Overview
This lecture summarizes the plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet, outlining the main events, themes, and character actions leading to the play's tragic conclusion.
The Ghost and Call to Revenge
- The ghost of King Hamlet appears at Elsinore Castle, witnessed by the watchmen and Horatio.
- The ghost reveals to Prince Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother Claudius, now king and husband to Queen Gertrude.
- The ghost commands Hamlet to avenge his death by killing Claudius.
Hamlet’s Struggle and Madness
- Hamlet commits to seeking revenge but delays due to his contemplative nature.
- Hamlet sinks into melancholy and appears insane, concerning Claudius and Gertrude.
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s friends, are tasked to spy on him.
- Polonius suggests Hamlet's madness is caused by love for Ophelia.
Testing Claudius’s Guilt
- Hamlet organizes a play recreating his father’s murder to observe Claudius’s reaction.
- Claudius’s guilty outburst during the play confirms Hamlet’s suspicions.
- Hamlet almost kills Claudius in prayer but refrains, fearing it would send his soul to heaven.
Polonius’s Death and Aftermath
- Hamlet kills Polonius, mistaking him for Claudius behind a tapestry in Gertrude's room.
- Claudius sends Hamlet to England with secret orders for Hamlet’s execution.
Ophelia’s Madness and Laertes’s Revenge
- Ophelia, grieving her father Polonius, goes mad and drowns.
- Laertes returns from France, furious, and is convinced Hamlet caused his family’s downfall.
- Claudius and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet using a poisoned sword and drink.
Final Duel and Deaths
- During a fencing match, Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned blade.
- Gertrude drinks poisoned wine intended for Hamlet and dies.
- Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned sword; Laertes reveals Claudius’s plot before dying.
- Hamlet kills Claudius and then dies from the poison.
Fortinbras and the Aftermath
- Fortinbras, prince of Norway, arrives to find the royal family dead.
- Fortinbras claims the Danish throne, and Horatio recounts Hamlet’s story.
- Hamlet is honored as a fallen soldier.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Elsinore Castle — The royal castle in Denmark where the play is set.
- Claudius — Hamlet's uncle, now king, who murdered Hamlet's father.
- Gertrude — Hamlet’s mother and Queen of Denmark.
- Ophelia — Daughter of Polonius, suffers madness after her father's death.
- Laertes — Polonius's son, seeks revenge for his family’s deaths.
- Fortinbras — Prince of Norway who seizes the Danish throne at the end.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the main characters and their relationships.
- Study the major themes of revenge, madness, and mortality.
- Prepare for questions on motives, the ghost’s significance, and Hamlet’s hesitancy.