but it’s
really common
sense. Polonius is a
moron!!
“To thine own self
be true” This line is
ironic because
Polonius is a suck up
who is NOT true to
himself (hypocrite)
“You speak like a
green…as you call
them?” Polonius
does not believe that
Hamlet’s advances
are honorable.
“Tenders for true
pay…tender me a
fool” Realllllllly bad
pun. Hamlet does it
well, Polonius does
not.
“And hath
given…heaven” In
front of her father,
she goes back to
dumb, naïve
Ophelia.
“when the blood
burns…fire”
Hamlet’s “Love” is
just lust.
3/13/12
Pg. 44
“From this time
forth…come your
ways” Polonius tells
Ophelia to stop
hanging out with
Hamlet. Absence
makes the heart
grow fonder.
Act 1 Scene 5 Page
52
“I am they father’s
spirit…purged
away” He’s in
purgatory. He died
with sins on his soul.
“Revenge his foul
and most unnatural
murder” Ghost
Hamlet asks Prince
Hamlet to get
revenge on his
murderer.
“Haste me to
know’t…my
revenge” Hamlet
thinks that he will
immediately avenge
his father’s death.
However, Hamlet’s
tragic flaw is
INACTION, so he’s
going to
procrastinate.
“Now,
Hamlet…wears his
crown” Claudius
killed King Hamlet.
People think that he
died from a snake
bite.
“won to his
shameful…from
me” “to decline…of
mine” This is exactly
what Hamlet said
about Claudius, that
he was gross and
Gertrude should
know better.
“Thy uncle
stole…leprous
distilment” “with a
sudden
vigor…wholesome
blood” Claudius
poured the poison in
his ear so it couldn’t
be traced. Very
painful death as his
blood slowly turned
solid and his heart
gave out.
“Thus was I…on my
head” Because
Hamlet was
murdered, he didn’t
get his last rites and
died with his sins on
his soul. Hello
Purgatory
“Let not…sting her”
He wants Hamlet to
get rid of Claudius
and avenge him, but
he wants him to
leave his mother
alone. 1. Hamlet the
ghost still loves her.
2. For Hamlet to
punish his own
mother would be a
sin on Hamlet’s soul
b/c it’s a
commandment.
“O villain, villain,
smiling, damned
villain…I have
sworn’t” Hamlet
writes himself a little
revenge contract.
This is first
procrastination.
Instead of doing it,
he writes it down so
that doing it feels
more official and
binding (a sign that
he doesn’t really
want to) Tragic
Flaw
Skipped section:
Hamlet makes his
friends swear not to
reveal what they
have seen that night.
He tells Horatio he is
going to be acting
crazy so the king
won’t suspect that
he knows about the
murder.
3/14/12
Act 2 Scene 1
skipped portion:
Polonius sends
Reynaldo to spy on
Laertes.
Line 75 page 72
“Lord Hamlet, with
his doublet all
unbraced…he comes
before me” Hamlet
has started “acting”
crazy.
“Mad for thy love?”
Polonius thinks that
H. is crazy because
he loves O. but she
hasn’t been seeing
him due to P’s
command.
“He too me by the
wrist…as a’ would
draw it” “That done,
he lets me go…their
light on me” O.
thinks that H is
crazy because of the
staring creepily at
her and walking out
of the room
backwards.
“Come, go with
me….afflict out
natures” P thinks H
is crazy b/c of what
P told O., so he’s
going to tattle to
Claudius so he won’t
get in trouble.
“No my good
lord…access to me”
O thinks her father’s
command makes
sense so she follows
it.
“That hath
made…not quoted
him.” Polonius
thinks his judgment
that H was only after
her body was wrong.
“Come, go we to the
King…to utter love”
P thinks he has to go
to C. before the
“muck” hits the fan.
(before everything
goes bad)
3/15/12
Skipped Scene: King
and Queen asks
Hamlet’s friends
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to spy
on Hamlet, and they
agree to do so.
Pg 80 (Skipped
Scene): Fortinbras
only gets a slap on
the wrist, and Old
Norway then asks
permission for F’s
army to come
through Denmark to
go fight Poland.
Claudius refuses to
sign off on this.
Pg. 82 line 85
“This business is
well ended…Brevity
is the soul of wit…be
brief” Polonius
thinks that to get to
the point makes you
smart, but he
NEVER gets right to
the point, so he just
called himself dumb.
DI
“That we
find…comes by
cause” P thinks he
sounds really smart,
but he’s repetitive
and dumb
(somebody punch
that guy)
“I have a
daughter…the most
beautified Ophelia”
Ophelia betrayed
Hamlet by giving his
love letter to her
father, who then
reads them to his
mother, stepfather,
and a bunch of his
friends.
“But how hath she
received his love?”
It seems like
Claudius believes
that Ophelia MAY
be the cause of
Hamlet’s madness.
“As of a man
faithful and
honorable” Claudius
thinks Polonius is a
good guy.
“No, I went round to
work…receive no
tokens” He pretends
he kept O and H
apart for H’s own
good, but really he
just wanted to keep
O from being
“loose.”
“[pointing to his
head and shoulder]
take this from this if
this be otherwise.”
Polonius
exaggerates, faulty
support for faulty
logic.
“How may we try it
further?” Claudius
wants evidence of
H’s attachment to O
before he goes
forward.
3/16/12
Act 2 Scene 2 page
86
“I’ll loose my
daughter…encounte
r” Polonius wants to
spy on Hamlet to
prove its O causing
his madness. (P is
shady)
“You are a
fishmonger”
Literally, he’s
calling a fish seller.
However, back then
this was another
name for pimp. He’s
referring to how P is
controlling O.
“Let her not…look
to’t” sun-son
conceive –
understand conceive
– to get pregnant
H is saying that P
was right to keep O
away from him
because he would
have slept with her
and gotten her
pregnant
“How say
you…daughter” P
interprets this as H
loves O (doesn’t get
joke)
“Slanders,
sir…weak hams”
Hamlet is making
fun of Polonius right
to his face and
counting on his
madness to cover it
up.
“Though
this…method in’t”
Polonius knows he’s
being insulted,
which makes him
think that H might
just be acting crazy.
“A happiness…be
delivered of” P is
going back to
thinking that H is
crazy…now that
he’s not insulting P
“On Fortune’s
cap…She is a
strumpet” Dirty joke
“Denmark’s a
prison” H is trapped
in Denmark.
Claudius and his
mom got him to stay,
and he has to go get
revenge.
“there is nothing
either good or bad
but thinking makes
it so” H is saying
that perception is
everything. He’s
unhappy, so it colors
his whole view on
life.
Skipped scene:
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are
spying on Hamlet
for Claudius. H
figures it out and
gets them to work
for him instead.
They also tell
Hamlet that a group
of players (actors)
have come to
Denmark (H likes
plays, trying to cheer
him up)
Page 102 Line 340
“I am mad northnorthwest: when the
wind is southerly I
know a hawk from a
handsaw” H is
saying that he’s only
crazy when he wants
to be.
Skipped Scene:
Hamlet mocks
Polonius some more.
Polonius doesn’t get
it.
pg 116 line 504:
Soliloquy (suicide)
“Yet I …Am I a
coward?” H thinks
that he’s a coward
because the player
stirred up all kinds
of emotion for
nothing but fiction,
but he has real
motivation and has
done nothing.
3/16/12
pg. 116
line 528
“This is most
brave…a scullion”
H. calls himself a
whore b/c he’s
words and no action,
his heart doesn’t
push him to do what
needs to be done.
“I’ll have these
players…I know my
course” H. is going
to have the players
play out the murder
of his father and
check his uncle’s
reaction to get proof
of whether he should
kill Claudius.
“The play’s the
thing wherein I’ll
catch the conscience
of the king” It’s H’s
plan in a nutshell
(famous)
3/20/12
Act 3 Scene 1
Skipped Scene
(Lines 1-27):
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern live up
to their word to
Hamlet for now and
don’t reveal that he
found them out.
They actually don’t
give Claudius much
info at all.
Pg 122 Line 28:
“How smart a lash
that speech doth give
my conscience”
Claudius just
admitted to the
audience that he
killed King Hamlet.
He thinks that his
covering it up is like
Polonius telling
Ophelia to cover up
her motives with
Hamlet.
“To die, to sleep – no
more…flesh is heir
to!” He feels that
death is preferable
to a life filled with
pain.
“the dread of
something after
death, the
undiscovered
country from whose
bourn no traveler
returns, puzzles the
will…know not of?”
According to H, the
only reason we don’t
kill ourselves is that
we fear hell.
“Get thee to a
nunnery… breeder
of sinners” nunnery
– whorehouse
He’s calling her a
whore. She’s
allowing her father
to manipulate her
into playing games
with Hamlet to
further his own
career.
“You jig and
amble…your
ignorance” She acts
stupid and innocent
to attract men, so
it’s really lustful and
unwholesome.
“Those that are
married already –
all but one – shall
live” H just made a
reference to killing
Claudius, but
Claudius is behind
the curtain.
“O what a noble
mind is here
o’erthrown!” O.
thinks that H is
crazy.
“Love? his affection
do not that way
tend” C. no longer
thinks that H is
crazy b/c he loves O.
“What he
spake…like
madness” C also
realizes that H is not
simply crazy, he may
be acting.
“He shall with speed
to England for the
demand of our
neglected tribute” C
is going to send H to
England…suspicious
“My lord, do as you
please…their
conference” G.
should try to get H
to tell the truth
about his madness,
and P will spy on
them and report to
C.
“Madness in great
ones must not
unwatched go” He’s
saying that people in
power can’t be
allowed to be nuts
b/c they could ruin
the country. This is
just his excuse to spy
on H.
3/21/12
pg 138 skipped
scene: Hamlet asks
Horatio to watch the
king during the
murder scene to see
his reaction. Hamlet
doesn’t trust himself
to act on his proof
without a witness.
pg 140 Act 3 Scene 2
Line 97
“You are merry my
lord” O. thinks H. is
in a good mood and
has maybe gotten
over his father’s
death
“What should a man
do…died within’s
two hours” He can’t
keep the non-crazy
pretense, and he
makes a snarky joke
that his mother
married too soon.
“Died two months
ago…half a year”
Hamlet is sarcastic
and making angry
jokes. He can’t
control himself even
though this is a bad
idea
dumb – silent
Before plays back
then, they would act
out the action of the
play by miming
really quick.
“Tis brief my lord”
“As woman’s love”
He now thinks that
all women are
hussies b/c of his
mother and O’s
betrayal
Skipped Scene: In
the play, the queen
assures the king that
in the event of his
death, she will never
remarry b/c women
who do that have
probably been
cheating on their
husbands.
Pg 152 Line 213
“The lady doth
protest too much,
methinks” Gertrude
thinks that the
queen in the play
arguing against
remarrying means
that she is really
going to remarry.
“Have you heard the
argument? Is there
no offense in it?”
Claudius realizes
that this play is
probably about him
and Gertrude. He’s
mad.
3/22/12
pg 152 line 217 (Act
3 Scene 3)
Lucianus is the
Claudius in the play
within a play (Note
that the relationship
between murderer
and victim is
different)
“You are as good as
a chorus my lord”
The chorus in a
Greek drama
summarizes the plot
just like Hamlet is
doing.
“It would cost you a
groaning to take off
mine edge” H says O
will have to sleep
with him to get him
to stop being rude.
“The king
rises…Give me some
light. Away!”
Claudius gets up and
storms out right
after the murder
scene. He reacts just
like H. hoped he
would
“O good
Horatio…didst
perceive” “I did very
well note him”
Hamlet believes this
storm out is his
proof of C’s guilt.
Horatio says he saw
it too.
Skipped Scene:
Hamlet gets more
and more manic.
Now R + G are
working for
Claudius again
because they know
that Hamlet went
too far and the
“winner” will
probably be
Claudius and they
want to side with the
winner. Hamlet sees
right through them.
pg 162 line 341
“Now could I
drink…look on” H
thinks that he can
now act on his
revenge.
“Let me be
cruel…but use
none” He will hurt
his mother with
words, not violence
b/c he promised dad
not to hurt her
3/23/12
pg 166 skipped
scene: The king
plans to send Hamlet
to England with R +
G who will keep H
out of trouble.
pg 168 line 27
“My lord, he’s…the
process” P. is going
to go spy on H and
his convo. w/ his
mom
“But, O, what
form…murder’”Cla
udius wants to be
forgiven for killing
King Hamlet so he
can go to heaven
(murder is
supposedly
unforgivable)
“This cannot
be…th’ offense?” He
knows he can’t be
forgiven b/c he still
has all the ill gotten
gains of his murder
(queen, crown)
“Now might
I…revenged…to
heaven” H thinks
that if he kills C
while praying C will
go to heaven (weak
excuse b/c murder is
an unforgivable sin,
just an excuse)
“No, up
sword…hent” H
decides for sure not
to kill C now b/c of
the prayer
“My words fly
up…heaven go” C
realizes that he’s
going to hell, he
doesn’t sincerely
repent his action.
Act 3 Scene 4
“Come, come, and
sit you down…the
inmost part of you”
H decides to show
his mother why she
was wrong to marry
Claudius
“How now…dead”
“Nay, I know not. Is
it the king?” H.
thinks that C is
behind the curtain
and tries to kill him,
accidentally killing
P. He goes from
inaction to rash
action
end line 37
skipped scene: H
tries to make his
mother see how she
has betrayed his
father by marrying
Claudius. Gertrude
pretends to agree,
but then tells
Claudius that
Hamlet is just crazy.
The Ghost shows up
to remind Hamlet
not to physically
harm his mother
3/26/12
Act Four Scene 3
page 198
Skipped Scene:
Hamlet hides
Polonius’
body…could be
crazy…could be
ACTING
crazy…either way
it’s gross
“Hamlet, this deed,
for thine…fiery
quickness” Claudius
thinks that if he
sends Hamlet away
H. won’t get in
trouble for killing
Pol.
“But come, for
England! Farewell,
dear Mother” H.
thinks this a pretty
good plan and will
allow his murder to
be forgotten.
“My mother…my
mother” H. insults
Claudius b/c he
hates him.
3/27/12
Page 198, Act 4
Scene 3 Line 50
“And England, if my
love…the present
death of Hamlet”
Claudius thinks
Hamlet is after his
life, so he sends him
to England with
letter to the king of
England asking him
to kill Hamlet.
End Line 66
Skipped Scene:
Fortinbras is one of
Hamlet’s foils. He
has no real reason to
want the land, but
he acts anyway. All
action no thought.
Page 204 Skipped
Scene: When
Ophelia hears the
news of her father’s
death, she goes
crazy.
Page 212 Act 4 Scene
5 Line 95
“Save
yourself…officers”
Laertes is back b/c
he heard his dad is
dead and snaps into
action (another foil
to Hamlet, his dad
dies and he does
something about it
right away)
“They cry, ‘Choose
we!...Laertes king!’”
The people of
Denmark are
starting to reject
Claudius and want a
new leader, in this
case Laertes.
lay air tees - Laertes
“How came he
dead…damnation”
Unlike H who
needed proof to save
his soul, Laertes is
willing to damn
himself to avenge his
father.
3/28/12
Page 214 Act 4 Scene
5 Line 136
“Is’t write in your
revenge…loser?”
Claudius thinks he
can manipulate
Laertes and talk him
into working for the
crown.
“To his good…ope
my arms” Laertes is
starting to think of
Claudius as a friend.
“There’s
rosemary…thoughts
” “There’s
fennel…father died”
Ophelia believes that
Claudius and
Gertrude are liars
and cheaters and
selfish and only her
father was loyal
(meaning of flowers)
“If by direct…you in
satisfaction”
Claudius uses
Polonius-like
methods to convince
Laertes to give him a
chance to prove his
innocence
(manipulation)
“His means of
death…call’t in
question” Laertes
thinks Claudius is to
blame b/c Claudius
orders a quickie
funeral (get him in
the ground, no big
procession, no stone)
3/30/12
Page 222 Act 4 Scene
6 Line 11
Ere we were two
days old at sea, a
pirate…gave us
chase” “I alone
became their
prisoner” Hamlet
was kidnapped by
pirates. He’s the
only one. R and G
are still going to
England.
Skipping to Act 4
Scene 7 Line 1
“The queen his
mother…but by
her” He doesn’t
want to upset the
queen b/c he loves
her (FAKE)
“the great
love…where I had
aimed them” The
people love H so
much that they
would’ve just been
angry at C for going
after him (REAL)
“You shortly…you
to imagine” C is
planning something
for H with L
Skip to line 53
Skipped Scene: They
get a letter that H’s
back
“I will work him
to…it accident” C
plans to work with L
to kill H and make it
look like an
accident.
“My lord…organ” L
thinks that H
deserves to die and
C can be trusted, but
L wants to do it
himself.
Skip to line 162
Skipped Scene: H
likes to swordfight
and has heard that L
is better than him.
C knows if L
challenges H to a
swordfight, H will
do it to prove he’s as
good as L (he’s not).
L is going to
“accidentally” get
the cap off his
sword, which he will
have poisoned. All
he has to do is
scratch H with it. C
is going poison his
drink as a back up
“There is a
willow…to muddy
death” O drowns
and makes no
attempt to save
herself. Not clear if
it’s suicide or not
(even a suspicion
should be enough to
prevent proper
burial)
4/2/12
Page 250 Act 5 Scene
1 Line 153
Skipped piece: After
Ophelia’s death, her
gravediggers
provide comic relief
by playing with the
skulls and bones and
making jokes.
Hamlet jokes with
the gravedigger b/c
he doesn’t know O is
dead.
“Alas poor Yorick! I
knew him Horatio”
One of the most
famous lines EVER,
anywhere.
“To what base
uses…a bunghole”
Hamlet thinks that
death is the great
equalizer, makes all
men digusting,
disrespected, small.
Stop at line 176
Pick up at line 193
“Her death was
doubtful…last
trumpet” The priest
is angry b/c he
thinks O killed
herself and should
be buried
accordingly.
Claudius orders a
real funeral to make
L happy.
“I tell thee…liest
howling” L thinks
O’s death was an
accident and she’s
going to heaven
while the priest will
go to hell.
“What, the fair
Ophelia?” H realizes
O is dead
“Hold off the…the
grave” L. truly loves
his sister and is
upset, so he jumps
into the grave for
one last hug.
“I loved
Ophelia…do for
her?” “Dost thou
come…so will I.” H
claims that he loves
O more than L does
and tries to outdo
his grief and make it
all about himself.
“Strenthen your
patience…present
push” C calms L
down by reminding
him of their plan to
murder H.
Act 5 Scene 2 Line 1
Hamlet is talking
about his trip and
the pirates.
“where I found,
Horatio…struck off”
H reads the letters
and finds out C
wants him dead. He
thinks R and G are
in on C’s plan and
know about the
murder (they don’t).
“devised a new
commision, wrote it
fair” H wrote new
letters to replace the
old ones.
“He should those
bearers put to
sudden death, no
shriving time
allowed” H thinks
that R and G
betrayed him and
deserve to be killed.