1. Who Is He
•Prince of Denmark Character
•Son of Queen Gertrude & late King of • Melancholy/ sad/ sensitive
Denmark • Discontented with Denmark and
•Nephew of Claudius own family
• Protagonist /hero - main character •Better / full of hatred
•University student – studies •Enigmatic / mysterious
Interrupted •Cynical/ suspicious
because of father’s death •Disgust of his mothers sexuality
•Indecisive
• Hesitant yet also prone to
impulsiveness
•Reflective & thoughtful
•Can step easily into role of madman
•Fascination with dead bodies
Suicide •Very clever – always on top of
everyone’s motives
•Often displays almost total despair
Hamlet •True Machiavellian ( sneaky/
cunning )
•Awe ( fear/ respect ) stops him from when he wants to be
committing suicide
Distrust of Women Plagued with afterlife
•His mother •Wisdom of suicide
•What happens to bodies after they die
•Ophelia

2. Who is He Character
•King of Denmark •Calculating
•Brother of late King Hamlet •Ambitious
•Uncle of Hamlet •Driven by sexual appetite
•Plays antagonist / villain •Lust for power
•Occasional signs of guilt and human feeling
•Love for Gertrude seem sincere
Claudius
Who is she
Naïve Queen of Denmark
•Allowing Fortinbras to march Mother of Hamlet
in with full army Recently married to
•Re F & G spying on Hamlet Claudius
Gertrude
Character
•Loves Hamlet deeply
• Shallow / weak
•Seeks affection
•Wants status rather than truth or moral rectitude

3. Who is she
•Queen of Denmark
•Mother of Hamlet
•Recently married to Claudius
Character
•Loves Hamlet deeply
• Shallow / weak
•Seeks affection
•Wants status rather than truth or
moral rectitude
Gertrude

4. Who is she Character
•Queen of Denmark •Loves Hamlet deeply Who is he
•Mother of Hamlet •Shallow / weak
Polonius’s son
•Wife of Late King Hamlet •Seeks affection and status
•Rather than truth Ophelia’s brother
Gertrude
Character
•Passionate and quick to
Laertes
action
•An opposite of reflective
Who is he Hamlet
•Lord Chamberlain in Claudius’s court
•Father of Ophelia & Laertes
Character
•Conniving
•Pompous
•Hypocritical
Polonius •Self enamoured
•Dull – witted

5. Intrigue
Death •Murder of Hamlet
•Polonius – spies on everyone
•King Hamlet •Hamlet is he Crazy ??
•Polonius •Naivety of Claudius
•Attempted poisonous of Hamlet
•Ophelia
•Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
•Gertrude
Language
•Play rich in language
•Laertes •Characters show interest in language
eg Hamlet – “Words , words words”
•Hamlet
Polonius – Act 2 – scene 1
•Claudius “ I swear I use no art at all “
that is mad,” tis true , tis true “ tis pity
Suicide Major Themes and “pity tis true tis true.
Hamlet master if language but trouble
Many quotes in performing deeds -
“Oh that this too solid flesh “ see Act 4
“Meat & bone “ “ what would you undertake …”
Madness
•Hamlet - is he really insane
or faking it ?
Revenge
•Plays role of madman and Suicide •Fortinbras Denmark
• Links Hamlet & Ophelia •Hamlet Claudius
fools many
•Hamlet often thinks about it •Laertes - Hamlet
•When alone or with Horatio
he is incredibly lucid . •Ophelia commits it
•At times a bit manic but •Major upshot is religious
hardly insane •2 suicide sololoquies
•Ophelia – does become
insane and dies .