Hamlet
Original editions (1603, 1623)
http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/ShaHamF.html
• Hamlet:... How long hast thou been a Grauemaker?
• Gravedigger: Of all the dayes i'th' yeare, I came
too't that day that our last King Hamlet
o'recame Fortinbras.
• Hamlet: How long is that since?
• Gravedigger: Cannot you tell that? euery foole
can tell that: It was the very day, that young
Hamlet was borne, hee that was mad, and sent
into England.
• (…)
• Gravedigger: Why heere in Denmarke: I haue
bin sixeteene heere, man, and Boy thirty
yeares.
• Hamlet: How long will a man lie i'th' earth ere
he rot?
• Gravedigger: In faith, if he be not rotten before
he die (…) he will last you some eight yeare, or
nine yeare. A Tanner will last you nine yeare.
• Hamlet: Why he, more than another?
• Gravedigger: Why sir, his hide is so tan'd with
his Trade, that he will keepe out water a great
while. And your water, is a sore Decayer of your
horson dead body. Heres a Scull now: this
Scull, has laine in the earth this dozen yeares.
12
• Hamlet: Whose was it?
• Gravedigger: A whoreson mad Fellowes it was;
Whose doe you thinke it was?
• Hamlet: Nay, I know not.
• Gravedigger: A pestilence on him for a mad
Rogue, a pour'd a Flaggon of Renish on my
head once. This same Scull, Sir, was Yorick’s
Scull, the Kings jester.
• Hamlet: This?
• Gravedigger: E'ene that.
• Hamlet: Let me see. Alas poore Yorick, I knew
him Ho-ratio, a fellow of infinite Iest; of most
excellent fancy, he hath borne me on his backe
a thousand times: And how abhorred my
Imagination is, my gorge rises at it. Heere hung
those lipps, that I haue kist I know not how oft.
1. Hamlet returns to Elsinore with Horatio.
2. They meet a grave-digger who prepares the
grave for Ophelia’s funeral.
3. Discussions: the man is 30 years old and he
started this job 16 years ago (when Hamlet
was born).
4. The grave-digger gives Hamlet a skull that
was in the earth for 12-13 years (still smells
bad and it is not completely eaten by worms)
5. Yorick’s skull – the king’s joker.
6. Hamlet says: He carried me on his back a
thousand times (he was 3-4 years old)
7. Ophelia’s funeral – Hamlet fights with Laertes.
8. Hamlet declares he loved Ophelia – and he
tells Laertes ‘you are unfair to me, sir’
(message: you judge me before you know the
truth) and he knows that Laertes works for the
king (‘if you act like a dog’)
9. Hamlet explains to Horatio what happened to
R&G and shows him the letter written by
Claudius
10. Horatio: ‘what kind of king is your uncle?’
Answer: ‘He killed my father and sleeps with my
mother, he has destroyed my happiness and
has tried to take my life.’
11. Hamlet and Laertes are similar: both lost their
father and Ophelia. Hamlet says he will try to be
friends with Laertes again (like before).
12. Osric – comes to invite Hamlet to a friendly
fight and praises Laertes a lot. Hamlet realizes
something is not right about this (it is another
secret plan) (‘but what’s the reason for your
wonderful description of him?’ + ‘what if I say
no?’)
13. Hamlet accepts this fight even if he has a bad
feeling (depressed: he does not care what
happens to him – he lost Ophelia)
14. Fight scene
15. Laertes refuses to forgive Hamlet.
16. Hamlet wins 1st and 2nd rounds.
17. Gertrude drinks the poisoned cup.
18. Hamlet refuses the cup two times (from
Claudius and from Gertrude).
19. Laertes cuts Hamlet (minor wound).
20. They switch swords during the fight.
21. Hamlet cuts Laertes (deep wound).
22. Queen dies (1).
23. Laertes confesses that the king is guilty for all
this.
24. Hamlet kills Claudius. (2)
25. Hamlet accepts to forgive Laertes.
26. Laertes dies (3).
27. Horatio is ready to show his loyalty by
drinking the poison cup and die with his friend.
28. Hamlet asks Horatio to tell his story
29. Warlike noise outside: Fortinbras has come
with his soldiers to conquer Elsinore.
30. Hamlet’s last wish: Fortinbras king.
31. Hamlet’s last words: ‘The rest is silence.’
32. Hamlet dies (4).
33. Fortinbras acts like a king already – receives
the messengers from England: R&G are dead.
34. Fortinbras king. Hamlet’s funeral.