Telling Hamlets Story

Telling Hamlets Story 

William Shakespeare 1564 - 1616 

    Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has lost his father, The King and is completely devastated. Hamlet is called back home from school in Germany with the news of his father's passing. At the funeral, he is shocked to discover his mother, Queen Gurtrude has married his Uncle Claudius, and he has become the new King. Hamlet feels that this marriage between his mother and his fathers brother is "foul incest." The most unfortunate news is that his Uncle Claudius has crowned himself the new King of Denmark despite, Hamlet being the direct heir to his father's throne. Hamlet is suspicious of his father's death and his uncle’s new place as King. One night outside the castle Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost and his suspicions about his uncle are confirmed. The ghost tells Hamlet that King Claudius killed him. The ghosts asks Hamlet to seek revenge on Claudius for murdering him and take back the throne. Hamlet is disgusted by his uncles acts to kill his own brother and tells his father he will get justice for him. The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death but to spare Gertrude and let Heaven decide her fate. Hamlet promises his father he will do as he asks of him. Hamlet is in shock of what his uncle has done but swears he will avenge his father. "Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,  How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, As I perchance hereafter shall think meet, To put an antic disposition on" (Act I, Scene 5, lines 170 - 173). Hamlet vows to do as the ghost asks of him and hinds out in the castle spying on Claudius and the others to observe their interactions. 

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Play Bill 1599 and 1602

     Soon he finds himself second guessing the ghosts intentions and wonders if the spirit was really his father or just evil. Hamlet wonders if he is going mad or insane and wonders if he even really did see a spirit of his father. Hamlet is questioning his sanity and if he is immortal, "Why, what should be the dear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee, And for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself? It waves me forth again, I'll follow it. " (Act I, Scene 4, line 65). Hamlet thinks it could all be in his head and if he kills Claudius he will live in regret for the rest of his life. Hamlet feels weak for not being able to push these thoughts out of his head and just get the revenge his father deserves. Hamlet is struggling to decide what to do and what to believe here,  "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them" (Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 59-62). Hamlet decides to tests the ghosts truthfulness by getting help from a troupe of players who perform a play called The Murder of Gonzagoto. Hamlet added scenes to the play to recreate the murder of his late father. Hamlet calls his version of the play The Mousetrap. Hamlet watched his uncle Claudius' reaction to the staged murder which revealed that he did in fact kill his father. Hamlet is fully convinced now that Claudius is the enemy and decides to officially get his revenge. Hamlet continues to watch Claudius and tries to find a way to seek revenge on him. While doing so Hamlet actually causes six ancillary deaths. The first death was to Polonius, whom Hamlet stabs through a curtain as the old man spies on Hamlet and Gertrude in the Queen's private chamber. Claudius punishes Hamlet for Polonius' death by exiling him to England. Claudius has Hamlet's friends from school in Germany, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,  spy on his nephew. Claudius also tells the friends to give Hamlet over to the King of England for execution. Hamlet soon realizes his uncles plan to also get rid of him and arranges for the hanging of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern instead. Ophelia is devastated by the death of her father as well as Hamlet's insanity, that she drowns herself while seeing a depressing love song.  

Hamlet 1599 and 1602
Claudius and Hamlet 

     Laertes, the brother of Ophelia, comes back to Denmark from France to avenge his father's death and his sisters. After Ophelia’s funeral, Laertes and Hamlet begin to hate one another because they blame one another for the death of Ophelia.  Laertes swears he will get revenge on Hamlet for the death of his sister because he believes Hamlet is the cause of her death. Laertes and Claudius become allies due to their similar hatred for Hamlet and plan to kill him. Claudius is a ruthless leader and will take down anyone in his way, including his brother and nephew,  "I have sent to seek him, and to find the body, How dangerous is It that this man goes loose! Yet must not we put the strong law on him" ( Act 4 Scene 3 Lines 1-4). While in the middle of a sword fight between these two enemies, Laertes drops his poisoned sword. Hamlet then grabs the sword and stabs Laertes. The deadly poison from the sword ends up killing Laertes. Just before he dies, Laertes tells Hamlet he will soon die as well because he was also cut by the same deadly sword. Horatio grabs Hamlet's and tells him that the Queen has fallen. Queen Gertrude had seen Laertes fall during the sword fight and thought Hamlet had won. Gertrude then drinks a toast to her son, but drank from the poisoned cup Claudius had intended for Hamlet. Shortly after the Queen dies. While Laertes lays there dying, he tells Hamlet all about his scheme with Claudius to kill him and infuriates Hamlet even more. Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the same poisoned sword and pours the last of the poisoned wine down the Claudius’ throat. Right before he dies, Hamlet says that the throne is to be passed on to Prince Fortinbras of Norway.  Then Hamlet also dies and Prince Fortinbras becomes the King of Denmark and orders a proper funeral for Prince Hamlet.

work cited:

Hamlet: Entire Play, http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html.