HAMLET: PRINCE OF DENMARK

CHARACTERS

HAMLET: Princes of Denmark.

CLAUDIUS: King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle.

GERTRUDE: The Queen, Hamlet’s mother, now wife of Claudius.

POLONIUS: The King’s councillor.

OPHELIA: Polonius’s daughter.

LAERTES: Polonius’s son.

HORATIO: Hamlet’s friend.

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN: Courtiers and student friends of Hamlet.

SUMMARIES

PART ONE: THE GHOST

One night, a ghost appears at Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Two guards who see him are surprised because he looks like King Hamlet, who was dead. Horatio, Prince Hamlet's friend, is warned and the next night he stays with the guard. The ghost returns. Horatio asks what he wants but the ghost doesn’t respond. Prince Hamlet is sad because his father is dead and his mother is married to his father's brother. Hamlet doesn't like his uncle. Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost and tells him to come at midnight to the castle walls, and then he will understand. The ghost appears and tells Hamlet that he has died because his brother Claudio has murdered him. Hamlet doesn’t know if to believe what the ghost has said, but if it is true he will kill his uncle.

 

PART TWO: HAMLET AND OPHELIA

Ophelia lives in the castle, she is in love with Hamlet. Ophelia's father, Polonius, talks to King Claudius and Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. Claudius and Polonius, think of a trap to discover if Hamlet is in love with Ophelia. Polonius tells Ophelia to help, Ophelia accept. Hamlet thinks it's a trap and gets angry at Ophelia. 

PART THREE: THE PLAY

Two of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, come to see him. Hamlet thinks King Claudius has sent them to him. He doesn't trust them, he just trusts Horatio.They come to represent a play and Hamlet talks with them to represent the story told by the ghost. Hamlet thinks that if Claudius gets nervous, the story will be true. Claudius gets up and stops the play. Hamlet thinks the story is true.

PART FOUR: MURDER AND EXILE

At midnight Hamlet goes to his mother's room. She asks him why he has offended the king. Hamlet responds because she's betrayed her father. There is someone behind the curtain and when the queen calls, because she thinks Hamlet wants to kill her, the spy tries to help but Hamlet kills him. It was Polonius, Hamlet, he repents, and he thought he was the king.

The ghost appears in the room and Hamlet talks to him, Gertrude doesn't see him and he thinks his son is crazy.

Claudius discovers that Hamlet has killed Polonius and the flight sends to England so that the English can kill him so Claudius can be sure.

PART FIVE: SUICIDE

Laertes, Polonius's son, is very angry because he thinks Claudius has killed his father. Claudius tells her it's been Hamlet.

Ophelia is angry at Hamlet because he has killed his father and she goes crazy.

                                             

Hamlet writes a letter to Horatio telling him that he is in Denmark and that some pirates attacked his boat.

Leaters asks Claudius why he didn't put Hamlet in prison; Claudius tells him he's too popular with the people. Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet is in Denmark, Laertes wants to kill him.

Gertrude tells Laertes that her sister Ophelia has died.

Hamlet encounters Horatio in a graveyard, and Hamlet begins to speak of death with a skull in his hand.

PART SIX: THE REST IS SILENCE

While Hamlet is in the graveyard he sees a funeral, it is Ophelia's. Laertes, when he sees Hamlet, tells him that he has killed his father and sister. Claudius tells Laertes to challenge Hamlet in a fencing match because Hamlet loves this sport. Laertes says he will put poison at the tip of his sword to kill him. Claudius says if the plan fails he will give you a poisoned drink.

Hamlet and Laertes start the fight. Claudius offers them a drink.

As they fight, Gertrude catches Hamlet's drink, drinks and ends up dying.

Laertes hurts Hamlet with the poisoned sword, later Hamlet with Laertes's sword hurts him, and both are dying.

Hamlet, before dying, kills Claudius and tells Horatio to tell his story.