Hamlet
1. Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet acts
strangely.
2. Polonius thinks that Hamlet is crazy – cause:
rejected love. He wants to immediately
inform the king (Note: nobody asked him).
3. R&G arrive at Elsinore, invited by Claudius.
4. Claudius believes that Hamlet acts strangely
because he is still sad for his father’s death.
5. R&G are asked to spy on Hamlet, report to
Claudius who will be ‘grateful’ ($).
6. News from Norway: Fortinbras will not attack
Denmark. But he will attack Poland.
7. He needs permission from Claudius to pass his
troops through Denmark (map) (?!?!).
8. Polonius: the 1st one to declare Hamlet mad. He
reads to the king and queen Hamlet’s love letter
adressed to Ophelia.
9. Polonius wants to prove that he is right about
Hamlet’s madness: he plans to spy on Hamlet and
Ophelia; Claudius and himself will hide behind
curtains and listen to their private conversation
(Note: nobody asked him).
Geographical context:
University of
Wittenberg
10. Hamlet calls Polonius a ‘fish-seller,’ and Polonius
denies this job. Hamlet says that fish-sellers are ‘very
honest men’ – in other words: ‘Polonius, you are a liar.’
‘Fish-seller’ = ‘selfish’ , Polonius you think only of
yourself!
11. In the Bible there is a story about an old man who
asked God to make him rich. In return, he promised
God to sacrifice ‘the first person who goes out of his
house’. His daughter was sacrificed for her father’s
desire to be rich (she was burnt alive).
12. Hamlet compares Polonius with the man in the Bible –
secret message: I know that you are ready to sacrifice
Ophelia’s happiness for your job (her feelings). Polonius
doesn’t understand (did not read the Bible).
13. Hamlet knows that R&G did not come just to see
him. He makes R&G confess that they work for
Claudius.
14. Hamlet confesses that he is depressed and he will
act strangely from now on (he tries to tell R&G the
truth, but they do not understand).
15. Actors come to Elsinore to entertain the royal
family.
16. Hamlet has a plan: ask the actors to play
something similar to his father’s death. If Claudius
becomes nervous – proof that the ghost was right
(Hamlet will write the script for the play: The Mousetrap).
Quotes:
1. ‘He took me by the wrist and looked at me strangely
for a long time. Then, without a word, he walked out
of the room, looking at me over his shoulder.’
2. ‘If you can discover the reasons for his strangeness, …
we shall both be very grateful.’
3. ‘To beautiful Ophelia,
I have little skill with words. I do not have the
language to describe my pain. But I love you. I am
yours for ever, my dear Lady, for as long as this body is
mine.’
4. ‘As a result, the Prince fell into sadness. He stopped
eating and sleeping. In the end, he became the
madman that we all pity today.’
Quotes:
5. ‘we can hide in the shadows and watch them. If I am
wrong about his love for my daughter, I will become a
farmer.’
6. ‘She must stay out of the sun. It is dangerous for her
health.’
7. ‘Old men have grey beards, small minds and weak
legs.’
8. ‘The world has lost all its meaning. Nothing seems
beautiful. Men cannot please me and women cannot
either.’
9. ‘We passed a group of actors on our way to the castle.
10.‘You see, I have played a joke on my uncle-father and
aunt-mother. They think that I am crazy. But I am only
crazy some of the time.’