an intro of hamlet

3. Playwright
Play/Drama
(comedy/
tragedy)
Script
dialogue
Audience Stage
Actors
characters

4. Playwright
…………
(………/
tragedy)
………
dialogue
Audience Stage
Actors
………………

5. Introduction to Drama

8. Shakespeare's Tragedy

9. Playwright
…………
(………/
tragedy)
………
dialogue
Audience Stage
Actors
……………

10. SETTING
The story takes place in the country of Denmark in the late
medieval period (1450-1500)

11. OPENING SCENES
• The War between Demark and Norway was about to
start

13. HORATIO
• Hamlet's close friend
• Studied with Hamlet at the
university in Wittenberg
(Germany)
• Loyal and helpful to Hamlet
throughout the play

14. 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.

15. CLAUDIUS
• The King of Denmark
• Hamlet's uncle
• Antagonist
• Calculating, ambitious politician,
driven by his ambition and his lust for
power
• Shows signs of guilt and human
feeling—his love for Gertrude seems
sincere

16. 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

17. 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

18. POLONIUS
• The Lord Chamberlain of
Claudius's court (advisor)
• Deceptive old man
• Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Do thisanddon’t dothat

19. 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

20. 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

21. THE GHOST
• Specter of Hamlet's deceased father
• Claims to have been murdered by
Claudius
• Calls upon Hamlet to avenge him

23. 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

24. The idea of the five-act structure is a useful one, though, as it follows the model
designed by Gustav Freytag, a German author from the 19th-century. Having
carefully studied classical drama, he suggested there were five stages in a tragic
dramatic structure.
He named these stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and
catastrophe.

25. William Shakespeare
• What do you know about him?

26. Notes
• full title:
• genre:
• setting (time):
• setting (place):
• Characters > mention the names, jobs and their
personality traits

27. Notes
• full title: the tragedy of Hamlet
• genre: tragedy
• setting (time): in the late medieval period (1450-1500)
• setting (place): Demark and Norway
• Characters > mention the names, jobs and their
personality traits