HAMLET PLOT
ACT 1:
• In Act 1 we learn
of several events that have preceded the play, namely that Hamlet has
returned
to Denmark from his university in Wittenberg after receiving news of
his
father's (King Hamlet's) death. We also
learn of the recent marriage of his mother to his uncle, Claudius, the
late
King's brother, which occurred "within a month" of King Hamlet's
funeral.
• In
addition, we
learn how the late King Hamlet slew in combat his neighbour, King
Fortinbras of
Norway and as a consequence of that victory received Norwegian lands. Now Prince Fortinbras of Norway, the son of
the Norwegian King, has raised an army and prepares to reclaim those
territories lost by his father.
• Also
in Act 1, the
Ghost of Hamlet's father is seen by a number of soldiers on watch at
the royal
castle at Elsinore on the Danish coast.
The Ghost's presence is reported to Hamlet, who eventually
speaks with
it. The Ghost tells Hamlet how he was
murdered by Claudius. The Ghost
instructs Hamlet to avenge his death, but to spare his mother for her
hasty
marriage to Claudius, as her punishment will come in the hereafter. Hamlet agrees to the Ghost's call for
revenge. As part of his strategy for revenge, Hamlet decides to feign
madness.
• Also in
this act,
Polonius, a counsellor to the King, bids farewell to his son, Laertes,
who is
about to sail to France. Both Laertes
and Polonius warn Ophelia, Polonius' daughter, about the dangers of her
relationship with Hamlet, who is of royal blood and unattainable. (Most probably Hamlet will be required to
marry royalty from a neighbouring state.)
As well, Polonius is concerned that Hamlet may only be flirting
with
Ophelia in order to seduce her. Ophelia
agrees to keep away from Hamlet.
ACT 2:
• By Act 2
Laertes
is in Paris and Polonius learns from Ophelia that Hamlet has come into
her room
in a wild and distracted state. This,
Polonius interprets, as Hamlet having gone mad out of love for Ophelia,
who has
continued to refuse contact with Hamlet on the advice of her father. Polonius then excitedly takes Ophelia's
report to the King and Queen as an explanation of Hamlet's recent
"mad" behaviour. Claudius and
Gertrude are pleased to hear Polonius' explanation as a possible reason
for
Hamlet's strange behaviour, which had been troubling them greatly. To be certain, however, that Hamlet is really
in love with Ophelia, Polonius suggests a test in which he and the King
will
secretly observe Hamlet and Ophelia alone together.
• Also
in Act 2 the
characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, student and childhood
friends of
Hamlet, are introduced. We learn that
they have been summoned back from Wittenberg to help Claudius and
Gertrude find
out what is ailing Hamlet and to help, if possible, restore his spirits.
• As
well as
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, a touring company of actors is introduced
in this
act. Hamlet requests of the actors that
in the near future they will perform a particular play for him, The
Murder
of Gonzago, into which he will insert some lines.
In the soliloquy that ends Act 2 Hamlet
reveals to the audience that the play will test the guilt of the King
and the
genuineness of the Ghost, whom Hamlet now fears may have been the devil
in
disguise.
ACT 3:
• In this
act the
King and Queen question Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Hamlet's
strange
behaviour. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
report that Hamlet will not reveal to them what is the matter with him.
• Also, as
arranged,
Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet and Ophelia alone together. After hearing their terse exchange, however,
Claudius concludes that it is not love for Ophelia that ails Hamlet,
but
suspects something far more threatening to himself.
Claudius therefore announces to Polonius that
Hamlet must be sent away to England on the pretext of collecting
tribute due to
the Danes. Polonius, however, believes
this plan should be delayed a little, suggesting that Hamlet should
first meet
with his mother so that she can learn the true source of his problem.
• The play that Hamlet has requested also
takes place in
this act. Many of the court attend,
including the King and Queen. Before the
play Hamlet speaks to Horatio, who we now learn, has been told of
Hamlet's
suspicions about his father's death.
Hamlet asks Horatio to watch with him for Claudius' reaction to
the
play, which mirrors in many ways the circumstances surrounding the
death of
King Hamlet. Horatio agrees to do this
and the play takes place. Claudius
reacts strongly to the piece and hurriedly exits. Hamlet
now believes Claudius' guilt to be
confirmed and the Ghost to have been telling the truth.
As for Claudius, he is now determined to send
Hamlet away to England, since he now considers Hamlet to be a real
threat. He therefore arranges for him to
go abroad in
the company of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
• Another
important
scene occurs in this act when Hamlet finds the King alone in prayer and
contemplates
killing him. He reconsiders, however,
thinking that to kill the King while he is praying would send the King
to
heaven and therefore do the King a favour.
• The final
and
climatic scene in this act happens when Hamlet confronts his mother in
her chamber. Unbeknown to Hamlet, Polonius
hides in the
room to overhear their conversation.
During their exchange, in which Hamlet berates his mother for
her
marriage to Claudius, Gertrude calls for help, fearing Hamlet is about
to
become violent. Polonius, too, calls
aloud for help and as a consequence is killed by Hamlet with his sword;
Hamlet
perhaps mistaking Polonius for Claudius.
The scene continues after Polonius' death with Hamlet further
criticising his mother's behaviour. As
Hamlet does so, the Ghost appears again.
Gertrude, however, cannot see the Ghost and becomes certain
Hamlet is
mad when she sees Hamlet addressing it.
ACT 4:
• Gertrude
tells
Claudius of Polonius' death. Claudius
responds by telling Gertrude that they must get Hamlet out of the
country
immediately. Hamlet later appears before
Claudius and is told that he must leave for England. Hamlet agrees to
go,
although he is suspicious of Claudius' motives.
Afterwards we learn Hamlet's suspicions to be justified as
Claudius has
prepared a letter for the King of England demanding that Hamlet be
executed
there.
• As
Hamlet is
leaving Denmark we meet for the first time the character of Fortinbras. Prince Fortinbras, through the pressure of
his uncle, the present King of Norway, has given up his plans of
attacking
Denmark and instead, is on his way to fight a war with Poland over some
disputed territory. To get to Poland he
must pass through Denmark and has gained permission to do so.
• Some
months have
passed. Ophelia we learn has become
insane, driven mad with grief over her father's death and her failed
relationship with Hamlet. Also, Laertes,
Ophelia's brother, has returned from France on hearing of the death of
his
father. Not knowing the full facts
surrounding his father's death and believing Claudius to be the agent
of
Polonius' death, Laertes storms in upon the King, hell-bent on revenge. Claudius tells Laertes his version of what
happened and then proposes a course of action,
whereby Laertes can kill Hamlet, yet have it appear to be an
accident. (The plan involves a fencing
match or sword fight between Laertes and Hamlet, the latter having
recently and
unexpectedly returned to Denmark, aided in his return by pirates, who
had boarded
his ship and captured him.) As Claudius
and Laertes plot Hamlet's death, news comes, by way of the Queen, that
Ophelia
has drowned. Ophelia fell by accident
into a brook, but allowed herself to be carried away, singing snatches
of songs
until the weight of her clothes caused her to drown.
ACT 5:
• Act
5 begins at
the cemetery at Elsinore where Ophelia's grave is being dug. Hamlet comes upon the scene and talks with
the gravedigger and his companion (characters sometimes called the
clowns). He asks the gravedigger to tell
him whose grave he is digging, but the gravedigger is unwilling to
co-operate,
responding to Hamlet's questions with comic banter.
Hamlet then muses on the theme of death and
the meaning of life to Horatio, who accompanies him.
Soon, however, Ophelia's funeral procession
arrives. The funeral is simple,
conducted with the minimum of rites.
Hamlet comments on this, saying to Horatio that the funeral must
be of
someone who had committed suicide.
Hamlet then learns that the funeral is Ophelia's.
• Meanwhile,
at the
funeral service Laertes appears to become overwrought with anger and
grief over
Ophelia's death and leaps into Ophelia's grave, cursing Hamlet. Hamlet, annoyed at what he sees as Laertes'
excessive behaviour, also leaps into the grave, where he proclaims his
past
love for Ophelia. The two struggle. They are eventually separated, however, with
Horatio leading Hamlet off and Claudius telling Laertes to hold back
his urge
for revenge until the fencing match can be arranged.
• Also
in this act
we learn how Hamlet foiled the plan by Claudius to have him killed in
England. Hamlet tells Horatio how he
instituted his own scheme to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed
in
England instead. Shortly after telling
Horatio this, a courtier named Osrick comes to Hamlet with a message
from the
King. The message asks Hamlet to take up
a wager which the King has supposedly entered into with Laertes. The
wager,
concerning a fencing match, is of course part of the plot by Claudius
to have
Hamlet killed with the help of Laertes.
Hamlet accepts the challenge.
• Before
the match
Hamlet apologies to Laertes for his behaviour at the grave site earlier. The match then takes place.
Claudius and Laertes have taken various
precautions to ensure than Hamlet is killed.
Claudius intends using poisoned wine to kill Hamlet, while
Laertes sword
is also tipped with poison. During the
contest, however, things go awry.
Gertrude accidentally drinks the poisoned wine and both Hamlet
and
Laertes are wounded with the poisoned sword.
Gertrude dies from the wine, thus alerting Hamlet to the
situation he is
in. Next, the dying Hamlet, on hearing
of Claudius' treachery from a repentant Laertes, wounds the King with
the
"envenomed" sword and makes Claudius drink the poisoned wine. Horatio wishes to die too, but Hamlet asks
him not to kill himself. He asks Horatio to live so that the truth of what has
happened can be told.
• The
act ends with
the stage littered with the dead bodies of Hamlet, Laertes, Gertrude
and
Claudius. Prince Fortinbras, having
returned from his war in Poland, arrives on the scene and claims the
throne of
Denmark.
