Hamlet Journal # 1
All Journal entries must be a page in length.
Full heading with name/date/class
You will have 20 minutes to write each
journal.
Journal entries will be a test grade.
“Not making a decision is a decision.” Is
this statement true or false? Explain and
provide an example.
Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
Shakespeare Background
Born 1564
Educated at Stratford
Grammar School
Parents John, a glove
maker, and Mary (Arden)
Married Ann Hathaway
when he was 18 and she
26
Three children: Susanna,
Judith and Hamnet
Shakespeare Background
Continued…
Moved to London to be come
an actor and playwright
During plague outbreaks, he
wrote poetry.
In 1599 he built and became a
partner in the Globe Theater.
He wrote 37 plays and 154
Sonnets
Member of the Lord
Chamberlin’s men which
became the King’s men when
Elizabeth the first died, and
James the I took the throne.
Shakespeare died April 23,
1616 at the age of 52
Shakespeare’s Family Tree
Shakespeare’s Coat of Arms
The motto reads “Not without Reason”
The Historical Hamlet
The Historical Hamlet was the son of a Danish "King of the Jutes", who lived
during the Dark Ages.
The warlord was assassinated and his crown usurped by his brother. This was a
coup, not a secret murder.
According to current superstition, anyone who killed a crazy person risked
acquiring the same disease from the victim's spirit. Therefore, the murdered
warlord's son pretended to be crazy, acquiring the nickname "Amlothi", crazy
person.
Eventually he killed his uncle and became "King of the Jutes" in turn. He ruled
successfully, and the nickname stuck. The Geneologies record "Amleth, King of
Denmark." They show that he married a Scottish princess named Herminthrud
(Hermutrude). He was eventually killed in battle. He is buried in Denmark in a
field called "Ammelhede" ("Hamlet's Heath") to this day.
In a strange twist of fate, Herminthrud married one Viglek, also "King of
Denmark", the man whose army defeated and killed Hamlet
Hamlet Facts and Information
Based on Saxo Grammaticus
"Historia Danica", written
around 1200, presents a highlyfictionalized (actually silly)
version of the story;
Belleforest's "Histories
Tragiques" was a book of
stories in French from 1576.
Belleforest adapted Saxo's
historical fiction, and The older
"Hamlet" play... ("Ur-Hamlet")
probably written by Thomas
Kyd.
Written by Shakespeare
between 1600-1602 in London
First performed 1602
It is a revenge tragedy with a
Key Elements of Hamlet
Genre: Tragedy, revenge tragedy
Protagonist: Hamlet
Antagonist: Claudius
Major conflict: Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s
murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus
well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about
whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the
appropriate thing to do.
Rising action: · The ghost appears to Hamlet and tells Hamlet to
revenge his murder; Hamlet feigns madness to his intentions; Hamlet
stages the mousetrap play; Hamlet passes up the opportunity to kill
Claudius while he is praying.
Climax: Well I’m not going to tell you that! It would ruin the surprise!
Setting (time and place) · The late medieval period, Denmark
Key Elements Continued…
Tone: Dark, ironic,
melancholy, passionate,
contemplative, desperate,
violent
Themes: The impossibility of
certainty; revenge ; the mystery
of death; the nation as a
diseased body
Motifs: ears and hearing; death
and suicide; darkness and the
supernatural
Symbols: The ghost (the
spiritual consequences of
death); Yorick’s skull (the
physical consequences of death)
Types of Conflict:
Man versus Man: Hamlet dueling with Laertes in
Act V; Hamlet wrestling in Ophelia’s grave with
Laertes.
Man versus Nature: Ophelia vs the water ; Hamlet
vs death.
Man versus Self: Hamlet vs his conscience in his
“To be, or not to be…” speech.”; Claudius being
unable to pray with sincerity, and not being able to
clear his conscience of his past crimes.
Characters
Hamlet: Son of the late King Hamlet of Denmark and nephew to the present King.
When Hamlet meets King Hamlet's Ghost and learns that King Claudius murdered his
father, Hamlet changes from a distrustful, disillusioned young man to one driven to
avenge his father's death. To this end, Hamlet distrusts and rejects all those around him
whom he believes are spying on him for King Claudius.
Horatio: Friend to Hamlet and the one person Hamlet truly trusts. Witnesses King
Hamlet's Ghost in Act I.
Claudius: The present King of Denmark (He murdered the former king), King
Claudius took Queen Gertrude whom he loves as his queen and wife, much to the
consternation of Hamlet who believes his mother has betrayed him and his father's
memory by doing so. Cautious and suspicious, Claudius has courtiers Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern and Hamlet's love interest Ophelia spying on Hamlet for him since as he
says, the great ones must be watched. Distrustful of Hamlet and his "madness", King
Claudius has Hamlet deported to England to be killed when he fears he has become a
threat.
Gertrude: Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet, Queen Gertrude is resented
deeply by Hamlet for marrying King Claudius within two months of his father,
King Hamlet's death. (Act III, Scene II, Line 242) in an attempt to justify her own
actions in remarrying so quickly. Clearly loving of Hamlet, she realizes her wrong when
Hamlet scolds her mercilessly in Act III, Scene V. She agrees to no longer share King
Claudius' bed, and aids her son by hiding Hamlet's true mental state from King
Claudius. Dies in Act V, Scene II, to a poisoned cup of wine meant for Hamlet.
Characters Continued…
Polonius: Lord Chamberlain. The father of Laertes and Ophelia, Lord
Chamberlain Polonius dutifully serves King Claudius. Polonius uses his daughter to
spy on Hamlet. He even has Reynaldo, a servant spy on his own son Laertes in Paris.
Laertes: Polonius' son, Laertes is held in high esteem for his fencing skills. Famous
for the advise, "to thine own self be true," (be true to yourself) and the advise to
"Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;" in Act I, Scene III. He seeks revenge on Hamlet
for his father’s death. (Laertes is the “Foil” for Hamlet) Foil-foil character is either
one who is opposite to the main character or nearly the same as the main
character. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main
character by contrast, and perhaps by setting up situations in which the
protagonist can show his or her character traits. A foil is a secondary character
who contrasts with a major character but, in so doing, highlights various facets of
the main character's personality.
Ophelia: The daughter to Polonius, Ophelia is loved by Hamlet. She ignores
Hamlet's romantic overtures when instructed to ignore them by her father
Polonius. Receives advice on how to live from brother Laertes in Act I, Scene III.
Though loved by Hamlet, Ophelia ultimately betrays him by spying on him for
King Claudius. As a result Hamlet mercilessly insults her virtue during the play "The
Murder of Gonzago" in Act III, Scene II. A dutiful daughter, Ophelia descends into
madness from the grief of losing her father Polonius.
Characters Continued…
Fortinbras: Prince of Norway. The son of King Fortinbras, who was defeated by
King Hamlet, Young Fortinbras has raised an army to reclaim the lands lost by his
father to King Hamlet and Denmark. Convinced into attacking the Polish instead,
Young Fortinbras displays all the noble, honor driven qualities, Hamlet wishes he had.
At the end of the play, Young Fortinbras is recommended by Hamlet to be the next King
of Denmark. Parallels Hamlet's character in that like Hamlet his father was a ruler (King
of Norway) and that both are now nephews to the current rulers of their lands.
Rosencrantz, Guildenstern: Courtiers to King Claudius, both these men grew up with
Hamlet. As a result King Claudius recruits them to spy on Hamlet for him. Neither man
has a problem trading in their friendship to betray Hamlet; they serve the King. Both die
when the instructions they bear from King Claudius are altered by Hamlet to instruct
King Claudius' English associates to kill those bearing his commission immediately
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern).
Various other minor characters.
Collage Group Project
I will place you into groups.
Using paper, magazines, markers etc.
create a collage that reflects your
assigned theme from “Hamlet”.
You may use words, letters and
images.
Your entire paper must be covered.
Be creative!
Themes:
Revenge
Madness
Betrayal
Conscience
Death
Academic Vocabulary
Soliloquy- a speech delivered by an actor
when he is alone onstage and speaking his
thoughts or feelings.
Allusion –an expression designed to call
something to mind without mentioning it
explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Stage directions-an instruction in the text of
a play, esp. one indicating the movement,
position, or tone of an actor, or the sound
effects and lighting.
Academic Vocabulary
Flourish- to make dramatic, sweeping
gestures, a showy gesture
Exit/exeunt- Exit is one character leaving a
scene/stage. Exeunt is two or more leaving
the scene/stage.
Pun-a joke exploiting the different possible
meanings of a word or the fact that there are
words that sound alike but have different
meanings.
Academic Vocabulary
Aside- is a dramatic device in which a
character speaks to the audience. By
convention the audience is to realize that the
character's speech is unheard by the other
characters on stage. It may be addressed to
the audience expressly (in character or out)
or represent an unspoken thought.