3 Hamlet - An Analysis

HAMLET-An Analysis

Submitted by,Group No 1007_001

Amrita University

FDP in Use of ICT in Online & Blended Learning, IIT Bombay

Background Date of composition

Between 1598 and 1602

Sources of Hamlet

indebted to the following writers for the plot:

Saxo Grammaticus – Danish writer – Historica Danica –

Latin history of Denmark

Belleforest – French writer – Histories Tragiques

Sources modified by Shakespeare


Duration of action• Observed the unity of action

• Ignored unity of time

• Action takes place in 7 days

Day 1 – Act I; Sc. i, ii, iii

Day 2 – Act I; Sc. iv, v

Day 3 – Act II; Sc. i, ii

Day 4 – Act III; Sc. i, ii, iii, iv, Act IV; Sc. i, ii, iii

Day 5 – Act IV; Sc. iv

Day 6 – Act IV; Sc. vi, vii

Day 7 – Act V, Sc. i, ii


Dramatis Personae Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Claudius, King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle

The Ghost of the late king, Hamlet’s father

Gertrude, the queen, Hamlet’s mother

Polonius, Counsellor of State

Laertes, Polonius’ son

Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter

Horatio, friend and confidant of Hamlet

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, courtiers and classmates of Hamlet's in Wittenberg


Dramatis Personae contd… Fortinbras, Prince of Norway

Osric, a foppish courtier

Voltimand & Cornelius, Danish courtiers, ambassadors to the Court of Norway.

Marcellus and Barnardo, Danish officers on guard at the castle of Elsinore.

Francisco, Danish soldier on guard at the castle of Elsinore.

Reynaldo, a servant of Polonius

Players

A priest

Two Clowns (the Gravediggers), two rustics who dig Ophelia's grave.


Act-wise synopsis of the play


ACT 1Hamlet, young Prince of Denmark arrives on account of father’s

death – finds his mother has married his uncle Claudius, present

King – Hamlet encounters King Hamlet’s ghost – bitterness at his

mother’s hasty marriage – ghost’s revelation about King Hamlet’s

death by poison of Claudius – ghost requests to avenge murder –

Hamlet conceives scheme of feigning madness


ACT 2Polonious appoints Reynaldo to deliver cash & letters to Laertes -

Asks him to spy on Laertes - Ophelia informs about Hamlet’s

madness - Polonious believes Hamlet’s madness is his love for

Ophelia - Claudius suspects reality of Hamlet’s madness - Sets two

spies, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz - Hamlet arranges a play –

story of Priam and Hecuba’s - story similar to his father’s death – to

watch Claudius’ reaction for evidence of guilt – Claudius’ consent to

Fortinbras to march through Denmark


ACT 3Guildenstern & Rosencrantz fails to find cause of Hamlet’s madness

– Claudius overhears lover’s talk – convinced that a deep thought

other than love causes his madness – Hamlet gets play enacted –

Claudius orders stoppage – convinced of Claudius’ guilt – Hamlet

decides to avenge – bound by morals – Polonius hides in Gertrude’s

closet – gets accidentally killed by Hamlet – Hamlet talks with ghost

– Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England & get him killed


ACT 4Queen tells King, of Polonius’ death – King convinced of Hamlet’s

madness – sends him to England – Hamlet escapes from captors –

returns secretly to Elsinore – Laertes returns to avenge his father’s

death – Laertes convinced by Claudius that Hamlet murdered his

father & caused Ophelia’s madness – Ophelia drowns herself in a

pool – Laertes’ decision to take revenge – conspires with Claudius –

arranges a fencing match


ACT 5Ophelia’s funeral – Laertes overcome by grief – throws himself into open

grave – Hamlet follows Laertes – short scuffle between them – paves way

for fencing match – Hamlet wins in first two rounds – Claudius offers him

poisoned drink – Hamlet refuses – Gertrude drinks it to celebrate Hamlet’s

victory – she dies – third round Laertes wounds Hamlet with poisoned

rapier – rapiers exchanged – Laertes too wounded – Hamlet wounds

Claudius – forces him to drink remaining poison – Claudius & Laertes dies

– Horatio attempts to die – Hamlet objects – announces Fortinbras as his

successor to throne – Hamlet dies – Fortinbras arrives to report victory over

Poland - witnesses tragedy – arrangements for Hamlet’s funeral


Character SketchHamlet

• a refined mind

• philosophical, sceptical

• Procrastination – tragic flaw

• thought obstructs only main action

• wit & humour

• melancholy & madness

• imaginatively intellectual

Claudius

• a king

• a husband

• a villain

• a hypocrite

• a good schemer

• suspicious in nature

• troubled conscience

• a coarse minded villain

Polonius

• a father

• a courtier

• a fool

• follies due to conceit

• over confident

• sly ways

Horatio

• a friend

• common sense, honesty

• temperance

• honour

• sceptic


Character Sketch contd…The Ghost

• atmosphere of horror & fear

• motivating the action

• a mirror to reflect the characters

Gertrude

• a weak woman

• innocent

• love for Hamlet

• love for Claudius

Laertes

• determination

• impetuosity

• love for Ophelia

• contrast to Hamlet

Ophelia

• beautiful

• timidity

• love for Hamlet

• innocent but not ignorant

• madness


Critical Appreciation contd…• neither gross nor crude or extraneous

• appearance of ghost & atmosphere of forewarning

• link between earth & supernatural world

• helps in development of plot

Supernatural element

• reveal inner thoughts of characters

• 7 soliloquies by Hamlet

• reveal his speculative nature, cause of delay, contempt for world Soliloquies

• genuine or feigned madness?

• genuine madness with Ophelia; feigns madness with Polonius, Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

• acts normally with whom it is safe

Problem of madness


Critical Appreciation• masterly in effect

• arouses interest

• atmosphere of gloom, mystery and unrestOpening Scene

• 3 movements

• act of exposition; creates personality of hero; hero kills father

• main revenge theme - interrelated with other themes -faithlessness, love, ambition, madness

Plot Construction

• prone to think than act; brooding nature

• sets aside a golden opportunity on grounds of moral idealism

• result- though much is expected only little is achieved

Hamlet's irresolution &

procrastination


Critical Appreciation contd…

• to confirm the Ghost's words of Claudius' guilt

• opportunity to Shakespeare to criticize contemporary actors and playwrights

Play within the play

• transformation in hero's character

• initial state of depression

• final scene - composure comes back

• a change involving maturity & growth in stature & wisdom

Tragic effect & Hamlet's self-

realization


Credits


Template Courtesy:

Shakespeare template http://www.m62.net/powerpoint-templates/education-templates/shakespeare-template/

QUIZ


I. How did Claudius murder King Hamlet?(a) By stabbing him through an arras (b) By ordering him to be hanged(c) By poisoning his wineglass

II. Which of the following characters cannot see the ghost?(a) Marcellous (b) Hamlet (c) Gertrude

III. Which of the following characters survive the play?(a) Fortinbras, Horatio, and Osric (b) Prince Hamlet, Polonius, and Gertrude(c) Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern

IV. In whose history of Denmark did Shakespeare find background material for his play?(a) Oedipus of Thebes (b) Saxo Grammaticus (c) Franz Guntherhaasen


V. Why, according to Polonius, has Hamlet gone mad?(a) He grieves too much for his father (b) Claudius’ marriage with Gertrude.(c) He is in love with Ophelia.

VI. What is Hamlet’s tragic flaw in the play?(a) Pride (b) Greed (c) Procrastination

VII. How many soliloquies are delivered by Hamlet in the play?(a) 8 (b) 7 (c) 9

VIII. On which story is the Players’ play based on?(a) Priam and Hecuba (b) Priam and Achilles (c) Hector


ANSWERS

I. (c) By poisoning his wineglass

II. (c) Gertrude

III. (a) Fortinbras, Horatio, and Osric

IV. (b) Saxo Grammaticus

V. (c) He is in love with Ophelia.

VI. (c) Procrastination

VII. (b) 7

VIII. (a) Priam and Hecuba


Amrita School of Arts and Sciences, 2016

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3 Hamlet - An Analysis

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