drama

1. Hamlet
William Shakespeare

2. Publication
 Written during the first part of the
seventeenth century (probably in 1600 or
1601)
 Hamlet was probably first performed in July
1602
 It was first published in printed form in 1603
and appeared in an enlarged edition in 1604

3. Setting
 The story takes place
in the country of
Denmark in the late
medieval period
(1450-1500)

4. The Story
 The raw material that Shakespeare
appropriated in writing Hamlet is the story
of a Danish prince whose uncle murders
the prince's father, marries his mother,
and claims the throne. The prince
pretends to be feeble-minded to throw his
uncle off guard, then tries to kill his uncle
in revenge.

6. Hamlet
 The Prince of Denmark
 Protagonist
 About thirty years old at
the start of the play
 Son of Queen Gertrude
and the late King Hamlet
 Nephew of the present
king, Claudius.

7. Hamlet continued
 Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical,
full of hatred for his uncle's scheming and
disgust for his mother's sexuality. A
reflective and thoughtful young man who
has studied at the University of
Wittenberg, Germany. Hamlet is
sometimes indecisive and hesitant, but at
other times prone to rash and impulsive
acts.

8. Claudius
 The King of Denmark
 Hamlet's uncle
 Antagonist
 Calculating, ambitious
politician, driven by
his sexual appetites
and his lust for power
 Shows signs of guilt
and human feeling—
his love for Gertrude
seems sincere

9. Gertrude
 Queen of Denmark
 Hamlet's mother
 Recently married to
Claudius
 Loves Hamlet deeply, but
she is a shallow, weak
woman who seeks
affection and status more
urgently than truth

10. Polonius
 The Lord Chamberlain
of Claudius's court
(advisor)
 Pompous, conniving
old man
 Father of Laertes and
Ophelia

11. Horatio
 Hamlet's close friend
 Studied with Hamlet at
the university in
Wittenberg (Germany)
 Loyal and helpful to
Hamlet throughout the
play

12. Ophelia
 Polonius's daughter
 Beautiful young
woman with whom
Hamlet has been in
love
 Sweet and innocent
young girl
 Obeys her father and
her brother, Laertes

13. Ophelia continued
 Dependent on men to tell her how to
behave
 Gives in to Polonius's schemes to spy on
Hamlet
 In her lapse into madness, she remains
maidenly, singing songs about flowers

14. Laertes
 Polonius's son
 Ophelia's brother
 Spends much of the
play in France
 Passionate and quick
to action
 Clearly a foil
(opposite) for the
reflective Hamlet

15. Fortinbras
 Young Prince of Norway
 His father the king (also
named Fortinbras) was
killed by Hamlet's
father
 Fortinbras wishes to
attack Denmark to
avenge his father's
honor
 Another foil (opposite)
for Hamlet

16. The Ghost
 Specter of Hamlet's
deceased father
 Claims to have been
murdered by
Claudius
 Calls upon Hamlet to
avenge him

17. The Ghost continued
 Other characters are not entirely certain
whether the ghost is what it appears to
be, or whether it is something else
 Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be
a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him
into murder
 The question of what the ghost is or
where it comes from is never definitively
resolved

18. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
 Two slightly bumbling
(stupid) courtiers
(companions)
 Childhood friends of
Hamlet
 Summoned by
Claudius and Gertrude
to discover the cause
of Hamlet's strange
behavior

19. THEMES
1. “By indirection, find direction out.”
(Hamlet)
2. Death is a mystery that no one can
explain
3. Revenge can be a driving motivation that
is unstoppable
4. Lies and deceit destroy relationships
5. Expectations are different for women than
men

20. The End