Hamlet
William Shakespeare
Publication
• Probably written in 1600 or 1601
• First performed in July 1602
Setting
• Denmark
• Medieval Period
Hamlet Cont.
• Critics claim the most powerful and
influential tragedies in the English
Language.
The Story
• Hamlet’s uncle murders father and then
marries his mother
• Hamlet’s uncle becomes king
• Hamlet feigns insanity to exact revenge
Hamlet
• Prince of Denmark
• About 30 years old
• Son of Queen Gertrude
and the late King Hamlet
• Nephew of the present
king, Claudius.
Hamlet continued
• Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical.
• Full of hatred for his uncle's scheming and
disgust for his mother's sexuality.
• Studied at the University of Wittenberg
• Sometimes indecisive and hesitant, but at
other times prone to rash and impulsive acts.
Claudius
• The King of Denmark
• Hamlet's uncle
• Kills Hamlet’s father to
become King
• The play's antagonist and
villain
• Calculating, ambitious
politician
• Driven by his sexual
appetites and his lust for
power
Gertrude
• The Queen of Denmark
• Hamlet's mother
• Married to King Claudius
• Prefers her social status
over moral obligations
The Ghost (King Hamlet)
• The specter of
Hamlet's recently
deceased father
• Killed by King
Claudius
• Asks Hamlet to
avenge his death
Polonius
• The Lord
Chamberlain of
Claudius's court
• Pompous, conniving
old man
• Father of Laertes and
Ophelia.
Ophelia
• Polonius' daughter
• Hamlet is in love with
her
• Obeys her father and
her brother, Laertes.
Laertes
• Polonius's son
• Ophelia's brother
• Spends a lot of time
in France
• Passionate and quick
to action, Laertes is
clearly a foil for the
reflective Hamlet.
Famous Actors who have played
Hamlet:
• Laurence Oliver
• Mel Gibson
• Kenneth Branagh
Famous Hamlets
• Ethan Hawke
• Jude Law
• David Tennent
Entertainment inspired by Hamlet:
•
•
•
•
•
The Lion King
Gladiator
Strange Brew
Renaissance Man
Episodes of Star Trek, The Simpsons,
South Park
Hamlet
• Themes:
– Indecision
– Inability to Act
– Uncertainty
– Impuslivity
– Death/Suicide
• Motif: Decay
Hamlet Vocabulary
Week #1 (Act I) quiz THURSDAY 3/5
1. entreated- to beg; to ask
2. assail- to attack
3. fortified - shielded; secured; protected
4. illume- to brighten; to lighten
5. usurp- to seize; to confiscate
6. avouch- to certify; to confirm; to guarantee
7. esteemed- to honor; to respect; to prize; to treasure
8. ratified- approved; confirmed; legalized
9. mettle.- endurance; bravery
10. resolutes- brave; fearless; relentless people
Hamlet Vocabulary
Week #2 (Act II)
11. portentous- foreboding; threatening; sinister
12. privy - made participant in a secret
13. discretion - permission to make decisions with own
judgement
14. auspicious- delightful; joyous; happy; lucky; favorable
15. dirge- funeral song; death march
16. dole - sadness
17. visage- the face or facial expression of a person
18. denote- to indicate; to mark; to signal; to mean
19. countenance - appearance; facial expression / v.- to
condone
20. requite - to avenge
Hamlet Vocabulary
Week #3 (Act III-IV)
1. Beseech-to beg eagerly
2. Pious- showing an earnest wish to fulfill religious
obligation
3. Insolence-contemptuously rude behavior or speech
4. Robust- strong and healthy
5. Distemper- deranged condition of mind or body
6. Mortised- to join securely
7. Bulwark- a wall built for defense
8. Apoplexy- a stroke
9. Cozened- to cheat or deceive
10. superflous- excessive