Hamlet is the prince of Denmark his father was the king, but he died before the play begins Hamlet's uncle Claudius has taken over as King and married Hamlet's mother Gertrude. At the beginning at the play a ghost appears to some soldiers; he looks just like Hamlet's father, the dead King. The soldiers agree to tell Hamlet all about it. Claudius tells Hamlet he has to stop acting so sad about his father's death. Hamlet says he will. But, when he's by himself, he says he's disgusted that his mother married Claudius. Hamlet's girlfriend is Ophelia. Her father Polonius and her brother Laertes try to convince her that Hamlet doesn't love her they point out that because he's a prince he can't marry whoever he wants they think he's more likely to seduce her than marry her. Ophelia agrees not to talk to Hamlet any more Hamlet sees the ghost, who says he is Hamlet's father he also says that Claudius murdered him by pouring poison in his ear Hamlet swears to take revenge. He mentions to the soldiers that in the future he may find it useful to act as if he's crazy. Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet came to see her after she returned his love letters and he seems insane his clothes were messed up he was trembling and pale and he looked scared. Polonius now thinks Hamlet really did love Ophelia and he's gone mad because she rejected him. Claudius and Gertrude ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, some friends of Hamlet's from school, to spend time with them and try to find out why he's been acting crazy Rosencrantz and Guiledenstern try to cheer Hamlet up by telling him the group of actors has arrived at the castle Hamlet decides he'll have the actors perform a play that mimics the murder of his father. He wants to see if Claudius reacts to it and shows his guilt. he says the ghost might actually be a lying devil Claudius's reaction to the play will clear up the mystery Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius want to test the theory that Hamlet is acting crazy because he is lovesick so they spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet is very nasty to Ophelia and tells her she should go become a nun after hearing this Claudius decides Hamlet is not in love he does think Hamlet's obsessed with something and since he thinks Hamlet poses a threat to him he decides to send him to England that evening the actors perform the play Hamlet requested. When Claudius sees a scene where a king is murdered by having poison poured in his ear he becomes so upset that he gets up and leaves. Hamlet sees this reaction as proof that Claudius did indeed murder his father. When Claudius is by himself he admits he murdered Hamlet's father. he tries to pray for forgiveness but he can't seem to make himself do it hamlet comes into the room behind him with a sword but he decides not to kill him because he thinks claudius will go straight to heaven if he dies while he's praying and he wants him to go to hell hamlet goes to see his mother not knowing that she's given Polonius permission to hide behind a tapestry and listen to their conversation. Hamlet makes her sit down and tells her she's not leaving until he shows her how bad she really is. Gertrude gets frightened and calls out for help hearing her, Polonius calls out for help too and Hamlet, thinking it's Claudius behind the tapestry stands polonius through the clock and kills him. Hamlet tells his mother how awful it is that she sleeping with Claudius he doesn't come right out and say that road is murder King Hamlet or that he thinks gertrude knew about it he focuses more on how much better his father was the glorious and tries to make his mother promise not to sleep with claudius anymore she tells hamlet that he's making her feel guilty the ghost enters and scolds Hamlet for taking so long to get revenge hamlet sees the ghost but his mother doesn't she thinks is crazy Hamlet leaves hauling away Polonius's body claudius and hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern but he's by himself he says he's given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed letters ordering the king of england hamlet today immediately after opening the latter a three-year loses her mind following her father's death Laertes returns to Denmark billion noisy crowd of supporters he blames Claudius for his father's death and his sisters insanity and threatens to overthrow him Claudius manages to persuade Laertes that Hamlet is really to blame Horatio gets a letter from Hamlet saying that the ship he was on was attacked by pirates hamlet was taken prisoner by himself and brought back to Denmark Claudius and Laertes also receive a letter from Hamlet in which he says he's arrived back to Denmark alone and will come to see Claudius the next day now that they know hamlet didn't die in England they start plotting a new way to kill him the look like an accident Gertrude brings the news that Ophelia drowned in a stream. Two grave diggers talk and joke while digging Ophelia's grave Hamlet gets into a conversation with one of them he doesn't yet know that Ophelia is dead Claudius, Gertrude and Laertes arrive to bury Ophelia they lay here in the ground but before they can throw earth on her Laertes leaps to into the grave to hug her one more time Hamlet finally realizes who they're burying and starts swearing that no one loved Ophelia more than he did he jumps into the grave too and he and Laertes fight until they're pulled apart Hamlet tells Horatio that on the way to England he stole the letter that would have sentenced him to death and wrote a replacement telling the king of england to put Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to death he managed to get free during the pirate attack and then he returned to Denmark. A courtier named was Osric interrupts them to invite Hamlet to a fencing match with Laertes to be held in front of the King and Queen Hamlet agrees before the match Laertes poisons the tip of his sword and Claudius poisons a cup of wine. Hamlet gets the first hit claudius is going to give him a precious pearl as a reward and he drops the pearl into the poison Cup and offers it to Hamlet but hamlet says he's not ready to drink yet Hamlet gets the second hit. Gertrude picks up the poisoned cup drinks from it before Claudius can stop her Laertes finally gets a hit wounding Hamlet with a poison sword and they both get mad and start grappling with each other in the scuffle they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned one gertrude collapses and says she's been poisoned Laertes confesses to hamlet he poisoned the sword and says they're both going to die he blames Claudius for the scheme. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink from the poisoned cup . Claudius dies. Laertes dies saying he's sorry for what he's done Hamlet tells Horatio to remain behind and tell the truth about everything that has happened then he dies Fortinbras a prince in Norway arrives with his army on a visit to Claudius when he sees that the whole royal family is dead he claims the kingdom for himself for more information about Hamlet see the Hamlet SparkNote on sparknotes.com If you'd like a translation of Hamlet into modern English see No Fear Hamlet on sparknotes.com