•Prized an ordered society
•ELIZABETH HAD NO
CHILDREN
•FACED ASSASSINATIONS
& CONSPIRACIES
•FATHERS CAN CHOOSE A
DAUGHTER’S HUSBAND W/O
CONSENT
•Witches
•# 3 VERY SYMBOLIC
•Thunder/ Lighting foreshadow
•HAD PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SHOWINGS
•EXISTED OUTSIDE LONDON
•CONSIDERED IMMORAL
•BOYS PLAYED THE ROLE
OF WOMEN
•SETS WERE SIMPLE
•TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE
•NO ARTIFICAL LIGHTS
•TWO GLOBES WERE BUILT
•THE FIRST BURNED IN 1613
•2ND WAS REBUILT IN THE SAME
SPOT-TORN DOWN IN 1644
•SEATED AROUND 3,000 PEOPLE
•HAD A BALCONY (ROMEO AND
JULIET)
•THOU, YOU, YE= YOU
•-ETH ADDED TO VERBS
•WROTE IN BLANK VERSE
USED CONTRACTIONS
•‘T=IT
*ANON= SOON
•‘TIS=IT IS
*HAP/HAPLY=
•O’ER-OVER
•E’ER=EVER
•NE’ER=NEVER
•‘A=HE
PERHAPS
•Connotation: The
suggesting of a meaning
of a word apart from the
thing it explicitly names
or describes.
•Ambiguity: A condition in
which something
(word/phrase) is capable
of being understood in
two or more possible
ways.
Explication
• Line by line analysis of the literary
text
• Includes larger meaning as well
as a discussion of such elements
as diction, style, symbolism,
parallelism, figurative language,
irony, etc
Conventional Symbol
• Symbol accepted by tradition to
have a particular meaning
• Skull
• Rose/other flowers
• Poison
• Disease
Irony
• Verbal: puns, sarcasm, hyperbole,
understatement
• Dramatic: Claudius’ prayer, the
duel, Hamlet’s kindness to Laertes
• Situational: Ophelia’s madness
Genre
• Drama
• Poetry
• Tragedy
• Revenge tragedy
Diction
• Poetic
• Levels reflect characters
• Ironic
• Figurative
Circumlocution
• Speaking indirectly
• Polonius: windy; has trouble getting
to the point
• Osric
• Hamlet (Shakespeare) perceives this
to be superficiality which he
consistently mocks
Tone
• Through diction
– Irony: puns, sarcasm; situational (hoist with
their own petar)
– Metaphors & symbols
• Polonius to Ophelia (leash)
• Hamlet to Gertrude/Horatio (cankered rose vs rose
in May) /R&G (springes to catch woodcocks)
– Allusions
– Soliloquies
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
In faculty
In form and moving
In action
In apprehension
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
noble 
In faculty
In form and moving
In action
In apprehension
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
noble 
In faculty
infinite 
In form and moving
In action
In apprehension
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
noble 
In faculty
infinite 
In form and moving express, admirable 
In action
In apprehension
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
In faculty
In form and moving
In action
In apprehension
noble 
infinite 
express, admirable 
like angel 
What a piece of work is a man
In reason
In faculty
In form and moving
In action
In apprehension
noble 
infinite 
express, admirable 
like angel 
like a god 
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
SWOT analysis
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
SWOT analysis
Strengths
• Quick smooth royal succession
• Bright young prince
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
SWOT analysis
Weaknesses
• Bright young prince is mentally
unstable
• Foolish royal advisers
•
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
SWOT analysis
Opportunities
• Plenty of opportunities to kill king Claudius
• Lots of business for undertakers
• Ditto for poison makers
Is something rotten in the state of
Denmark?
SWOT analysis
Threats
• Fortinbras
• Tendency of Danish aristocracy to suicide
• Sins will bring nemesis and slaughter upon royal
household
Hamlet – executive summary
1 Hamlet meets his father’s ghost
Hamlet – executive summary
2 Hamlet learns that his father was killed by
his brother Claudius and Queen Gertrude.
Hamlet – executive summary
2 Claudius has quickly become king.
Hamlet – executive summary
3 This is rather upsetting
Hamlet – executive summary
4 The ghost demands revenge
Hamlet – executive summary
5 Hamlet agrees
Hamlet – executive summary
6 His friends swear to keep what they have
seen a secret
Hamlet – executive summary
7 Meanwhile… the King’s advisor Polonius
meets his daughter Ophelia. Hamlet has
upset her.
Hamlet – executive summary
8 Hamlet is acting mad
Hamlet – executive summary
9 We learn that Fortinbras, King of Norway,
has been persuaded to invade Poland
instead of Denmark
Hamlet – executive summary
10 A troupe of players arrive
Hamlet
Play within
play
Hamlet – executive summary
10 A troupe of players arrive
Hamlet
Play within
play
The murder
of Gonzago
Hamlet – executive summary
11 Play contains lines which Hamlet writes to
expose Claudius and Gertrude
Hamlet – executive summary
11 Play contains lines which Hamlet writes to
expose Claudius and Gertrude
Hamlet – executive summary
12 Hamlet rages at his inability to kill Claudius
Hamlet – executive summary
13 Polonius accidentally killed by Hamlet
Hamlet – executive summary
14 Claudius wants Hamlet to go to England
Hamlet – executive summary
15 …where he will be executed
Hamlet – executive summary
16 Ophelia has been driven mad by father’s
death and Hamlet’s rejection of her
Hamlet – executive summary
17 Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, swears revenge
on Hamlet
Hamlet – executive summary
18 Hamlet returns to Danish court: Claudius
suggests a duel between Laertes and Hamlet…
Hamlet – executive summary
19 …where the King will offer Hamlet a
poisoned goblet
Hamlet – executive summary
20 Ophelia dies
Hamlet – executive summary
21 Hamlet muses on death at Yorick’s grave
Hamlet – executive summary
22 Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are killed
Hamlet – executive summary
22 Queen accidentally poisons herself
Hamlet – executive summary
23 Both duellists wounded by poisoned sword:
Laertes reveals plot and Hamlet kills king
Hamlet – executive summary
24 Laertes dies
Hamlet – executive summary
25 Fortinbras arrives from Norway and
discovers the carnage
Hamlet – executive summary
25 Hamlet dies
Ophelia
clever
Horatio
Gertrude
mad
sane
Rosencranz, Guilderstern
Polonius
stupid
Ophelia Hamlet? clever
Horatio
Gertrude
mad
sane
Rosencranz, Guilderstern
Polonius
stupid
Ophelia
clever
Horatio
Hamlet?
Gertrude
mad
sane
Rosencranz, Guilderstern
Polonius
stupid
Ophelia
clever
Horatio
Hamlet?
Gertrude
mad
sane
Rosencranz, Guilderstern
Polonius
stupid
Ophelia
clever
Horatio
Hamlet?
Gertrude
mad
sane
Rosencranz, Guilderstern
Polonius
stupid
ye ende
More of this kind of thing: http://www.myrtle.co.uk/blog
©myrtle 2002 brian@myrtle.co.uk