The document provides a detailed summary of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. It includes background information on Shakespeare, a plot summary of the play organized by acts, analysis of main characters, themes, and references. The play is set in 15th century Denmark and follows Prince Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's death at the hands of his uncle who is now the king and has married Hamlet's mother. It explores themes of revenge, morality, and the transience of life.

1. H A M L E T
William Shakespeare

2. > “ahmlet”
>Best known of Shakespeare’s tragedies
>Origin is Belle-Forest’s Histoires
Tragiques (1570)

3. William Shakespeare
Born:April1564,Stratford-upon-Avon
Died:1616
Buried:Stratford-upon-Avon
Parents:JohnandMaryArden
School:EdwardVIGrammarSchool
Wife:AnneHathaway(m.1582)
Children:Susanna(b.1583),
(twinsb.1585)Hamnet(d.1596)&Judith
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/h/hamlet/william-shakespeare-biography

4. No.ofPlaysWritten:37
Comedy:17
Tragedy:10
History:10
Poetry:
TheSonnets
ALover’sComplaint
TheRapeofLucrece
VenusandAdonis
FuneralElegybyW.S.
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/

5. • Work: Play
• Genre: Tragedy
• POV: Objective Third Person
(uses dialogue and without author’s commentary)
• Literary Period Written:
>Renaissance, Reign of Elizabeth I
• Literary devices Used: soliloquy

6. Historical Background:
Church:
> a widow is forbidden to marry her
deceased husband’s brother (incestuous)
> maimed rites are given to those who
committed suicide
> burial should be near the parish
church

7. Society:
> daughters should be obedient
> Scandinavian Territorial Wars
> Advantages of being a royalty, or in a
high social rank
> Public trial
>Loquacious courtier (scholars are coining
words from Greek and Latin)

8. Succession:
> Chief Men (Council) elect the
successor from the immediate male relatives
of the late ruler. The interested party may
present himself before the assembly.

9. Setting:
>Time: Medieval Period
> Year: 15th Century
> Place: Elsinore Castle, Denmark

10. Act I:
>The ghost of King Hamlet
showed up and asked his son
to avenge his death.

11. Act II:
>Hamlet feigned insanity.
>He invited the king and Queen
to watch ‘ The Mouse-Trap’ Play
which is intended to invoke the
guilt of the King.

12. Act III:
>Hamlet and Horatio succeeded in
invoking the guilt of the King.
>The Queen broke down under her son’s
indictment.
> Hamlet accidentally killed the
eavesdropper Polonius.

13. Act IV:
>Ophelia went insane and died by
drowning.
>Laertes returns and attempted
revolution.
>Hamlet is ‘exiled’ to London.
> The evil plot of Laertes and the King.

14. Act V:
>Death of the main characters.
>Horatio is tasked to tell the truth.
>Fortinbras summons the great
Council.

15. Conflicts:
> Man vs Man (Hamlet vs the King)
(Hamlet vs Laertes)
> Man vs Self (Hamlet vs his conscience)
(Ophelia vs her feelings)
> Man vs Fate (the King vs Death)
> Man vs Society (the King vs the Mob)

16. CHARACTER ANALYSIS

17. HAMLET:
>is a complex character
>astute
>he lacks the necessary power to overthrow
his Uncle Claudius
>a loyal son who used deception to achieve
justice
>wants to avenge his father’s death just like
Laertes and Fortinbras

18. CLAUDIUS:
>poisoned his own brother for the crown.
>strong, gracious and dignified, astute
and knows how to manage men.
>not entirely evil for he considers the
love of Gertrude for Hamlet.

19. HORATIO:
>poor, loyal, fellow student and friend of
Hamlet
>one of the finest minor characters in
Shakespearean plays.
>the balancing character since Hamlet is
rather impulsive
>displays composure and uses his
intelligence in a much calmer way.

20. GERTRUDE:
>Unsuspicious queen
>obviously in love and proud of Claudius.
>can be suspected as a conspirator in the
death of her husband
>does nothing to stop Claudius from
sending Hamlet to England
>she was able to warn Hamlet of the
poisoned cup of wine.

21. POLONIUS:
>an advisor to the King
>this Lord Chamberlain is a selfish fool
who loves to be in the center of the stage
>crafted three espionage throughout the
play in which the last one got him killed.

22. OPHELIA:
>submissive daughter of Polonius, the
sister of Laertes
>major dilemma is whether to follow her
heart or to obey her father’s orders
>her choice sealed her fate when she lied
to Hamlet

23. LAERTES:
>man with low moral standards who
warns her sister about Hamlet
>like Hamlet was driven by hatred and
thirst for justice thus was compelled to
jeopardy.

24. THE GHOST:
>is King Hamlet
>appeared several times in the play but
only to certain people
>The soul is condemned to walk on the
earth until his soul is cleansed of its sins.

25. ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDERNSTERN:
>the boyhood friends turned into spies of
Hamlet
>conventionally treacherous
>their excessive obedience to the crown
to execute Hamlet earned them death.

27. Theme:
Hamlet’s duty to avenge King
Hamlet’s death. (p. 100, Shakespeare Hamlet quotes)
Death eliminates differences among
people.
(https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/h/hamlet/critical-essays/yoricks-skull-as-a-major-symbol)
Morals:
What goes around, comes around.

28. REFERENCES
>Stockton, Carla Lynn. CliffsNotes on Hamlet. 10 Aug
2016
</literature/h/hamlet/hamlet-at-a-glance>.
>Roberts, James L. Shakespeare Hamlet Notes. © 1959.
Cliffsnotes Incorporated
>DiYanni, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry,
Drama, and the Essay 4th Ed. ©1998. Mc Graw Hill
>(ed. Beaty, et.al.). The Norton Introduction to
Literature 8th Ed. ©2002. W.W. Norton Company

29. Elaine Antonette P. Gunsi
4 AB English A
European Literature