The document summarizes William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. It describes the plot, where Hamlet's father is murdered by his uncle Claudius who then marries Hamlet's mother. Hamlet decides to avenge his father's death by pretending to be mad. He stages a play to prove Claudius' guilt which disturbs the king. Hamlet eventually kills Polonius, thinking it was Claudius, which drives Ophelia mad with grief until she drowns. At Ophelia's funeral, Hamlet and Laertes duel but both are fatally wounded by a poisoned blade meant for Hamlet.

1. … the most important playwright of London writes one of his masterpieces… Hamlet

2. Hamlet’s father, king of Denmark has just dead His brother Claudius takes the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother Horatio sees king Hamlet’s ghost and tells it to Hamlet A night king’s ghost appears to Hamlet and tells him that Claudius murdered him, so Hamlet decides to avenge him Hamlet pretends to be mad so Claudius and Gertrude give to Polonius the task of discovering the cause of his madness Polonius attributes the cause of madness to Hamlet’s love for Ophelia, Polonius daughter Hamlet tries to stage a play with a company of actors, in order to re-enact his father’s murder and determine Claudius guilt or innocence

3. Claudius is disturbed to see that scene, so Hamlet decides to kill him Gertrude asks to Hamlet the reason of his behaviour and he tells her the truth about his father’s death Hamlet believing to kill Claudius murders Polonius while he is hidden Ophelia goes mad for her father’s death and drowns in a river At the Ophelia’s funeral procession her brother Laertes and Hamlet brave themselves Laertes pierces Hamlet with a poisoned blade but is wounded by it himself Gertrude drinks a poisoned wine and dies Hamlet manages to kill Claudius and names Fortimbras as his heir

4. Hamlet Saga of Hrolf Kraki (Scandinavian) Vita Amlethi (Saxo) Ur-Hamlet (Thimas Kyd) Legend of Brutus (Roman)

5. 1603 : Ling and Trundell’s “bad first Quarto” 1604 : Ling and Roberts’ second Quarto 1623 : Heminges and Condell’ s First Folio

6. Focus on characters, not on action, using soliloquies There’s no strong subplot Play full of seeming discontinuities and irregularities of action The play lasts much more than usual plays at that time (4hrs to 2hrs) Courtly language (elaborate, witty discourse) Great use of rhetoric (Hamlet’s the most skilled of all at rhetoric) Presence of hendiadys Great use of introspection, particularly in Hamlet’s soliloquies Language Dramatic structure

7. Mention of Purgatory Ophelia’s burial ceremony Mention of Wittenberg Belief that will of God controls everything Religion Catholic Protestant

8. The impossibility of certainty The complexity of action The mistery of death The nation as a diseased body Themes

9. Produced by Federico Indino & Max Facchini