THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET
a revenge play
By William Shakespeare
Names to Remember
Elsinore – The palace Hamlet lives in
Wittenberg – Hamlet & Horatio’s university
Denmark – The country Hamlet is prince of
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a word taken from Latin and it
means ‘talking by oneself.’ It is a device that
dramatists – especially Shakespeare– used
to allow a character to communicate his or
her own thoughts directly to the audience.
A soliloquy is essentially a speech in which
the character is thinking, rather than actually
speaking to anyone.
Monologue
A monologue is a speech made by one
character to another character(s). It is not
a dialogue, but rather more like a speech.
Shakespeare’s plays are full of
monologues. Among the most famous is
Marc Antony’s ‘Friends, Romans and
countrymen, lend me your ears’ speech in
Julius Caesar, where Antony is addressing
the Roman crowd after the assassination
of Caesar.
Foil
A character who serves to contrast or
emphasize opposing traits in another
character, usually our main character.
Hamlet has two foils in this play.
Iambic Pentameter
• IAMB- A unit or foot of poetry that consists of a
lightly unstressed syllable followed by a heavily
stressed syllable. Some words in English
naturally form iambs, such as behold, restore,
amuse, arise, awake, return, Noel, support,
depict, destroy, inject, inscribe, insist, inspire,
unwashed.
• PENTAMETER- When poetry consists of five
feet in each line, it is written in pentameter. Each
foot has a set number of syllables.
Iambic Pentameter
TEAM HAMLET
• HAMLET – THE PRINCE OF DENMARK
• HORATIO – HAMLET’S BEST FRIEND
FROM COLLEGE
• KING HAMLET’S GHOST – HAMLET’S
DECEASED FATHER
TEAM CLAUDIUS
• KING CLAUDIUS – THE NEW KING OF
DENMARK, THE GHOST’S BROTHER, HAMLET’S
UNCLE, HAMLET’S NEW STEP-FATHER
• QUEEN GERTRUDE – QUEEN OF DENMARK,
HAMLET’S MOTHER
• POLONIUS – KING CLAUDIUS’ LORD OR
ASSISTANT, OPHELIA’S FATHER
• LAERTES – STUDENT, POLONIUS’ SON,
OPHELIA’S BROTHER
• ROSENCRANTZ & GULDENSTERN – HAMLET’S
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
NEUTRAL CHARACTERS
• OPHELIA – HAMLET’S LOVE INTEREST
• FORTINBRAS – PRINCE OF NORWAY,
SERVES AS A COMPARISON TO
HAMLET
• THE GRAVEDIGGERS – COMIC REFIEF,
GIVE AN UNBIASED OPINION OF
HAMLET
• REYNALDO – POLONIUS’ SERVANT
Map of Characters
https://www.flickr.com/photos/integraldan/62
67777235/
The Simpsons Do Hamlet
http://vimeo.com/55386366
ACT I, scene i
There is one main plot introduced in the first
scene as well as a second, sub-plot.
Main Plotline: Hamlet, the King of Denmark has
recently died.
Sub-Plot: King Hamlet was involved in a war
with Norway. In this war he killed King
Fortinbras and took his land.
Act I, scene ii
I. A funeral and a wedding for the Hamlets
II. Prince Fortinbras wants his father’s land back
(We meet Cornelius and Voltimand)
III. Laertes ask permission to leave
IV. Hamlet & Claudius talk death (and we
realize Claudius and Gertrude are real jerks)
V. Hamlet tells the audience how he’s feeling
VI. Horatio tells Hamlet some freaky news
Act I, scene ?
Draw
Photo
Here
Characters in scene: ___________________
____________________________________
Key Facts: __________________________
____________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 1 – Convo between King Claudius and
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
1) How have R&G come to Elsinore?
2) What does Claudius ask them to do?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 2 – News from Norway from V&C
1) What message do V&C deliver from
Fortinbras? What is he asking of King
Claudius?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 3 – Polonius, Claudius, and Gertrude
discuss Hamlet’s “madness”
1) What does Polonius say has caused Hamlet to
go mad?
2) What has he brought to Claudius as proof?
3) What plan do Polonius and Claudius devise?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 4 – Hamlet & Polonius have a heart to heart
1) What does Hamlet warn Polonius in regards to
Ophelia?
2) Hamlet’s tone towards Polonius can best be
described as what?
3) Does Polonius realize this? (referring to answer
to #2) What does he still believe Hamlet’s
behavior is due to?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 5 – Hamlet talks with his old friends
R&G
1) Do R&G admit to Hamlet why they have
come to Elsinore?
2) How does Hamlet’s mood change here?
3) Whom do R&G announce is coming to
Elsinore and how does Hamlet react to the
news?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 6 – Hamlet talks to the traveling
actors
1) What play does Hamlet tell the players
they will be performing?
2) What does Hamlet say he will add to the
play?
Breakdown of Act II, scene ii
Part 7 – Hamlet reveals his PLAN
1) What is the scene Hamlet wrote about?
2) What is Hamlet’s motive behind adding
the scene?
3) What does Hamlet say a “guilty” reaction
could be?
Halfway through Hamlet Test
Character Identification:
Hamlet
The Ghost
Gertrude
Claudius
Polonius
Laertes
Ophelia
Horatio
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
Voltemand & Cornelius
Fortinbras
Marcellus & Bernardo
Location Identification:
Elsinore
Wittenberg
Quotation Identification:
(May include any lines we have
discussed thus far)
Literary Terms:
Soliloquy
Monologue
Foil
Personification
Iambic Pentameter
Dialogue
Stage Direction
Women in “Hamlet”
• How are the female characters portrayed
in this play?
• What major similarities do Ophelia and
Gertrude have? What major differences?
• What affect do the female characters have
on the male characters?
Foil
• Foil – a character who is used to
emphasize another character’s
shortcomings or weaknesses.
Which character do you believe is
Hamlet’s foil and why? Compare and
contrast Hamlet and this character.
Tragic Hero
• What is a Tragic Hero?
• Explain how Hamlet can be considered a
Tragic Hero.
Themes
•
•
•
•
Secrecy
Madness
Revenge
Mortality
Come up with the best example for each
of these in the context of the play.
Symbols
•
•
•
•
•
Ophelia’s flowers
Yorik’s skull
The Ghost
Tapestries
Poison
Sane or Insane, THAT is the
question.
After reading the play, decide whether you
believe Hamlet was merely acting insane,
or truly had gone insane. Supply one piece
of hard evidence for your response.
Before finishing Act III…
• What affect do you think the performance is
going to have on King Claudius?
• Do you think Hamlet will reveal the truth about
his father’s death to Gertrude during their
meeting in her closet?
• Do you feel bad for Ophelia at this point of the
play? What else do you feel for her character?
• Polonius has already foreshadowed his own
murder. Whom do you think will be his murderer
and why do you think this person kills Polonius?
Conclusion of Act III
• This scene is the climax of the play for
several reasons. What are they?
• Gertrude has a choice to support Claudius or
Hamlet after this intense scene. What do you
think Gertrude is going to do next?
• What is your opinion of Hamlet’s mental
state at this point in the play?
At this point…
• How will Hamlet avenge his father if he is
going to England?
• Will Hamlet go to England and be killed, or
will something or someone stop him?
• Where has Ophelia been? How’s she doing?
• Has Laertes heard of his father’s murder yet?
• Where is Fortinbras and his army?
Act IV, scene 4
• Where does this scene take place?
• Who has arrived in Denmark? How many are
there?
• What does the Captain tell Hamlet the army’s
mission is?
• What revelation does Hamlet have about
himself based on what the army is about to do?
• Do you think this will affect Hamlet going to
England? Explain
Act IV, scene 7
• What do Claudius and Laertes learn from
Hamlet’s letter?
• How can Claudius “use” Laertes’ desire for
revenge to his own advantage?
• What plan do Claudius and Laertes develop to
take down Hamlet?
• What has happened to Ophelia?
• How is this going to affect Laertes’ actions?