Hamlet

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his attempts to exact revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

Hamlet is considered among the "most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language", with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others". It is widely considered one of the greatest plays of all time. Three different early versions of the play exist: the First Quarto (Q1, 1603); the Second Quarto (Q2, 1604); and the First Folio (F1, 1623). Each version includes lines and passages missing from the others. Many works have been pointed to as possible sources for Shakespeare's play, from ancient Greek tragedies to Elizabethan dramas.

Characters

Main article: Characters in Hamlet

This play has many interesting characters. Hamlet is the main character, the son of the old king and nephew of the new king, Claudius. Gertrude is the queen and Hamlet's mother. Polonius is an important adviser to the king, and his daughter is Ophelia. Horatio is Hamlet's close friend. Other characters include Laertes, Polonius's son, and Fortinbras, the prince of Norway. There are also several courtiers, soldiers, and actors in the story. The Ghost of Hamlet's father appears to share important secrets.

Plot

Act I

Prince Hamlet is the son of the late King Hamlet of Denmark. His uncle, King Claudius, took the throne after marrying Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, very quickly after King Hamlet's death. Denmark and Norway have had problems in the past, and Denmark worries that Prince Fortinbras of Norway might attack.

One night, guards at Elsinore, the Danish castle, see a ghost that looks like King Hamlet. They call Hamlet's friend Horatio to see it too. The next day, Claudius talks to Hamlet about his sadness over his father's death and tells him not to return to school in Wittenberg. Hamlet meets the ghost that night, and it tells him that Claudius killed his father by poisoning him while he slept. Hamlet decides to get revenge but pretends to act crazy to hide his plans.

Act II

Ophelia tells her father, Polonius, that Hamlet acted strangely. Polonius thinks Hamlet is sad because he loves Ophelia too much. Two of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, come to watch Hamlet for Claudius. Hamlet welcomes them but knows they are spying on him. He asks some actors to perform a play showing a murder similar to his father's, planning to see how Claudius reacts.

Act III

Polonius tells Ophelia to give Hamlet back his letters. Hamlet gets very angry and says harsh things to her. Later, Hamlet watches the play he asked for, and when Claudius sees the murder scene, he leaves the room quickly. This proves to Hamlet that Claudius killed his father.

Gertrude talks to Hamlet, and Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius while thinking he is Claudius. Hamlet scolds his mother for marrying Claudius but decides not to kill him while he is praying.

Act IV

Hamlet jokes with Claudius about hiding Polonius's body. Claudius sends Hamlet to England with a letter to have him killed. Ophelia becomes very upset after her father's death and seems to lose her mind. Laertes, Ophelia's brother, returns from France and is angry about his father's death. Claudius plans to have Laertes kill Hamlet in a fencing match using a poisoned sword, or with poisoned wine if that fails. Ophelia dies in the water, and it is not clear if she did this on purpose.

Act V

Hamlet meets his friend Horatio and talks with some workers digging a grave. They find the skull of an old friend, Yorick. Ophelia's funeral happens, and Hamlet and Laertes fight but stop when they learn about Ophelia. Hamlet changes Claudius's plan so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be killed instead of him. Hamlet accepts a fencing match with Laertes. During the match, Laertes cuts Hamlet with a poisoned sword, and Hamlet cuts Laertes with his own poisoned sword. Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine meant for Hamlet and dies. Laertes tells Hamlet about Claudius's plan before he dies, and Hamlet then kills Claudius. Hamlet names Fortinbras to be the new ruler and dies. Horatio promises to tell everyone what happened.