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Hamlet
by William Shakespeare · Literature Notes

Hamlet defies them, insisting that he doesn’t value his life

At a Glance
enough to care what happens to him.
Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare between
Act 1, Scene 5
1599 and 1601. It outlines the Prince of Denmark’s struggle to
Having led Hamlet away from Horatio and Marcellus, the ghost
avenge his father’s murder, highlighting his difficulty pursuing his
confirms that he is the ghost of King Hamlet. He also tells Hamlet
sense of duty and honor in the face of not just practical
that his death wasn’t an accident—Claudius poisoned him.
difficulties but also his sense of the inconsistencies and
Having said this, the ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death.
uncertainties in the political, religious, and cultural world that
Horatio and Marcellus catch up after the ghost disappears, and
make his goal of taking revenge potentially immoral or even
Hamlet makes them swear to keep silent about the ghost, adding
pointless. The play is arguably the most famous revenge tragedy
that he might act strange in the coming days.
ever written.
Act 2, Scene 1
Summary In Elsinore, Polonius hatches a plan to spy on Laertes, wanting to
know what kind of life his son is leading in France. After he puts
Act 1, Scene 1 this plan in motion, Ophelia enters and tells him that Hamlet
One night at the Danish castle of Elsinore, a soldier named burst into her room looking crazy. Assuming Hamlet is angry
Barnardo relieves Francisco—a fellow soldier—from his watch because Ophelia has spurned his advances, Polonius worries that
duties. Another soldier, Marcellus, and a nobleman named he misled his daughter by telling her to avoid the prince.
Horatio also arrive, and the group talks about rumors of a ghost.
Act 2, Scene 2
Horatio is skeptical, but then the ghost appears wearing the
Claudius receives news that Fortinbras, the aggressive Prince of
clothes of the late King Hamlet. The ghost says nothing, but
Norway, has been convinced to invade Poland instead of
Horatio is sure its appearance is ominous. Because the ghost
Denmark, though he wants permission to pass through Denmark
won’t speak to him, Horatio decides to fetch Prince Hamlet.
on the way to war. Meanwhile, Hamlet’s old friends Rosencrantz
Act 1, Scene 2 and Guildenstern arrive to cheer him up, bringing with them a
Claudius—the late King Hamlet’s brother—holds court, having troupe of actors. Seeing an opportunity, Hamlet decides to have
become king by marrying Gertrude, Prince Hamlet’s mother. He the actors stage a reenactment of his father’s murder so that he
and Gertrude encourage Hamlet to stop mourning his father, can gauge Claudius’s reaction.
insisting that death is natural and that it’s ill-advised to dwell too
Act 3, Scene 1
long on loss. When they exit, Horatio enters and informs Hamlet
To gauge Hamlet’s mental state, Claudius and Polonius hide
about the ghost of his father, and Hamlet plans to accompany
while Ophelia engages him in conversation. In this exchange,
him to the ramparts that night to see for himself.
Hamlet goes back and forth about whether he ever truly loved
Act 1, Scene 3 Ophelia, confounding her and ranting about how she should flee
Laertes—the son of Claudius’s advisor, Polonius—prepares to to a convent because women like her tempt men into
leave for France. As he does so, he talks to his sister, Ophelia, wickedness. Feeling that Hamlet is truly unwell, Claudius plans
about Hamlet, warning her not to get too close to him. Polonius to send him to England so he won’t wreak havoc in Denmark.
enters and overhears some of this conversation. After Laertes
Act 3, Scene 2
departs, Polonius supports his son’s points about Hamlet, making
In a private conversation, Hamlet tells Horatio to watch Claudius
Ophelia promise to stop spending time with the young prince.
during the play. If Claudius responds calmly to the theatrical
Act 1, Scene 4 depiction of King Hamlet’s murder, then perhaps he’s truly
Hamlet goes to the ramparts with Horatio and Marcellus and innocent. However, when the scene takes place, Claudius jumps
encounters the ghost. He asks the ghost questions, but instead of up and storms away. Hamlet is certain this means Claudius is
answering them, the ghost encourages Hamlet to follow it. guilty. Meanwhile, Gertrude is deeply upset by Hamlet’s
Horatio and Marcellus try to prevent Hamlet from going, but insensitivity, and Hamlet worries that he has been too cruel to

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his mother. once more to take action against his father’s murderer.
Act 3, Scene 3 Act 4, Scene 5
Catching wind that Hamlet is on his way to Gertrude’s chamber, In the aftermath of Polonius’s death, Ophelia has lost her mind
Polonius plans to hide and eavesdrop on their conversation. He with grief. She rants to Gertrude and Claudius about nonsensical
thus leaves Claudius alone, at which point the king delivers a matters, frequently referencing flowers. Shortly thereafter,
soliloquy in which he confesses to murdering his brother. He’s Elsinore is overtaken as Laertes makes a bold entrance and
remorseful, but not so remorseful that he wants to genuinely accuses Claudius of killing Polonius, but Claudius insists that he’s
atone for his sins. As he prays, Hamlet enters and considers innocent, even saying that he’ll gladly stand trial. Once he has
killing him, but he ultimately decides to wait until Claudius sins cleared his name, Claudius says, he’ll help Laertes take revenge
again. on his father’s true killer.
Act 3, Scene 4 Act 4, Scene 6
Hamlet enters Gertrude’s room and has strong words for her. Two sailors bring Horatio a letter from Hamlet, who has been at
Gertrude becomes frightened and cries for help, and Polonius sea for two days. The letter informs Horatio that the ship Hamlet
yells from his hiding place behind a tapestry. Startled, Hamlet was on was overtaken by pirates, who took Hamlet hostage. In
stabs him, and then the ghost appears and urges Hamlet to hurry his letter, Hamlet tells Horatio to direct the two sailors to
his quest for revenge. Gertrude thinks her son is crazy but agrees Claudius so that they can deliver a second letter to the king.
to keep quiet about what has happened. Hamlet says he must
Act 4, Scene 7
sneak away before he’s sent to England, where he suspects
After convincing Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius, Claudius
Claudius has arranged his execution.
receives the prince’s letter, which informs him that Hamlet has
Act 4, Scene 1 returned to Denmark and wants to meet. With this in mind,
Gertrude tells Claudius that Hamlet is crazy and that he killed Claudius and Laertes hatch a plan for Laertes to kill Hamlet in a
Polonius, so Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to fencing match using a poisoned rapier. Just then, Gertrude
find him and to locate Polonius’s body. Hamlet’s old friends catch enters and informs them that Ophelia has drowned. Distraught,
up with him, but he refuses to reveal where he put Polonius’s Laertes leaves to mourn his sister and prepare to kill Hamlet.
body. He eventually runs off and tells them they’ll have to catch
Act 5, Scene 1
him.
Two gravediggers prepare Ophelia’s gravesite. Hamlet and
Act 4, Scene 2 Horatio encounter them and talk about death. As they talk,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern catch up with Hamlet, but he Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude appear with a priest and
refuses to reveal where he put Polonius’s body. He eventually Ophelia’s body. Seeing Laertes mourning Ophelia, Hamlet
runs off and tells them they’ll have to catch him. reveals himself and insists that he’s more upset than Laertes
about Ophelia’s death. This leads to a brawl, though their fight is
Act 4, Scene 3
broken up, and Claudius privately tells Laertes to be patient in
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz catch up with Hamlet and bring
his desire to take revenge on Hamlet.
him to Claudius, who asks where the prince has stashed
Polonius’s body. After evading the question, Hamlet suggests Act 5, Scene 2
that Polonius’s body is somewhere in the hall of the castle. Back in Elsinore, Hamlet accepts a challenge to fence Laertes.
Claudius, for his part, still plans to have Hamlet taken to England, When the duel begins, he quickly lands several hits. Meanwhile,
and he privately notes (after Hamlet has been led out of the Gertrude accidentally drinks poisoned wine intended for
room) that he has instructed the King of England to execute Hamlet. Laertes hits Hamlet with the poisoned rapier but loses
Hamlet. hold of the sword—Hamlet grabs it and cuts Laertes with it. As
Laertes dies, he reveals that Claudius masterminded the plot to
Act 4, Scene 4
kill Hamlet, so Hamlet stabs the king. Everyone except Horatio
Fortinbras arrives at Elsinore with his army and instructs his
dies, at which point Fortinbras appears and takes the throne.
primary captain to tell Claudius that they are at his service while
passing through Denmark on their way to conquer Poland.
Hamlet then crosses paths with the captain, and when he
realizes that Fortinbras has sent so many soldiers to conquer
Poland (which is not viewed as all that valuable), he feels inspired

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Characters ▪ He worries that Hamlet knows of his misdeeds, a

suspicion verified when Hamlet puts on a play that
Hamlet mirrors his father's murder.
• Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. ▪ Claudius then attempts to pray to God for forgiveness,
◦ He is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, but he admits that, though he won't be forgiven unless
and nephew and stepson to the current king, Claudius. he repents in action as well as in words, he doesn't
actually feel real regret: he is content with his position
▪ He is full of existential musings, immaturity, and layers
of complexity, making him an unusual protagonist in a and his marriage to Gertrude.
play about revenge. ▪ Driven by ambition and greed, he seeks primarily to
hold on to what he has taken by whatever means
◦ He is a university student, and his long monologues
throughout the play appear to be an exploration of his necessary—no matter the cost.
inner thoughts as he struggles to distinguish between Gertrude
what society expects of him and what he believes.
• Gertrude is one of only two female characters in Hamlet, and
◦ His father's ghost orders him to take revenge on Claudius her plotline is indicative of the play's exploration of women.
for murdering him, yet Hamlet questions whether revenge
is ever right—and if taking revenge will ever be enough.
◦ As the Queen of Denmark, her safety and social rank are
dependent upon her connection to a powerful man—a
▪ His hesitation leads to his inaction, his rumination on reality that leads to her swift marriage to Claudius
the meaning of life and death, and his trouble following the death of her husband.
distinguishing between what is real or not.
▪ This decision is regarded as cruel and calculating by her
◦ Shakespeare utilizes Hamlet to investigate the nihilism son, Hamlet, but it is one of the few choices available to
one may face when life and death are seen as random and a woman in her position.
futile.
◦ Gertrude is one of the most multi-faceted characters in
▪ His mistreatment of his lover Ophelia and his mother the play, and her true intentions are often hard to gauge.
Gertrude, his killing of Polonius, and his humiliation of
Claudius are all results of his indecision.
▪ For instance, when confronted by Hamlet, she admits
that reflecting on her choice of marrying Claudius after
▪ As Hamlet delays in taking action and claiming the the death of King Hamlet is too painful to think about.
throne, the kingdom of Denmark grows increasingly
unstable and exposed to outside threats.
▪ It is unclear if Gertrude is aware of Claudius's
murderous ambition, but either way, she seems as if she
▪ His conflicting personality, winding speeches, and would rather not delve too deeply into the subject.
doomed fate make him one of Shakespeare's most
renowned characters, and one of theater's greatest
◦ Her story is linked to the play's theme of action and
inactivity, as her marriage to Claudius, whether she knows
mysteries.
of his crime or not, is a prime example of the complex
Claudius moral implications of both taking and avoiding action.
• Claudius is Hamlet's uncle and, ever since he took the throne
Ophelia
as the King of Denmark, Hamlet’s new stepfather.
• Ophelia, the only female character in the play other than
◦ After the death of Hamlet's father, Claudius marries Gertrude, is Polonius's daughter, Laertes's sister, and
Gertrude, his brother's widow, and seizes the throne, Hamlet's lover.
much to Hamlet's deep resentment and mistrust.
◦ While she shows traits of honesty and wit, she is
▪ At the start of the play, the ghost of Hamlet's father manipulated and controlled by the greater forces—and
appears to Hamlet, revealing that Claudius killed him in particularly by the men—around her.
order to gain the throne, and the apparition urges
Hamlet to take revenge.
▪ At the beginning of the play, she and Hamlet are in an
ambiguous relationship, and her father uses her to try
▪ Hamlet's hatred for Claudius increases following this and discover the source of Hamlet's madness, unaware
revelation, yet he still fails to act. that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad.
◦ Meanwhile, Claudius assumes Hamlet's behavior is
▪ When Ophelia acts as part of her father's plan, Hamlet
evidence of insanity, and he sends Rosencrantz and takes out his frustration on her, cruelly suggesting she
Guildenstern to investigate.

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become a nun and making inappropriate remarks. the play and claims to be Hamlet's father, unable to enter
◦ The death of her father and abuse from Hamlet cause her heaven because he was murdered by Claudius and unable to
to lose her mind and eventually take her own life. receive his last rights.
▪ In this way, she recaptures a semblance of personal ◦ Hamlet seems to at once believe that the specter is his
agency that was unavailable to her in life. father, but at the same time to fear that it might be some
demon tricking him, a worry which helps drive Hamlet's
Polonius feverish inaction.
• Polonius, a counselor to Claudius and father to Ophelia and
▪ Horatio, Marcellus, Barnardo, and Francisco can all see
Laertes, is a verbose, conventional, and fumbling old man. the spirit, though it is debatable if it can decide who it
◦ His servility to the king and queen makes Hamlet doubt appears to.
him, viewing the old man as spineless and deceptive.
▪ This is demonstrated when Gertrude is unable to
▪ Polonius is desperate to stay in the good graces of the observe the ghost in her room, either by choice or by
monarchs, and he devises many ways of spying on circumstance.
Hamlet, generally behaving in petty, meddlesome, and
◦ The ghost is pivotal to many of the play's main ideas, such
hypocritical ways. as the contrast of what is real and what is not, action and
◦ In an effort to eavesdrop on a conversation between inaction, religion, respect, and revenge.
Gertrude and Hamlet, he hides behind a tapestry in the
▪ It urges Hamlet to act and becomes agitated with him
queen's chambers. when he does not.
◦ When he makes a noise, Hamlet stabs his sword through
▪ At the same time, the ghost is stuck in a limbo, unable
the fabric, believing that Polonius is Claudius. to leave until its mission is accomplished and sentenced
▪ Polonius's arc ties in with the theme of appearance to a kind of horrible purgatory because of what seems
versus reality, as his machinations and flattery in like a religious technicality.
pursuit of power make it impossible to identify his true
▪ This serves as a reminder of death's power and that the
self or intentions. afterlife might not be pleasant, regardless of one's
Laertes deeds while alive.
• Laertes is Ophelia’s brother and Polonius’s son. Horatio
◦ A student at a university in France, Laertes is gallant, • Horatio is Hamlet's most loyal and trusted friend.
worldly, hotheaded, and obsessed with his family’s honor.
◦ He is eager to help Hamlet discover the truth of his
▪ In other words he is in many ways Hamlet's opposite: father's passing and seek revenge, but as Hamlet's
active while Hamlet is passive, physical while Hamlet is behavior grows more erratic and irrational, Horatio
verbal. becomes concerned that his companion is in over his head
◦ Laertes's love for Ophelia and duty to Polonius drive him and cautions him against jeopardizing his name and safety.
to passionate action, while Hamlet's love for Gertrude and ▪ Horatio implores Hamlet not to engage in the duel with
duty to King Hamlet drive him to tortured inaction. Laertes, which ultimately leads to the demise of
▪ And yet, Laertes is never portrayed as being better than himself, Gertrude, Laertes, and Claudius.
Hamlet. He isn't an image of what Hamlet could be if ▪ When Hamlet succumbs to the poisoned saber wielded
only Hamlet wasn't so navel-gazing. Rather, Laertes's by Laertes, Horatio contemplates taking his own life,
orientation towards action makes him easy for but Hamlet pleads with Horatio to stay alive and spread
Claudius to manipulate. the truth of his story to the world.
◦ His desire to avenge his father and sister makes him a
willing pawn in Claudius's plots against Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
• Claudius calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—Hamlet's old
▪ Those plots ultimately result in getting Laertes himself
killed, but not before Laertes realizes his mistake and classmates—to Elsinore because he wants them to figure out
reveals Claudius's treachery to Hamlet before forgiving the cause of Hamlet's insanity.
Hamlet himself. ◦ Upon their arrival, Hamlet discerns their motives and
accuses them of being "sponge[s]" who let themselves be
The Ghost manipulated by Claudius.
• A supernatural being that appears to Hamlet at the start of

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▪ After learning of Claudius's plan to have him executed, Cornelius

Hamlet forges a letter that orders the death of • A Danish ambassador to Norway.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern instead, resulting in
Reynaldo
their eventual demise.
• Polonius's servant.
Fortinbras
Captain
• Prince Fortinbras of Norway starkly contrasts Hamlet.
• A soldier serving in Fortinbras's army.
◦ Driven by a desire to expand his kingdom, make a name for
himself, and take revenge for the death of his father (who
was killed by Hamlet's father), Fortinbras is actively Themes
pursuing his goals.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
▪ This is in contrast to Hamlet, whose inactivity is
• Hamlet belongs to a literary category known as the "revenge
highlighted by the frequent mention of the Prince of
play," which features a person—usually a man—seeking
Norway's exploits.
revenge against those who have somehow done him wrong.
◦ Fortinbras is only seen on stage at the end of the play.
◦ Shakespeare's interpretation of this theme, however, is an
First Player original one: Hamlet, the one who must avenge his father's
• The leader of an acting troupe that comes to Elsinore. death, is unable to do so.

◦ When the player performs a scene from the Trojan War, ▪ He struggles with the moral implications of taking
Hamlet is overcome that the player can show such revenge as well as the practical difficulties of it.
emotion when merely acting, while Hamlet himself can't ▪ He deliberates at length about the task before him,
get himself to take revenge on his uncle. and—meanwhile—many of the other characters in the
play squabble and die of their own accord.
▪ This leads Hamlet to devise a play for the troupe that
enacts what he has been told by the ghost about his ◦ In this way, Shakespeare short-circuits the entire process
father's murder as a way to figure out, by Claudius's of deliberation regarding the morality of vengeance,
reaction, whether his uncle is actually guilty. ultimately suggesting that death will eventually find
everyone regardless.
Gravediggers
• Hamlet is faced with two decisions: to kill Claudius and
• Two gravediggers who—in a combination of ridiculous and
avenge his father, or to take his own life to avoid having to
profound banter—debate death, the afterlife, and the
murder his uncle.
absurdity of funeral services.
◦ He initially attempts to carry out his father's wish (for him
◦ Their conversation furthers the play's ideas about
to kill Claudius), but he fails to act in time and begins to
corruption, mortality, and the difference between what is
question his own capability, pretending to be crazy as a
seen and what is real.
way of hiding the truth.
Osric ▪ In an iconic line, Hamlet poses the question of whether
• A dandyish member of the court whose servile praise of the or not it is better "to be or not to be." Despite
Danish nobility rankles Hamlet. determining that neither action nor inaction has any
bearing on morality, he is still unable to make a decision
Marcellus until it is too late.
• A Danish soldier.
▪ By the time he tries to act, Claudius and Laertes have
Barnardo already devised a plan to kill Hamlet in retaliation for
• A Danish soldier. Polonius and Ophelia's deaths, and he is fatally
wounded by Laertes' poisoned rapier.
Francisco ◦ When Hamlet finally makes any kind of decision about
• A Danish soldier. whether or not to enact revenge, then, it's already too late
to make a difference.
Voltemand
• A Danish ambassador to Norway. • The lingering presence of Fortinbras is another important
part of this theme.

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◦ Fortinbras is the young prince of Norway who has • Throughout the play, many of the characters face a
succeeded his father, also named Fortinbras, to the throne. disconnect between how things seem and how they really are,
The prince is intent on reclaiming Denmark and other but the characters also engage in deception themselves.
lands lost by his father in battle, and is marching through ◦ Hamlet is the prime example of this, as he pretends to be
Europe to achieve this. mad in order to investigate his uncle's murder of his father.
▪ Hamlet overhears these plans and is reminded of his He lashes out at Ophelia and Gertrude, gets Rosencrantz
own failure to take decisive action to avenge his father. and Guildenstern killed, and criticizes his mother and the
◦ Eventually, Fortinbras arrives at Elsinore and finds a courtier Polonius for their false personas.
massacre, yet he is still chosen by Horatio and the ◦ Despite this, he is constantly worrying about being
deceased Hamlet to take the Danish throne. deceived. This is seen in his monologues and soliloquies,
▪ Fortinbras is rewarded with the power and control that but in the end, he is part of the same game he fears.
Hamlet always desired, even though others who took • Similarly, characters in the play such as the ghost of Hamlet’s
similarly decisive steps–like Claudius and father, Gertrude, Polonius, and Ophelia all challenge the
Laertes—have met with death. separation between what's seen and what's real.
• At the conclusion of the play, all of the main characters have ◦ The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to Hamlet a second
perished and a new ruler has come to rule Denmark. time in Gertrude's room, though she claims she cannot see
◦ Throughout the narrative, Hamlet has grappled with a it.
number of profound dilemmas: "to be or not to be," ▪ This raises the possibility that the ghost is a figment of
whether to take vengeance or not, whether to accept or Hamlet's imagination, or that Gertrude is hiding her
reject the throne. knowledge of his murder. The ghost inspires awe and
▪ However, time has not stood still, and death has taken fear in the watchmen and sentinels, while Gertrude
all of the protagonists, some due to Hamlet's actions, pretends innocence.
some due to his inaction. ▪ Furthermore, Polonius gives advice that clashes with
◦ The play thus seems to suggest that it doesn't matter what his own decisions, and Ophelia denies her love for
a person plans (or doesn't plan) to do—death will Hamlet to please her father.
eventually come regardless of human designs. ◦ In the end, then, all of these characters become what they
pretended to be:
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• Hamlet examines the discrepancy between how things
▪ Gertrude pretended to be an unwitting victim and
becomes one, Polonius merely pretended to be a loyal
appear and how they truly are.
subject but is genuinely mourned by the king's court
◦ From Hamlet's seemingly contrived insanity to Claudius's after his death, and Ophelia pretended to her father
machinations, to the state of Denmark's political stability, that she was pure by renouncing Hamlet's affections
everything in Elsinore castle is not as it seems. and is ultimately given a pure and innocent burial even
◦ The characters' longing to make sense of the difference though the play hints she doesn't necessarily deserve it.
between reality and fantasy leads to deception, malice,
◦ Thus, the line between appearance and reality continues
and even madness. to blur as the play progresses.
▪ Hamlet's feigned madness causes him to truly go
• Through the play, Shakespeare demonstrates the small gap
insane; Ophelia's decision to feign indifference to
between these two concepts and conveys the risks of
Hamlet's love causes a chasm between them;
misrepresenting the reality of one's identity.
Gertrude's refusal to acknowledge that Claudius
murdered her former husband causes her to disregard Women in a Patriarchal Society
the truth and ignore her morals. • In Hamlet, Shakespeare examines the plight of women in a
◦ In turn, Shakespeare suggests that trying to distinguish fiercely patriarchal society.
between what is real and what is perceived often
◦ Ophelia and Gertrude are the only primary female
highlights the lack of contrast between these two things, characters in the play, but they illustrate a broader
as the way people appear—whether authentically or experience of oppression and unfairness that women have
not—is ultimately what defines their reality. faced throughout history.

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▪ Set in the Middle Ages and staged in the 1600s, when herself, attempting to keep her dignity and agency intact.
women were not even allowed to perform onstage,
• Not only must Gertrude and Ophelia endure the fact that
Hamlet reveals the limitations and prejudices women
their courtly lives are the best-case scenario for women of
faced—even those of noble birth.
their period, but they are also aware that they risk losing this
▪ Although Hamlet himself resents the women in the play privileged (but ultimately limiting) societal position if they
for their behavior and lack of loyalty, the play implies don't comply with gendered expectations, in which case they
that they primarily behave this way because of the would face even more horrific fates.
cruel and misogynistic world they inhabit—a world in
◦ As a result, their decisions are driven by their desire to
which they're left with few options if they want to
survive, yet Hamlet fails to recognize the gravity of their
survive or prosper.
circumstances.
• Gertrude and Ophelia are often overlooked and
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
misrepresented.
• In Hamlet, both religion and an aristocratic code of honor
◦ Hamlet himself makes harsh and biased accusations
dictate society's various norms and rules.
against them, and these comments reflect the misogyny of
the time. ◦ As the play progresses, Hamlet's pursuit of revenge for his
father's murder leads him to a deeper understanding of
◦ However, he overlooks the fact that they are victims of
the complexities of justice and honor.
their environment and must make difficult decisions to
stay safe in a world that is built for men. ▪ Shakespeare illustrates that these codes are often
muddled, inconsistent, and difficult to comprehend.
▪ Gertrude is a prime example of this. After her
husband's death, she remarries his brother, Claudius, • As Hamlet begins to contemplate the consequences of
who actually murdered King Hamlet. committing murder to get revenge, he is unable to act.
▪ Her knowledge of and involvement in the murder is ◦ His inability to act is not necessarily a sign of cowardice or
ambiguous, but the play subtly hints that, though she fear, but rather a deep consideration of how retribution
most likely didn't have anything to do with her first and violence in the name of restoring honor may not be
husband's death, she likely knew about Claudius's the answer.
scheme—and yet, she still chose to marry Claudius, ▪ This is seen in Act 3, when he finds Claudius alone in
likely out of fear of the possible consequences of not prayer and thus has the perfect chance to kill him.
doing so. Hamlet, however, worries that if he kills Claudius while
▪ As a woman living in a misogynistic society, she may he is praying, it would send his father's murderer to
have been killed or forced into an unfavorable marriage heaven.
if she refused Claudius. ▪ This moment is a critical turning point in the play, as it
▪ Therefore, Gertrude's decision to marry him could be causes Hamlet to reconsider what's expected of him
seen as an attempt to survive in a very precarious from a society that hypocritically glorifies both revenge
situation. and religious piety.
• Ophelia's experience is similar to Gertrude's in that she is ▪ He begins to see the artificiality of the social constructs
forced into decisions and situations she has no control over. around him, understanding that revenge is inconsistent
with the Christian values ingrained in him.
◦ Polonius and Claudius use her as a pawn to spy on Hamlet
and try to uncover the reason for his madness. • The second half of the play follows Hamlet's journey towards
▪ Ophelia follows their orders and refuses to see or a more nihilistic perspective, which recognizes the
speak with him, which leads to Hamlet's wrath. randomness of the universe and the arbitrary nature of many
of society's standards.
▪ When her father is killed by Hamlet, Ophelia loses her
sanity. Laertes is gone, and she is alone, so she begins ◦ In his recognition of life's many hypocrisies, Hamlet
singing nursery songs and giving away imaginary resolves to take revenge with a bloody vengeance.
flowers. ▪ He acknowledges that all men, regardless of status,
▪ In her insanity, she's still performing the expected come to the same end, and he disregards Horatio's
womanly duties of the period. advice to heed caution when dueling Laertes, trusting
instead to God's will.
◦ Ultimately, Ophelia takes control of her own fate and kills

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▪ Hamlet's recklessness is the result of realizing that the of his fears about his own deteriorating health, as well as
moral codes he once held to be of value are no longer the declining health of his family and his nation.
applicable and, perhaps, broadly irrelevant.
• When Hamlet encounters the skull of Yorick, a former court
• In turn, Hamlet probes difficult issues, inviting readers and jester, in the graveyard just beyond Elsinore, he is filled with
audience members to question the status quo. despair.
◦ In his journey to fulfill societal expectations of honor, ◦ This leads to one of the play’s most important moments of
Hamlet discovers that these ideals have a different reflection on the inevitability of death and decay. Hamlet
meaning than he was taught. reflects on how all the things he knew of Yorick in life—his
◦ He comes face to face with the expectations and demands wit, warmth, and physical attributes—are gone forever.
of society, which can be outdated and arbitrary. ▪ He realizes that this applies to all people, no matter
how great or small. He is both saddened and comforted
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
by the process of decay, inquiring of the gravediggers
• When Marcellus says, “Something is rotten in the state of how long it takes for flesh to rot off of bones.
Denmark,” after seeing the ghost, he is referring to a
superstition held by many in the era of the play (the Middle
◦ Hamlet's fixation on death shows that he feels powerless
to stop what is happening in Denmark.
Ages): namely, that a nation's prosperity was linked to the
legitimacy of its king. ◦ Ultimately, it is a foreign leader, Fortinbras, who takes over
the Danish throne after Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, and
◦ As Hamlet works to uncover the “rotten” core of Denmark,
Gertrude all die.
he is shocked and dismayed by both the actual deaths he
comes across and the figurative deaths he stumbles ▪ This illustrates that Denmark had to decompose
completely before it could be reborn—just like human
upon—like, for instance, the death of honor or decency.
flesh decays and nourishes the soil beneath.
◦ In this way, Shakespeare implies that physical degradation
is indicative of broader forms of spiritual, political, and
social decay. Symbols
• From the outset of the play, a sense of dread and fear Yorick’s Skull
pervades Denmark. • When Hamlet and Horatio come across a couple of
◦ Marcellus, Barnardo, and Francisco, three watchmen at gravediggers going about their grim job in a carefree manner
Elsinore, express hesitation, suspicion, and skittishness in the opening scene of Act 5, Hamlet takes an interest in a
when they meet. Soon, the cause of their uneasiness is skull that has been carelessly discarded by one of them.
revealed—the ghost of the late King Hamlet has been seen ◦ This skull used to belong to Yorick, the former jester of
on the castle walls. Hamlet's late father, and it symbolizes the inescapability of
▪ Hamlet and Horatio investigate and discover that death and the hollowness of life in the face of this fact.
Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother, murdered him and ▪ Hamlet remembers Yorick and grieves to Horatio that
seized his throne. the man who used to be so lively and fun-loving is now
▪ The political corruption in Denmark deeply affects just a pile of bones in the dirt.
Hamlet, and he develops an obsession with physical ◦ Thus, Yorick's skull serves as an emblem of Hamlet's
corruption, decay, and death. growing despondency and nihilism triggered by his
father's death.
• Hamlet's preoccupation with rot and decay throughout the
play reflects his (and his society's) belief that the external ▪ From this point on, Hamlet is filled with fatalism,
reflects the internal. recognizing that it doesn't matter how people live their
lives because everyone will eventually return to dust.
◦ In Act 2, Hamlet describes the beauty of the world as a
"foul and pestilent congregation of vapors"—a phrase that ▪ This ultimate truth drives him to seriously consider
exemplifies his dark existential perspective. killing Claudius in the next scene, although Hamlet
himself is killed in an ironic twist, showing that death
◦ When confronting his mother about her marriage to
truly is unavoidable.
Claudius, Hamlet calls Claudius a "mildewed" man,
referring to the "rank sweat" of their marriage bed. Ophelia’s Flowers
◦ His obsession with putrefaction and decay is an expression • In the aftermath of Polonius's death, Ophelia's mental state is

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drastically affected. With no one to trust and her lover

Related Themes
Hamlet seemingly having gone insane, she wanders the halls
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
of Elsinore, singing songs that range from childish, to overtly
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
sexual, to grim.
• As she does so, she passes out "flowers" (which may or may Explanation
not be real, depending on the staging) to those she meets, the • As Hamlet delivers his first soliloquy, he expresses his
variety of which symbolizes her complex personality. animosity toward the people around him (though he is, in
this moment, alone).
◦ She offers rosemary (often held at funerals), pansies
(which are linked to the French word for “remembrance”), ◦ As he does this, he also contemplates suicide, though
fennel (which embodies deep sadness), columbines (a it's unclear whether or not he's actually seriously
token of affection shared between lovers), and daisies considering taking his own life.
(which represent fertility). ▪ Of course, Hamlet later excavates the idea of suicide
◦ But Ophelia states that she has no violets left—these in his famous “to be or not to be” monologue, but
withered when her father died. Violets are symbols of that speech is foreshadowed in this soliloquy, as he
humility and the Virgin Mary, indicating that Ophelia no wishes for his “sullied flesh” to “melt, / Thaw, and
longer cares about upholding social norms in the wake of resolve itself into a dew.”
tragedy. ▪ Needless to say, such a wish isn’t all that cheerful, as
◦ Her “bouquet” is contradictory, showing both sorrow and it suggests that he wants to effectively waste away
joy, chastity and love. and leave his physical life behind.
◦ This symbolizes her multifaceted desires that have been • What’s especially notable about this quote, though, is that
suppressed by society’s expectations. Hamlet hasn’t even spoken to his father’s ghost yet.
▪ This is echoed by the "fantastic garlands" of flowers ◦ He’s already quite depressed even at the very beginning
found on her body after her suicide, which show that in of the play, before most of the tumultuous events take
her last moments, Ophelia chose to surround herself place—though, to be fair, it is true that his father has
with symbols of all she was and could have been if she recently died.
had not been restricted. ◦ Still, it’s significant that he already wishes that “the
Everlasting had not fixed / His canon ’gainst self-
Quotes & Explanations slaughter” (that is, that God hadn’t forbidden suicide).
▪ If Hamlet feels this way at the outset of the play, it’s
Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes not hard to guess that his mood will only get worse
O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, after he speaks to his father’s ghost.

Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,

And yet, within a month
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
(Let me not think on’t; frailty, thy name is woman!),
His canon ’gainst self-slaughter!
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
Related Characters
• Hamlet (Speaker) With which she followed my poor father’s body
• The Ghost
[…] why she, even she
Related Literary Devices
• Metaphor
[…] married with my uncle […].
• Foreshadowing
• Soliloquy
Related Characters
• Hamlet (Speaker)

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CLAUDIUS
• Gertrude
• Claudius
[...] But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son—
Related Literary Devices
• Personification HAMLET
• Soliloquy
(aside) A little more than kin and less than kind.
Related Themes
• Women in a Patriarchal Society CLAUDIUS
Explanation
How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
• In this passage, Hamlet laments the fact that his mother
has already married Claudius in the aftermath of King
HAMLET
Hamlet’s death.
◦ He’s especially upset by the idea that his mother has
Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun.
moved on “within a month” of his late father’s death.
▪ This, he believes, is a sign of female weakness, as he Related Characters
personifies “frailty” itself by calling it a woman. • Claudius (Speaker)
▪ In doing so, he makes the generalization that all • Hamlet (Speaker)
women are “frail[]”—an assertion that highlights his • Gertrude
misogynistic worldview.
Related Themes
◦ At the same time, it’s worth noting that Hamlet touches
on something important when he says, “frailty, thy name • Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
is a woman!”—namely, the idea that refraining from • Women in a Patriarchal Society
marrying Claudius would have required strength and • Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
resilience from Gertrude. Explanation
▪ This hints at the various pressures exerting • As Claudius holds court shortly after becoming king, he
themselves on Gertrude. addresses Hamlet as his “cousin” and “son,” setting off an
▪ She’s Queen of Denmark, but Denmark is a male- interaction in which Hamlet dodges his uncle’s false
dominated society, and it seems that there’s an affection using wordplay.
expectation that Gertrude should remarry. ◦ When Hamlet mutters the phrase “more than kin,” he
▪ Also, it’s possible that she either knows or intuits means that he has recently become even more closely
that it might be dangerous to refuse Claudius as a related to his uncle, since Claudius married Gertrude,
husband—he is, after all, a murderer. Hamlet’s mother.
◦ Unwittingly, then, Hamlet has acknowledged just how ▪ But Hamlet also says “and less than kind,” meaning
challenging it is to be a woman in a patriarchal society. that becoming more closely related to Claudius has
not increased the affection he feels for him—after
all, their relationship is certainly no better off than it
was before.
• Hamlet says all of this as an aside, but he barely hides his
scorn when Claudius asks him why he’s still so gloomy.
◦ Claudius uses a metaphor to suggest that it’s as if there
are “clouds” all around Hamlet.
◦ Hamlet, in turn, riffs on this metaphor by saying, “I am
too much in the sun.”
▪ The words “sun” and “son” are homonyms, and
Hamlet uses this to his advantage by making a sly

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pun, enabling himself to express his discontent represents himself accurately, and doesn’t betray
without directly confronting Claudius. any of his own values, then it’s unlikely that he’ll
▪ Although Hamlet is responding to Claudius’s behave dishonorably to others.
comment about “clouds” hanging around him, he’s ◦ In this regard, Polonius’s sage advice—which has
also responding to Claudius’s previous remark, in become one of the most quoted bits of wisdom from
which he called Hamlet “son.” Hamlet—actually has nearly as much to do with
▪ What Hamlet means, then, is that he feels too much honoring and respecting other people as it has to do
like Claudius’s son, but he obscures this sentiment with being “true” to oneself.
by punning on the word “sun.” ▪ These two things, Polonius implies, are inextricably
◦ This is an important moment in the play because it related to each other: people can only respect and
establishes Hamlet as a clever but cynical character honor others if they respect and honor themselves,
whose language can’t always be taken at face value. and vice versa.

Act 1, Scene 3 Quotes Act 1, Scene 4 Quotes

This above all: to thine own self be true, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

And it must follow, as the night the day, Related Characters

• Marcellus (Speaker)
Thou canst not then be false to any man. • Hamlet
• Horatio
Farewell. My blessing season this in thee. • The Ghost
• Claudius
Related Characters
Related Literary Devices
• Polonius (Speaker)
• Foreshadowing
• Laertes
• Metaphor
Related Literary Devices
Related Themes
• Simile
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
Related Themes • Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation • Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
Explanation
Explanation • In this ominous and foreboding statement, Marcellus
• Polonius gives his son, Laertes, advice in this section about wisely puts his finger on the fact that something unsavory
how to generally move through life. is at play in the heart of Denmark, as the Danish monarchy
◦ He doles out this advice because Laertes is about to has been overtaken by a sense of moral decay.
leave Denmark for France. ◦ Marcellus says this after Hamlet chases down his
▪ Before Laertes leaves, Polonius urges him to “be father’s ghost. Although the ghost hasn’t revealed yet
true” to himself, but not necessarily for the express that Claudius murdered King Hamlet, Marcellus already
purpose of honoring his sense of self or any kind of recognizes that things have gone terribly wrong.
personal authenticity. ▪ It’s important to keep this line in mind as the play
▪ Rather, Polonius specifically tells his son to be “true” progresses, since each new development serves as a
to himself because this will mean that he will “not testament to Marcellus’s prophetic assertion that
then be false to any man.” something is “rotten in the state of Denmark.”

▪ In other words, if Laertes comports himself well, ▪ With each new mischievous plot, for instance, the
monarchy succumbs to manipulation and corruption,

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and this ultimately leads to little more than violence ramparts of Elsinore and finally sees the ghost, he doesn’t
and death. hesitate to follow it.
◦ Of course, Marcellus doesn’t know yet that any of this ◦ The ghost refuses to say much until Hamlet steps away
will happen. from the others, but Horatio and Marcellus try to stop
▪ He’s just articulating a certain feeling of dread, or Hamlet from doing so.
the feeling that things have gone downhill ever since ◦ The way Hamlet responds is indicative of his fatalistic
King Hamlet’s death. worldview and his overall lack of regard for his own
▪ Even though he doesn’t know just how true his safety or wellbeing.
statement really is, the comment establishes a tense ▪ When he says that his “fate cries out,” he presents his
mood of anticipation and suspicion that continues future—whatever it holds—as something that
until the end of the play. literally calls to him.
▪ Already, at this early stage, Hamlet appears willing
to completely give himself over to the whims of
HORATIO “fate.”
▪ Moreover, his “fate” penetrates and infiltrates his
Be ruled. You shall not go. body, entering his arteries (“arture”)—a description
that illustrates just how animated Hamlet feels by
HAMLET the possibility of learning whatever the ghost has to
tell him.
My fate cries out
▪ He also alludes to the Nemean lion, a lion in Greek
mythology that was said to have fur so strong that
And makes each petty arture in this body the beast was impossible to slay (though Hercules
eventually did kill the Nemean lion).
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
◦ It’s important to remember that Hamlet says all this
before he even learns that Claudius murdered his
Still I am called. Unhand me, gentlemen.
father.

By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me! ▪ That he already feels this strongly about speaking to
the ghost (and cares so little about embracing
danger) gives the audience a taste of the emotional
I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.
intensity he’ll continue to exhibit throughout the
play.
Related Characters
• Horatio (Speaker)
• Hamlet (Speaker)
Act 1, Scene 5 Quotes
• Marcellus
But, howsomever thou pursues this act,
• The Ghost
• Claudius
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Related Literary Devices
• Allusion Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven

Related Themes
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
To prick and sting her.
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration

Explanation Related Characters

• When Hamlet comes with Horatio and Marcellus to the • The Ghost (Speaker)

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Act 2, Scene 2 Quotes

• Hamlet
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
• Gertrude
• Claudius
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
Related Literary Devices
• Foreshadowing I will be brief. Your noble son is mad.

Related Themes
Related Characters
• Women in a Patriarchal Society
• Polonius (Speaker)
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• Claudius
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• Gertrude
Explanation • Hamlet
• As the ghost of King Hamlet speaks to his son and tells him
Related Literary Devices
to avenge his death, he warns Hamlet about letting his
• Metaphor
revenge efforts cloud his mind and lead him astray.
• Dramatic Irony
◦ It’s interesting that the ghost says Hamlet shouldn’t
allow revenge to “taint” his mind, as this suggests that Related Themes
he has an inkling that such a morbid task might be • Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
especially difficult for somebody like Hamlet. • Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation

▪ It’s possible that the ghost knows Hamlet is prone to Explanation

intense emotional torment.
• Shortly after Claudius and Gertrude receive news that
▪ By assigning him the task of taking murderous Fortinbras will not be attacking Denmark, Polonius shifts
revenge on Claudius, then, the ghost sets him up for the conversation to alert them that Hamlet has gone “mad.”
failure, and he (the ghost) seems to recognize this.
◦ The way he reports this news to Claudius and Gertrude
◦ What’s more, the ghost doesn’t want Hamlet to take sheds light on his own absurdity and his tendency to
revenge on Gertrude, telling him not to let his “soul contradict himself.
contrive” against her.
▪ He claims that “brevity is the soul of wit,” meaning
▪ And yet, this doesn’t mean the ghost thinks Gertrude that anyone who is wise or full of intelligence.
is fully innocent.
▪ He points this out as a preamble for what he’s about
▪ In fact, he implies that Gertrude will be tortured to tell Claudius and Gertrude (namely, that Hamlet is
naturally—her conscience will prick her like “thorns,” crazy).
so Hamlet doesn’t need to go out of his way to hurt
▪ In doing so, though, he spends time ruminating on
her.
the “soul of wit.” In fact, before even delivering this
▪ There’s some ambiguity at play here, as the ghost aphorism about brevity, he spoke for several lines
hints that Gertrude doesn’t have a clear conscience about how it’s a waste of time to “expostulate” and
while also expressing a soft spot for her and make long speeches.
imploring Hamlet to leave her alone.
▪ Polonius therefore does the exact opposite of what
▪ The play thus allows Gertrude to exist in a sort of he means to do: he delays getting to his point.
moral gray area, inviting audience members to
◦ This moment of irony is humorous and spotlights the
question the level of involvement she might have
fact that Polonius is often a long-winded old man who’s
had in King Hamlet’s murder.
unable to identify his own inconsistencies and
◦ Overall, the ghost’s warning in this conversation contradictions.
foreshadows the struggles Hamlet ends up having as he
tries to take revenge on Claudius.

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Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
bad but thinking makes it so. To me, it is a prison.
That he should weep for her? What would he do
Related Characters
• Hamlet (Speaker) Had he the motive and the cue for passion
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
• Claudius That I have?
• Gertrude
Related Characters
Related Themes
• Hamlet (Speaker)
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• First Player
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
Related Literary Devices
Explanation
• Allusion
• Hamlet speaks these lines in a conversation with his
longtime friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whom Related Themes
Claudius and Gertrude have sent for in the hopes that • Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
they’ll be able to cheer Hamlet up. • Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
◦ When Hamlet asks his friends why they’ve come to
Explanation
Denmark, which he refers to as a “prison,” they insist
• After Hamlet meets the acting troupe that has come to
that Denmark isn’t so bad.
Elsinore to entertain him, he starts to feel insecure about
◦ But Hamlet insists that Denmark truly is a “prison,” and
his own ability to manifest strong emotions.
when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern say they don’t
think it is, Hamlet delivers this line about how nothing is
◦ He has just watched one of the players recite a
monologue about the Trojan War. In this passage, the
simply “good or bad”—people’s thoughts are what
player speaks movingly about Hecuba’s discovery that
determines whether something seems “good or bad.”
her husband, Priam, has been killed in the war.
▪ The main idea here is that nothing is inherently one
way or another. Life is subjective, Hamlet points out.
▪ When Hamlet says, “What’s Hecuba to him, or he to
Hecuba, / That he should weep for her?”, he’s
▪ For him, though, the experience of being in Denmark
referring to the player and the emotion he has
is bad, and this is largely because he thinks it’s bad.
somehow summoned for someone he has never met.
◦ This line of reasoning suggests that Hamlet would be
▪ What astonishes and frustrates Hamlet in this
happy to be as unburdened by trouble as Rosencrantz
moment is the fact that the player is able to conjure
and Guildenstern are.
such intense emotion, while Hamlet can’t bring
▪ If he could only stop thinking about how his uncle himself to murder his uncle to avenge his father’s
murdered his father, things wouldn’t feel so bad. death.
▪ As it stands, though, he can’t help but associate
◦ Hamlet latches on to this performance because he
Denmark with fratricide and deceit. realizes that, though he has good reason (a “motive” and
▪ Although “thinking” is what determines how a “cue for passion”) to spring to action, he can’t bring
person feels about something, then, this doesn’t himself to do so.
mean Hamlet can suddenly forget his sorrows and
▪ Meanwhile, all the player needs is a few good lines to
hardships. stir up his emotions.

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HAMLET
has a daughter.
Let her not walk i’ th’ sun. Conception is a blessing, but, as your ▪ This inconsistency points to the fact that Hamlet is
daughter may conceive, friend, look to ’t. feigning madness as a way of disarming his enemies.
Polonius, however, doesn’t know this, so he’s simply
POLONIUS confused.

(aside) How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter. Yet he

The spirit that I have seen
knew me not at first; he said I was a fishmonger. He is far gone.
And truly, in my youth, I suffered much extremity for love, very
May be a devil, and the devil hath power
near this. I’ll speak to him again.—What do you read, my lord?

Related Characters T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps,

• Hamlet (Speaker)
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
• Polonius (Speaker)
• Ophelia
As he is very potent with such spirits,
• Claudius

Related Themes Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds

• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• Women in a Patriarchal Society More relative than this.

Explanation
Related Characters
• Feigning madness, Hamlet makes a number of puns about
• Hamlet (Speaker)
Ophelia in order to confound Polonius.
• Claudius
◦ In particular, he talks about the sun as something that is • The Ghost
capable of potentially impregnating Ophelia. • Gertrude
▪ This odd quip can perhaps be traced back to the pun
Hamlet made in Act 1, Scene 2, when he made the Related Literary Devices
snide remark that he felt “too much in the sun”—a • Soliloquy
joke about how Hamlet feels too much like Related Themes
Claudius’s son now that Claudius has replaced King
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
Hamlet.
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
▪ With this context in mind, it’s possible that Hamlet is • Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
cheekily warning Polonius about letting Ophelia get
too close to him—something Polonius has himself Explanation
worried about, which is why he told Ophelia in Act 1, • Hamlet has just decided to stage a reenactment of his
Scene 3 to distance herself from Hamlet. father’s murder, hoping that this will reveal once and for all
▪ It’s possible that Hamlet has guessed that Polonius whether or not Claudius is guilty.
warned Ophelia about getting too close to him and is ◦ Thinking about the plan, he delivers this soliloquy,
now poking fun at the old man for his worries in this which comes at the end of Act 2, Scene 2.
regard. ◦ In the soliloquy, he admits his lack of confidence
◦ Of course, Polonius doesn’t track all of this. regarding whether or not the ghost he saw on the
▪ Rather, he’s confused by Hamlet’s sudden remarks ramparts of Elsinore was truly the ghost of his father.
about Ophelia, since at the beginning of this ▪ It might have been the “devil” masquerading as King
conversation Hamlet claimed to not recognize Hamlet’s ghost.
Polonius, mistaking him for a fishmonger. ▪ This idea taps into Hamlet’s Christian worldview, as
▪ Now, though, Polonius sees that Hamlet knows he it’s not uncommon in Christian literature for well-

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meaning people to be tempted into sin by Satan in meanings, Hamlet intentionally tries to confuse Polonius.
disguise. ◦ He does this because he wants the people around him
◦ The fact that Hamlet is thinking along these lines to think he has gone crazy.
suggests that he’s aware of the possibility that he wants ▪ He has even warned Horatio and Marcellus that he
to kill Claudius for the wrong reasons. might act strange in the coming days—a warning that
▪ In other words, he recognizes that murdering his suggests his extremely odd behavior in the
uncle might be rather cathartic, since he already subsequent scenes is little more than a tactical
resents him for marrying Gertrude so quickly after move.
King Hamlet’s death. ◦ Surprisingly, though, Polonius actually picks up on the
▪ But this resentment isn’t reason enough to murder fact that some of Hamlet’s otherwise bewildering
Claudius. remarks have a certain kind of lucidity to them.
▪ For the murder of Claudius to be morally justifiable, ▪ Polonius mutters to himself that although Hamlet
then, Hamlet has to ensure that he isn’t simply being has clearly been overtaken by “madness,” it’s
tricked into listening to his own temptations—that is, possible to detect some “method” to his craziness.
he has to make sure that the ghost isn’t just ▪ What Polonius means here is that there’s a certain
appealing to his “weakness” and “melancholy” as a formula or pattern to Hamlet’s ranting and raving.
way of leading him to sin. ◦ There’s some situational irony to the fact that Polonius
nearly sees through Hamlet’s feigned madness, since
Polonius is presented as an oblivious old man.
POLONIUS
▪ It’s almost as if the play suggests that the hardest
people to fool are fools themselves.
(aside) Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.—Will
you walk out of the air, my lord? ◦ Furthermore, Polonius’s comments in this scene lead to
some dramatic irony, since the audience knows that
Polonius is right—there is “method” to Hamlet’s
HAMLET
madness.

Into my grave? ▪ In the end, Polonius doesn’t fully pick up on what

Hamlet’s doing, but his private recognition of
Hamlet’s lucidity highlights the young prince’s
POLONIUS
efforts to dupe the people around him.
Indeed, that’s out of the air. (Aside.) How pregnant sometimes his
replies are!
Act 3, Scene 1 Quotes
Related Characters To be or not to be—that is the question:
• Polonius (Speaker)
• Hamlet (Speaker) Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
• Horatio
• Marcellus The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Related Literary Devices Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

• Irony
• Dramatic Irony And, by opposing, end them.
Related Themes
Related Characters
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• Hamlet (Speaker)
Explanation • Polonius (Speaker)
• In a winding conversation full of puns and double • Claudius (Speaker)

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Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be

• The Ghost (Speaker)

Related Literary Devices a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest,

• Metaphor
• Soliloquy but yet I could accuse me of such things that it

Related Themes were better my mother had not borne me: I am

• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
at my beck than I have thoughts to put them
Explanation
• Not long after Hamlet has decided to stage a reenactment
in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act
of his father’s murder, he delivers his most famous
soliloquy, in which he considers the value of staying alive
them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling
versus dying by suicide. As he speaks, Polonius and
Claudius eavesdrop in hiding.
between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves
◦ Hamlet phrases his central question in simplistic terms,
saying, “To be or not to be.”
all; believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.
▪ He means this literally: is it better to keep existing in
the face of hardship, or is it “nobler” to take action by Related Characters
ending one’s own life? • Hamlet (Speaker)
◦ He has already shown an interest in this line of thinking, • Ophelia
as evidenced by the soliloquy he delivered in Act 1, • Claudius
Scene 2, in which he wished that his “sullied flesh would
melt” away and turn into a “dew.” Related Themes
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
▪ But now Hamlet is under a lot more pressure, as he
knows that his uncle murdered his father. • Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• Women in a Patriarchal Society
▪ Moreover, he’s tasked with becoming a murderer
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
himself, since the ghost implored him to take
revenge by killing Claudius. Explanation
▪ This is a relevant detail to keep in mind, especially • Following her father and brother’s instructions to distance
since Hamlet is clearly thinking about his life and herself from Hamlet, Ophelia tries to give him back some
circumstances in terms of honor and morality. gifts he gave her.
▪ If continuing to live might require him to become a ◦ Hamlet responds by speaking cruelly to Ophelia, and
murderer, it’s possible that taking his own life might though his words are supposedly part of his plan to
actually be the “nobler” option available to him. feign madness, it starts to seem like he really might
◦ More generally, Hamlet is simply wondering whether mean some of what he says.
there’s a moral way for him to die by suicide. ▪ The strangest, most particular thing he says is that
▪ He lives in a Christian society, and Christianity Ophelia should flee to a convent.
condemns suicide. ▪ This way, he insists, she won’t contribute to the
▪ Thus, Hamlet is once again struck with indecision: he continuation of the human race—or she won’t, in his
wants to run from his worldly troubles by killing words, “be / a breeder of sinners.”
himself, but even doing this would come with its own ◦ It’s possible that Hamlet is angry at Ophelia and that
set of moral complications. this is why he speaks so harshly and outlandishly to her
in this section, but it’s more likely that he’s thinking of
other matters entirely.

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▪ For instance, his rather sexist views in this scene to “end” such hardships by taking one’s own life.
probably stem from the scorn he currently feels for ◦ He initially compares death to sleep.
his own mother, whom he thinks has betrayed him ▪ In doing so, he makes death seem less frightening,
and his late father by allying with the murderous insisting that dying is really just the same as falling
Claudius. asleep—something everyone does every night.
◦ Hamlet’s fixation on sin is also interesting because it has ▪ This outlook normalizes death, which Hamlet most
implications for the way he’s thinking about his own likely finds comforting.
morality.
◦ However, as Hamlet continues to compare death to
▪ He’s struggling with the idea of becoming a sleep, he starts thinking about dreams, and this
murderer in order to take revenge on Claudius. complicates his outlook.
▪ And he has already gone on at length about ▪ The problem, he notes, is that there’s no way to
existential matters, wondering if it’s better “to be or know “what dreams may come” after a person dies.
not to be”—but if he’d never been born, he wouldn’t
◦ His worry in this moment points to his uncertainty
be faced with such difficult decisions. about whether he’ll go to heaven or hell—an
▪ Therefore, he tells Ophelia to flee to a convent, most uncertainty made especially complicated by two
likely thinking about how if his own mother had done considerations.
this, he wouldn’t now have to make the difficult
▪ First, it’s worth remembering that this entire
decision about whether he should stay alive and passage appears in the broader context of Hamlet’s
commit murder or kill himself; either way, he will contemplation of suicide. Since Hamlet is a
have sinned. Christian, and Christianity condemns suicide, he
recognizes that he very well might go to hell if he
dies by his own hand.
To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, ▪ Second, Hamlet is unsure what his fate will be if he
murders Claudius—after all, murder is a mortal sin.
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, ▪ Even though he would be killing Claudius as an act of
revenge, he worries this might still have ominous
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
implications for him in the afterlife.
That makes calamity of so long life.
◦ Unsure of his fate after death, Hamlet develops a
Related Characters healthy fear of (or “respect” for) the unknown in death.
• Hamlet (Speaker) ▪ His fear is what freezes him with indecision and
• Claudius encourages him to keep living despite the agony and
hardship he faces.
Related Literary Devices
• Soliloquy

Related Themes Act 3, Scene 3 Quotes

• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• Women in a Patriarchal Society Words without thoughts never to heaven go.
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration Related Characters
• Claudius (Speaker)
Explanation • Hamlet
• These lines appear as part of Hamlet’s famous “to be or not
to be” soliloquy. Related Themes
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
◦ He speaks these words immediately after wondering
• Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
whether it’s “nobler in the mind to suffer” hardships or

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• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values • Fortinbras

• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
Related Literary Devices
Explanation • Soliloquy
• After delivering a soliloquy in which he acknowledges that
Related Themes
he murdered his brother, Claudius kneels in prayer, at
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
which point Hamlet quietly enters and catches his uncle in
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
a moment of vulnerability.
◦ Hamlet suddenly has an opportunity to finally murder Explanation
Claudius, but he refrains from doing so because he • As the play works its way toward its violent conclusion,
doesn’t want to kill him while he’s praying, fearing that Hamlet becomes increasingly upset with himself for failing
doing this would send Claudius to heaven. to take action.
• What’s ironic, though, is what Claudius says to himself ◦ In this soliloquy at the end of Act 4, Scene 4, he laments
after Hamlet leaves: namely, that although his “words fly that seemingly every single event in his life—“all
up,” they won’t truly reach heaven because he doesn’t fully occasions”—highlight his shameful indecision and
mean them. inaction.
◦ It’s not all that surprising that Claudius’s prayers aren’t ▪ In this case, he’s referring to having just learned that
genuine, given that he already said in his soliloquy, “Pray Fortinbras has assembled a massive army just to
can I not.” conquer Poland, which isn’t even considered a very
desirable country to conquer.
▪ Claudius knows that praying for forgiveness is rather
futile because he’s still actively benefiting from his ▪ In comparison to Fortinbras’s overzealousness,
sin, and he’s not prepared to renounce the throne in Hamlet feels pathetic.
order to atone for what he has done. ◦ With these thoughts on his mind, Hamlet contemplates
▪ This is why his “thoughts” aren’t aligned with the the difference between humans and animals, deciding
“words” of his prayer: he wants forgiveness but is that living passively—that is, without a sense of purpose
unwilling to do what’s necessary to attain it. and drive—makes humans no better than animals.
▪ Needless to say, Hamlet feels in this moment like he
has been living passively, focusing mostly on
Act 4, Scene 4 Quotes satisfying his basic needs without striving to live
How all occasions do inform against me honorably.
▪ What’s more, he reasons, God gave humans the
And spur my dull revenge. What is a man ability to use reason, so it would be absurd to merely
live like a “beast” instead of using God-given
If his chief good and market of his time capacities to lead a better, higher life.
◦ To make good on these thoughts, though, Hamlet will
Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more. have to finally jump to action.

Sure He that made us with such large discourse,

Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and godlike reason

To fust in us unused.

Related Characters
• Hamlet (Speaker)

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How stand I, then,

plenty of rage and resentment to draw on in his
quest for revenge, but he hasn’t done anything
That have a father killed, a mother stained,
(except, of course, accidentally murder poor,
doddering Polonius—an easy and unintentional
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
target).
And let all sleep, while to my shame I see ◦ Meanwhile, Fortinbras has decided to conquer Poland,
which Hamlet knows isn’t even all that sought after as a
The imminent death of twenty thousand men country.
▪ In fact, Hamlet quips that Poland isn’t even large
That for a fantasy and trick of fame enough to bury all the soldiers Fortinbras has
assembled to overtake it.
Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot ▪ The fact that Fortinbras has gone to such great
lengths to decimate Poland stands in stark contrast
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, to Hamlet’s inaction.
◦ As a result, Hamlet decides at the end of this soliloquy
Which is not tomb enough and continent that, from now on, he will set his mind to violence and
revenge, insisting to himself that his thoughts must now
To hide the slain? O, from this time forth “be bloody” or else they’ll count for nothing at all.

My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!

Act 5, Scene 1 Quotes
Related Characters Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio—a fellow of infinite jest, of
• Hamlet (Speaker) most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand
• Fortinbras times, and now how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge
• Claudius rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how
• Polonius oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your
flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar?
Related Literary Devices
• Soliloquy
Related Characters
Related Themes • Hamlet (Speaker)
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction • Horatio
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values • Yorick
• Ophelia
Explanation
• After Hamlet learns that Fortinbras has assembled an army Related Themes
of 20,000 men to conquer Poland, he feels shamefully • Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
meek in comparison. • Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
◦ His encounter with the captain of Fortinbras’s army
Related Symbols
leaves him feeling insecure about his own inability to
• Yorick’s Skull
take action against his enemies.
◦ He outlines for himself the many reasons he has to Explanation
murder Claudius, noting that he has had “a father killed” • When Hamlet and Horatio walk through the cemetery just
and “a mother stained” (that is, disrespected). before Ophelia’s funeral, they come upon two gravediggers
▪ And yet, he has let all his reasons to fight “sleep,” and engage in a philosophical conversation with them
ignoring the “[e]xcitements of [his] reason and [his] about death.
blood.” ◦ In this conversation, they find a skull that used to
▪ Put another way, Hamlet recognizes that he has belong to a jester named Yorick, of whom Hamlet has

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fond memories. omens as a way of divining the future.

◦ Finding Yorick’s skull causes Hamlet to reminisce about ▪ Simply put, Hamlet doesn’t want to get superstitious
the late jester and how full of life he was. about what might happen to him.
◦ But this turns into a slightly darker, more existential ▪ Instead, he adopts the mindset that whatever
exploration of how fleeting life is. happens will happen.
▪ Nothing, Hamlet grasps in this moment, is ◦ More specifically, Hamlet accepts the possibility of his
permanent—especially not “flashes of merriment” or own death.
other larger-than-life dispositions. ▪ If death comes now, he says, then he won’t have to
▪ No matter how people behave, they will certainly wait for it.
die. ▪ Conversely, if death comes later, then he won’t have
◦ This line of thinking sheds light on Hamlet’s own to die right now.
thoughts about life and honor. ◦ This might seem like a grim outlook, but it’s no more
▪ He wants to do what’s right, but he has trouble morbid than his previous ruminations about death and
deciding what that might look like. suicide.
▪ In this moment, though, his concerns about the best ▪ What he mainly cares about here isn’t whether or
course of action come to seem insignificant in the not he’ll die soon, but rather whether or not he’ll be
face of human mortality. ready to die—the “readiness” is the only thing that
▪ This scene with Yorick’s skull thus pushes Hamlet a matters to him.
little further down the path of nihilism, as death ◦ That Hamlet expresses these thoughts in this scene
comes to seem inevitable to him either way. suggests that he’s well aware of the threat Laertes’s
challenge poses.
▪ His fatalistic remarks also prepare the audience for
Act 5, Scene 2 Quotes his (and all the other characters’) death.
Not a whit. We defy augury. There is a special providence in the
fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come,
it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is ’t to leave
betimes? Let be. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Related Characters Related Characters

• Hamlet (Speaker) • Horatio (Speaker)
• Horatio • Hamlet
• Laertes
Related Themes
Related Themes • Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction • Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
Explanation
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• Horatio speaks these lines after Hamlet utters his dying
Explanation words.
• After Hamlet accepts Laertes’s fencing challenge, he ◦ Hamlet has just implored him to stay alive so that he
privately expresses certain misgivings to Horatio, who can tell the story of what happened in Elsinore.
urges him to call off the whole thing. ◦ It’s significant that Horatio uses the phrase “noble
◦ But Hamlet thinks that to cancel the duel would be heart” to refer to Hamlet, considering that Hamlet has
unreasonable. spent the majority of the play trying to figure out how
▪ He compares the misgivings he has about the duel to to behave honorably.
“augury,” which refers to the practice of reading into ▪ It’s unclear, of course, whether this is really a fitting

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But since, so jump upon this bloody question,

description for Hamlet. Although he has tried to do
the honorable thing throughout the play, his actions You from the Polack wars, and you from England,
are largely to blame for the fact that nearly everyone
around him ends up dying. Are here arrived, give order that these bodies
▪ Horatio, however, is Hamlet’s loyal friend, so it’s
unsurprising that he eulogizes him in this way—it’s High on a stage be placed to the view,
just worth keeping in mind that this final judgment of
Hamlet’s character isn’t all that objective. And let me speak to th’ yet unknowing world
▪ In fact, it’s not even all that clear whether or not
Hamlet would agree that his actions have proved How these things came about. So shall you hear
that he has a truly “noble heart.”
◦ Horatio also unknowingly taps into Hamlet’s previous Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,
idea that death is like sleep—an idea Hamlet expressed
in his famous “to be or not to be” speech by using the Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,
phrase “that sleep of death.”
▪ Now, Horatio says that Hamlet will “rest” as angels Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,
sing him to sleep.
And, in this upshot, purposes mistook
▪ In a subtle way, this acknowledges Hamlet’s
misgivings about what happens after death while
still saying something appropriately uplifting in a Fall’n on th’ inventors’ heads. All this can I
eulogy for a friend.
Truly deliver.

Related Characters
• Horatio (Speaker)
• Fortinbras
• Hamlet
• Gertrude
• Polonius
• Claudius

Related Themes
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration

Explanation
• After the majority of the characters have died at the end of
the play, Horatio decides to tell Fortinbras and his men
about what has happened in Denmark.
◦ He asks Fortinbras to put the many dead bodies onto a
“stage” so that people can see them as he tells the tale
of what happened.
◦ As a preface to his story, Horatio gives a broad overview
of the entire ordeal, and his descriptions perfectly
encapsulate pretty much everything that has happened
over the course of the play.

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◦ In particular, he says that his listeners will hear about • Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
“carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts.” • Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
▪ Words like “carnal” and “unnatural” seem to hint at
Explanation
the play’s interest in the idea of incest and the fact
• As he prepares to hear Horatio’s story about Hamlet and
that Gertrude married her late husband’s
what has transpired in Denmark, Fortinbras demands that
brother—something that Hamlet, for his part,
Hamlet’s dead body be lifted onto a stage so that it can be
certainly found “unnatural” and disturbing.
honored.
◦ Horatio also notes that his listeners will hear about
“accidental judgments, casual slaughters,” and “deaths
◦ It’s notable that Fortinbras treats Hamlet like a war
hero who deserves to be celebrated, as it’s unclear that
put on by cunning and forced cause.”
Hamlet himself would even approve of such an idea.
▪ By saying this, he succinctly captures the play’s use
of ambiguity and dramatic irony, as a good number of
▪ Not long before his death, Hamlet felt pathetic in
comparison to Fortinbras.
the plot points (like, for instance, Hamlet
accidentally murdering Polonius because he thought ▪ Whereas Fortinbras ambitiously applied himself to
the task of conquering Poland, Hamlet found himself
he was Claudius) hinge on misunderstandings and
unable to avenge his father’s death until the very last
rash decisions.
moment of his life.
◦ Horatio thus acknowledges the messiness of the tale
he’s about to tell, and though his intention is to valorize ◦ It’s rather ironic, then, that Fortinbras calls for “soldier’s
music and the rite of war” to sound out in honor of
Hamlet and speak about him like a hero, these
Hamlet.
introductory words function as disclaimers that
ultimately recognize Hamlet’s various weaknesses. ▪ This irony is at the heart of Hamlet, a play in which
the protagonist himself seems unsure of his own
▪ In other words, Horatio knows that Hamlet’s story
worthiness as a respectable figure.
isn’t a perfect one, but he thinks the late prince
deserves celebrating nonetheless. ▪ That Fortinbras celebrates Hamlet’s legacy in this
way almost comes to seem like a cruel joke—he
insists that Hamlet ought to be remembered, but the
Let four captains way he talks about the late prince fails to actually
capture his character.
Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, ▪ If Hamlet will be remembered, then, his legacy will
likely be inaccurate and idealized to the point of
For he was likely, had he been put on, absurdity, which is to say he won’t truly be
remembered at all.
To have proved most royal; and for his passage,

The soldier’s music and the rite of war

Speak loudly for him.

Related Characters
• Fortinbras (Speaker)
• Hamlet
• Horatio

Related Literary Devices

• Irony

Related Themes
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction

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It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.

violence only leads to misfortune.
No med’cine in the world can do thee good.

In thee there is not half an hour’s life. Act 1, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis

The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Summary

• In the darkness of Elsinore's ramparts, Barnardo comes to
Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice relieve Francisco, another sentinel, from his duty.
◦ As they encounter each other, both are cautious, even
Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie, though Francisco informs Barnardo that nothing has
happened during his watch.
Never to rise again. ◦ As Francisco gets ready to depart, Barnardo asks him to
tell Marcellus, another guard, and Horatio, a nobleman, to
Related Characters join him.
• Laertes (Speaker)
▪ Just then, Marcellus and Horatio approach in the dark,
• Hamlet making it known that they're allies of Denmark and
• Claudius friends of the king.
Related Themes ▪ They ask Francisco, somewhat enviously, if he's finished
• Vengeance, Action, and Inaction his watch, and then they say farewell as he leaves.
• Honor, Religion, and Societal Values • Marcellus and Horatio greet Barnardo and inquire if the
• Death, Corruption, and Deterioration "thing" has shown itself once more.
Explanation ◦ Marcellus mentions that he and Barnardo have witnessed
a terrifying specter twice, but Horatio won't accept its
• As the duel between Laertes and Hamlet comes to a
existence.
chaotic end, Laertes reveals that both he and Hamlet have
been poisoned by the “envenomed” rapier (sword). ▪ That's why Marcellus brought Horatio tonight—to
witness the phantom haunting the night.
◦ This is a pivotal moment, as Hamlet realizes that
he—like Laertes—is about to die. ◦ Horatio doubts anything will show up, so Barnardo starts
talking about seeing the ghost. But just as he starts, the
▪ This realization ultimately leads him to finally kill
ghost arrives.
Claudius, most likely because he now has absolutely
nothing to lose. • Both Marcellus and Barnardo are amazed by the ghost, which
▪ Also, he no longer has time to ponder what he should they say resembles the deceased king.
do—he has to act fast. ◦ Marcellus encourages Horatio to address the ghost.
◦ Laertes’s words in this passage are also worth Horatio admits his shock and fear as he gazes at it, and he
examining because they suggest that violence, malice, agrees that it looks like the dead Danish king.
and betrayal only lead to death and destruction. ◦ He shouts at the ghost, demanding its identity and
▪ Laertes himself points this out when he says, “The commanding it to speak. However, the ghost silently
foul practice / Hath turned itself on me.” moves away, leaving Barnardo and Marcellus to worry that
▪ What he says here is true in a very literal sense: he Horatio has offended it.
cut Hamlet with the poisoned rapier, but Hamlet • After the ghost's departure, Barnardo notes Horatio's pale
ended up getting hold of the rapier himself and appearance and asks if he's okay.
cutting Laertes.
◦ Horatio concedes that he's shaken and confesses that,
▪ Thus, Laertes has been taken down by his own without witnessing the ghost himself, he wouldn't have
wicked means. believed it existed.
◦ In turn, Laertes’s dying words underscore one of the ◦ He's also disturbed by the ghost's striking resemblance to
play’s primary messages: namely, that embracing the king. It even seems to be wearing the former king's
armor.

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▪ Horatio thinks the ghost's presence foretells that avenge.

something is about to go wrong in Denmark. ◦ And yet, Horatio and the others don’t know what the ghost
• Marcellus concurs with Horatio, as he and the other guards wants, making it difficult for them to take any sort of
have observed that their schedules have become more action, though Horatio wisely suggests that the best way
rigorous and have also noticed the preparations taking place forward might be to contact Hamlet.
within Elsinore, including the building of cannons, the storing ▪ In this way, Horatio shows initiative that Hamlet
of weapons, and the preparation of ships. himself later struggles to exhibit.
◦ Horatio admits he's heard whispers around the castle. He Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
speaks about the late King Hamlet defeating Norway's • The characters in the opening scene of Hamlet struggle to
King Fortinbras in a duel, resulting in Denmark acquiring make sense of what they’ve seen, wondering if they can trust
certain Norwegian territories according to the two kings' their eyes.
agreement. ◦ A ghost that looks like King Hamlet has appeared to them,
◦ Now, Horatio has heard that Fortinbras's son, also named but they don’t know what to make of this apparition,
Fortinbras, has assembled an army to sail to Denmark, especially since it won’t talk to them.
reclaim his father's lands, and reestablish Norway's honor. ▪ The play thus opens on an indecisive note, as Barnardo,
◦ Horatio insists that they should take the ghost's omen Marcellus, Horatio, and the others question whether or
seriously. not what they’ve witnessed is actually real.
• Suddenly, the ghost comes back. Horatio commands it to halt. Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
◦ The ghost stops and spreads out its arms. Horatio pleads • Although the opening scene of Hamlet doesn’t specifically set
with the ghost to speak—if it can—and inform them of forth ideas about religion, it does orbit the topic with its
Denmark's impending fate. interest in supernatural elements.
◦ Horatio begs that it reveal any other unfinished matters it ◦ In the Elizabethan period (when Shakespeare wrote
might have, even if unrelated to war, so they can assist it in Hamlet), it wasn’t pointedly heretical to believe in ghosts
finding peace. and the supernatural.
◦ A rooster crows, causing Marcellus and Barnardo to fear ▪ Ghosts in this period were often thought of as having
that daybreak will force the ghost to leave. some sort of message to pass to the living—or,
▪ They discuss how to prevent its departure, but their alternatively, they were thought to appear in order to
plans are futile—the ghost vanishes once more. seek revenge.

• The men regret missing the opportunity to speak with the ▪ As such, the appearance of the ghost in this scene
ghost. underscores certain societal values and beliefs that
were at play when Shakespeare wrote the play.
◦ Horatio suggests that Marcellus and Barnardo accompany
him to Prince Hamlet's quarters to inform him of their Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
encounter. • The play immediately announces its interest in death by
◦ Although the ghost of King Hamlet wouldn't speak to quickly introducing the ghost.
them, Horatio believes it may communicate with its son. ◦ In doing so, Shakespeare signals that Hamlet will be a play
interested in mortality, what happens after death, and how
Theme Analysis the memory of the dead lingers after they’re gone.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction ▪ Furthermore, the fact that the ghost seems to be the
• Although it’s not yet clear what the ghost wants from the men late King Hamlet hints at a certain deterioration of the
guarding Elsinore, it seems quite likely that it might be Danish monarchy—a deterioration that will continue
seeking some sort of vengeance. throughout the play.

◦ After all, ghosts often appear in literature in order to settle

Historical and Literary Context
scores or to address unfinished business.
▪ What’s more, the fact that the ghost is dressed like the Julius Caesar
late King Hamlet suggests that something ominous • After seeing the ghost for the first time, Horatio talks about
happened to the King—something he might want to what a bad omen its appearance is for Denmark. To make his

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point, he references the period of the Roman Republic Fortinbras.

directly leading up to the assassination of Julius Caesar. ◦ Claudius instructs Voltemand and Cornelius to deliver the
◦ Julius Caesar was the leader of Rome between 46 and 44 letter quickly, and they depart, pledging their loyalty
B.C.E. through their promptness.
▪ Although people commonly think of him as the first • Claudius acknowledges that Laertes has a request, and he
emperor of Rome, he actually held a dictatorship and assures him that he'll grant it due to Polonius's importance.
ruled Rome before it became an empire.
◦ Laertes asks permission to return to France. After
▪ The word “dictatorship” has negative connotations confirming Polonius's approval, Claudius grants Laertes
these days, but Julius Caesar was actually widely liked permission.
and admired by Rome’s citizens.
• Addressing Hamlet, Claudius questions his persistent grief.
▪ He was popular because of his cunning political mind,
his military victories, and his impressive oratory skills. ◦ Hamlet sarcastically replies that he's "too much in the sun."
Gertrude urges Hamlet to stop wearing black and to treat
◦ Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E. because other
Claudius as a friend and father.
politicians worried that he would become too powerful.
▪ This set off a civil war in Rome that lasted until 42 ◦ She reminds him that death is "common," to which Hamlet
sarcastically agrees.
B.C.E. and ended with Caesar’s adopted son Octavian
(eventually known as Augustus) becoming the first • Claudius accuses Hamlet of mourning out of "impious
emperor of Rome. stubbornness," arguing that his displays of grief are unmanly
and undignified.
• The fact that Horatio compares the political and social
climate of Denmark to the Roman Republic just before ◦ Repeating what Gertrude said, he insists that death is
natural and that to mourn this much is to act against
Caesar’s assassination suggests that he can sense a number of
nature.
tensions bubbling just beneath the surface.
▪ He encourages Hamlet to stay in Denmark instead of
• It’s also worth noting that Shakespeare wrote his tragedy
returning to Wittenberg, where Hamlet would
Julius Caesar about Caesar’s assassination and its aftermath.
continue his education.
Hamlet and Julius Caesar were likely written within a few
years of each other, and Julius Caesar also has a key scene in
◦ Gertrude also pleads with him, and Hamlet agrees.
Claudius is delighted and invites Gertrude to celebrate
which Caesar returns as a murdered ghost.
with him. Everyone exits except Hamlet.
• In a monologue, Hamlet expresses discontent about his life
Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis
ever since his father's death two months prior.
Summary ◦ He's outraged by his mother's quick remarriage, which he
• Claudius, the new king of Denmark, is holding court with his considers incestuous.
new wife Gertrude (Hamlet's mother), Hamlet, Claudius's ▪ Although troubled by his family's circumstances, he
advisor Polonius, Polonius's children Laertes and Ophelia, and knows he must stay silent and not cause problems.
other court members. • Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo enter and greet Hamlet.
◦ Claudius delivers a speech mourning his brother King Surprised to see his friend Horatio from Wittenberg, Hamlet
Hamlet's death, but he emphasizes the need to focus on asks why he's in Elsinore.
the future. ◦ Horatio answers that he came for King Hamlet's funeral.
▪ He explains that this is why he married Gertrude, his Hamlet laments his mother's hasty remarriage and praises
former sister-in-law, and became king. his late father.
◦ He informs the court about Fortinbras's intentions to ▪ Horatio then reveals that he saw Hamlet's father the
overtake Denmark, and he expresses his own previous night.
determination to maintain Denmark's strength.
• Horatio tells Hamlet that Marcellus and Barnardo have seen a
• Voltemand and Cornelius (who are both Norwegian courtiers) ghost resembling his father three nights in a row.
enter to collect a letter from Claudius. He has written to the ◦ Hamlet is astonished and wants more information about
new King of Norway—Fortinbras's uncle, an elderly, sick man the ghost.
unaware of his nephew's plans—asking him to stop

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▪ The men describe the king wearing full armor with a itself hints at Hamlet’s darker feelings of resentment
raised visor and a pale appearance. toward his uncle, whom he feels has (at the very least)
▪ Hamlet plans to join them on their watch and thanks overstepped by marrying his mother so soon after King
them for their friendship as they leave. Hamlet’s death.
◦ Alone, Hamlet wonders what the ghost will reveal and if it Women in a Patriarchal Society
will report "foul deeds." • Hamlet comes down rather hard on his mother for
remarrying shortly after King Hamlet’s death, and though his
Theme Analysis concern is perhaps understandable, it’s arguable that he
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction overlooks the various societal pressures that might lead her
• At this point in the play, Hamlet is more or less operating to make such a decision.
under the assumption that his father died in a freak accident. ◦ Of course, the circumstances surrounding King Hamlet’s
◦ Even before meeting with the ghost, though, he does seem death—and Gertrude’s reaction to it—aren’t yet all that
rather suspicious of this, as evidenced by the fact that he clear.
wonders if the ghost will tell him about “foul deeds.” ▪ Nonetheless, it’s reasonable to consider the fact that
▪ Hamlet’s suspicions in this regard are most likely tied to Gertrude doesn’t necessarily have the same power as
the general belief that ghosts often appear to seek someone like Hamlet.
revenge for their deaths. ▪ Although she is the Queen of Denmark, she still lives in
▪ It’s worth noting that while this belief was widespread a male-dominated society that would most likely expect
when Shakespeare was writing Hamlet, the play itself her to remarry.
seems to be set in an earlier period. Still, it’s likely that ▪ Hamlet’s harsh judgment of his mother, then, fails to
people in Hamlet’s era would have had similar beliefs take into account the external pressures Gertrude is
surrounding the supernatural. probably dealing with.
◦ What’s more, Hamlet’s subtly hostile comments in his Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
conversation with Claudius clearly hint that he resents his • It’s clear that Hamlet feels it’s dishonorable for his mother to
uncle for marrying his mother. have married Claudius.
▪ When he quips that he’s “too much in the sun,” he riffs ◦ When he asserts in his first soliloquy that their marriage is
on the fact that “sun” and “son” are homonyms—what incestuous, he does so as a way of expressing his feeling
he’s saying is that he suddenly feels a bit too much like that the marriage violates a certain code of ethics.
Claudius’s son.
▪ After all, it’s not—technically speaking—incestuous for
▪ This tongue-in-cheek animosity primes the audience Claudius to marry Gertrude, since they aren’t actually
(and Hamlet himself) for the revenge-related tension related.
Hamlet will later feel toward his uncle.
▪ But it is a bit scandalous, since their marriage could be
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation seen as disrespectful to the memory of Claudius’s
• Hamlet is already quite interested in the way his uncle, brother, King Hamlet.
Claudius, is presenting himself—a sign that he’s already ◦ Even if Hamlet truly believes that Gertrude and Claudius’s
suspicious of the new king. marriage is incestuous, then, what he really seems to
◦ Similarly, Claudius seems rather invested in how Hamlet is disapprove of is their lack of respect and decorum
presenting himself, going out of his way to remark on the surrounding his father’s death—a lack of respect that
fact that Hamlet seems too invested in his own grief. Hamlet finds dishonorable.
▪ Whether or not this concern for Hamlet is genuine or Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
not, Hamlet himself is clearly unwilling to engage with • Even though Hamlet isn’t fully aware yet of the circumstances
his uncle in this emotional way. surrounding his father’s death, he can sense that things in
▪ Instead, he uses wordplay to keep Claudius at arm’s Denmark have gone downhill.
length, joking that he feels a bit too much like ◦ His suspicion thus sets in motion the play’s interest in the
Claudius’s new son. idea of corruption and deterioration, which surfaces when
▪ The way he says this—noting that he’s “too much in the Hamlet wonders if the ghost will tell him about “foul
sun”—is somewhat lighthearted, but the sentiment deeds.”

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▪ The word “foul” has sensory connotations, bringing to decisions, Laertes and Polonius distrust Hamlet.
mind something that has become rotten or putrid. ▪ Most of all, they worry about his priorities, realizing
▪ The fact that Hamlet thinks the ghost might reveal “foul that—as the Prince of Denmark—he is bound by duty to
deeds” thus hints at Hamlet’s belief that some kind of his country in a way that might cause him to treat
moral decay has taken hold of Denmark. Ophelia carelessly.
◦ Of course, Hamlet is the protagonist of the play, so the
Act 1, Scene 3 Summary & Analysis audience is predisposed to disagree with Laertes and
Polonius.
Summary ▪ However, Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s least stable
• As Laertes gets ready to return to France, he bids farewell to protagonists.
his sister Ophelia and cautions her against risking her honor ▪ As the play progresses, it will be helpful to bear in mind
by falling for Hamlet, who is moody and obligated to his the concerns that Laertes and Polonius voice in this
country's needs. scene, as Hamlet appears increasingly willing to use the
◦ He advises her to guard her reputation, preserve her people closest to him as pawns in his quest for honor
virginity, and avoid Hamlet and the "danger of desire." and vengeance.
◦ Ophelia agrees to heed his words but sassily tells him to Women in a Patriarchal Society
follow his own advice in France. • Ophelia isn’t given much personal agency in this scene—a
• Polonius enters to bless Laertes's departure. He encourages dynamic that sheds light on the constraints women face in her
his son to make many friends but trust only those who prove society and time period.
their loyalty. ◦ Laertes and Polonius both explicitly tell her what to do and
◦ He also advises him to avoid disputes, dress well, refrain what not to do, and though their intention is to help and
from borrowing or lending money, and always remain true protect Ophelia, their orders don’t leave much room for
to himself. her to make decisions of her own.
◦ Laertes bids his father and sister farewell, reminding ◦ The fact that Ophelia agrees to stop spending time with
Ophelia to remember his advice. Hamlet spotlights her willingness to follow her father’s
wishes instead of doing what she wants.
• Following Laertes's departure, Polonius inquires about the
advice his son gave Ophelia. She informs him that Laertes ▪ Or, to put it another way, the fact that she agrees
actually spotlights her unwillingness to stand up to her
warned her about Hamlet.
father and brother’s authority.
◦ Polonius mentions noticing Hamlet and Ophelia spending
considerable time together, and he asks her to reveal the Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
nature of their relationship. • Laertes and Polonius’s concern that Hamlet has various

◦ Ophelia shares that Hamlet has frequently expressed obligations to the Danish monarchy underscores the societal
affection for her. Polonius is skeptical about Hamlet's values and expectations that Hamlet himself is burdened
intentions, claiming that Ophelia would be foolish to with.
believe that he truly cares for her. ◦ When Laertes and Polonius suggest to Ophelia that
▪ Ophelia insists on Hamlet's sincerity, but Polonius Hamlet will most likely concentrate on his duty to
cautions her that Hamlet is too young and has too much Denmark more than on his potential relationship with her,
freedom to be faithful. it becomes clear that people expect Hamlet to devote
himself to Denmark as its prince.
▪ He advises Ophelia to stop spending time with the
prince, and she promises to obey her father. ▪ This, it seems, is the honorable thing for him to do.
▪ And yet, at the same time, Laertes and Polonius think
Theme Analysis that Hamlet will behave dishonorably toward Ophelia
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation by leading her on and neglecting her.
• Both Laertes and Polonius are worried that Hamlet isn’t ◦ In turn, the audience sees the bind Hamlet is in: whether
necessarily the upstanding man everyone thinks he is. he devotes himself to his country or devotes himself to his
prospective lover, some people will think he has failed to
◦ In the same way that Hamlet himself seems to have doubts
behave honorably.
about Claudius’s intentions and even his mother’s

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wouldn’t be all that surprising if he wrote the ghost off

Act 1, Scene 4 Summary & Analysis
as some kind of supernatural anomaly.
Summary ▪ However, Hamlet’s superstitiousness is seemingly
• Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus wait on Elsinore's ramparts related to the circumstances surrounding his father’s
for the ghost to show up. death.

◦ Sounds of Claudius and his courtiers feasting and drinking ▪ Therefore, it seems likely that Hamlet will listen to the
inside the castle can be heard, and Hamlet explains that ghost, especially since it seems to be the ghost of his
such behavior is tarnishing Denmark's reputation, father.
overshadowing the country's goodness. Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• The ghost appears. Horatio encourages Hamlet to speak to it. • Hamlet reveals his morbid side at the end of this scene when
he says that he doesn’t value his life enough to care what
◦ Hamlet addresses the apparition, asking if it is his father's
happens to him.
ghost and questioning its reasons for leaving its tomb and
coming to Elsinore. ◦ This comment lays the groundwork for his later musings
on the value of life and the prospect of death.
▪ The ghost gestures for Hamlet to follow, and despite his
friends' warnings, Hamlet decides to follow the specter, ▪ In other words, this comment highlights Hamlet’s
claiming he has nothing to lose since he doesn't value brooding existential thoughts and his rather nihilistic
his life. worldview—two characteristics that will come to define
the entire play.
• Horatio pleads with Hamlet not to follow the ghost, fearing it
may harm him or lead him to his death. • More broadly, Marcellus’s comment that “something is rotten
in the state of Denmark” foregrounds everything that’s about
◦ Horatio and Marcellus try to hold Hamlet back, but he
to happen with a sense of deterioration and decay.
demands they release him and even draws his sword when
they don't comply. He says he'll turn them into ghosts if ◦ More specifically, Marcellus hints at a sense of moral
they don't let him follow the apparition. decay that has overtaken Denmark, presumably ever since
King Hamlet died.
◦ Marcellus and Horatio relent, allowing Hamlet to follow
the ghost but deciding to follow closely in case their prince ◦ His comment about something being “rotten” implies that
encounters danger. Marcellus comments that "something Hamlet and his contemporaries are no longer living in a
is rotten in the state of Denmark." properly functioning society—rather, they’re caught up in a
declining monarchy plagued by deceit, corruption, and
Theme Analysis secrecy.

Vengeance, Action, and Inaction

• Hamlet still doesn’t know why the ghost has come to Elsinore,
Act 1, Scene 5 Summary & Analysis
but the presence of ghosts in Shakespeare’s works—and in
Summary
many works of the time—usually precedes a revenge plot.
• Hamlet follows the ghost but eventually tires, demanding it to
◦ With this in mind, it seems likely that whatever Hamlet is
speak instead of leading him further.
about to find out is going to spur him on toward vengeance
of some kind. ◦ The ghost agrees, informing Hamlet it must soon return to
purgatory but that it has crucial information to share.
▪ However, the question will ultimately become whether
Hamlet pledges to listen attentively.
or not Hamlet will actually rise to the occasion and
carry out this revenge on behalf of the ghost. ▪ The ghost makes Hamlet promise to avenge what it will
reveal, and Hamlet encourages the ghost to continue.
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
• The ghost confirms that it is Hamlet's father, and it speaks
• When Hamlet goes to see the ghost for himself, he has to face
about purgatory's horrors, though it says that mortal people
a disarming question: whether or not the apparition is real
could never fully understand.
and, if so, whether or not it’s truly the ghost of his father.
◦ Moreover, he’ll have to decide if he can trust the ghost or ◦ Hamlet listens intently as the ghost calls for revenge
against its "foul and most unnatural murder."
not.
▪ Given that Hamlet seems naturally suspicious, it ▪ Eager to avenge his father, Hamlet urges the ghost to
quickly share the details of the murder.

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• The ghost reveals that King Hamlet's death, thought to be Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
from a serpent's bite, was actually caused by Claudius, who • The fact that Hamlet warns Horatio and Marcellus that he’ll
poisoned the king while he slept in the orchard. most likely behave strangely over the course of the coming
◦ The ghost pleads for Hamlet to avenge him and prevent days suggests that he is paying close attention to how he
Claudius from turning Denmark's throne into "a couch for presents himself.
luxury and damnèd incest." ◦ To be fair, Hamlet has just learned that his uncle murdered
▪ With the ghost's departure, Hamlet resolves to fulfill its his father, so it’s understandable that he might not act like
request. himself after receiving such troubling news.

• When Horatio and Marcellus catch up with Hamlet, they ▪ However, it’s also possible that his altered behavior will
be intentional—that is, acting differently might be part
eagerly inquire about the ghost's message.
of Hamlet’s overall plan to take revenge, though it’s not
◦ However, Hamlet hesitates to reveal the details, fearing
yet clear how this might play out.
betrayal. He asks them not to question him further and to
keep their recent experiences a secret. They swear their Women in a Patriarchal Society
silence. • The ghost’s insistence that Claudius is turning the Danish

◦ Hamlet then tells them to swear on his sword. Marcellus throne into a “couch for luxury and damnèd incest” implies
points out that they've already sworn their secrecy, but that Gertrude is also behaving immorally by having remarried
the ghost's voice returns and insists on another oath, and her late husband’s brother.
both men comply by touching Hamlet's sword. ◦ While it’s the case that Gertrude didn’t wait long after
King Hamlet’s death to remarry, it’s also arguable that she
• Hamlet warns Horatio and Marcellus that he may act
had little choice, especially if she sensed that Claudius
strangely in the coming days but that they must not reveal
murdered her husband.
any knowledge of the ghost or their encounter.
▪ If she did sense this, she would most likely conclude
◦ The ghost demands their commitment once more. Hamlet
that it would be dangerous to refuse a murderer like
tells the ghost to find peace, and then he expresses his
Claudius.
distress at being tasked with resolving his father's
unfinished business. ◦ It’s also the case that Gertrude is a woman living in a male-
dominated society that most likely expects her to remarry.
▪ With Horatio and Marcellus's loyalty secured, Hamlet
leads them back to the castle. ▪ The ghost’s implied anger toward Gertrude therefore
fails to take into account the many societal and
Theme Analysis interpersonal pressures that are surely exerting
themselves on her and influencing her decisions.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
• When the ghost of King Hamlet implores Hamlet to avenge
• By asking Hamlet to avenge his death, the ghost appeals to
his death, he puts a burden of sorts on the young prince.
the prince’s sense of honor.
◦ Hamlet now has to figure out how to go about avenging his
father’s murder. Worse, he has to figure out how to kill ◦ Unlike in the present day, people in Hamlet’s time would
Claudius, who is now king. not only have understood if he were to murder his father’s
killer, they would have expected him to do so.
▪ Needless to say, this won’t be a particularly easy task,
since murdering a king is no easy feat. ▪ This is wrapped up in the ideas surrounding honor and
duty, as Hamlet lives in a society that champions people
◦ The ghost’s desire for revenge also justifies Hamlet’s
who fight to protect the integrity of their names.
previous suspicions about Claudius’s rise to power.
▪ Although Hamlet didn’t articulate it before, it seems he ▪ As a result, Hamlet surely feels pressure to carry out
his father’s revenge, as failing to do so would reflect
already had an inkling that his uncle murdered his
poorly on him.
father.
▪ Now, though, he knows for sure that this is the case, Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
and this puts pressure on him to act accordingly by • The ghost’s revelation that Claudius murdered his own
listening to the ghost and killing Claudius. brother in order to become king highlights the moral decay at
the center of the Danish monarchy.
◦ It’s now quite clear that Claudius has risen to power by

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way of immorality and deceit. rejection of the Catholic concept of purgatory.

▪ The fact that he was able to do this with such ease
suggests that the entire political system is vulnerable to Act 2, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis
this kind of corruption.
▪ This, in turn, sheds light on Marcellus’s comment in Act Summary
1, Scene 4 that “something is rotten in the state of • Back at the castle, Polonius hands his servant Reynaldo
Denmark”—what’s “rotten” is the entire moral integrity money and notes for his trip to France.
of the monarchy, as evidenced by Claudius’s easy rise to ◦ He instructs Reynaldo to discreetly investigate Laertes's
power through nefarious means. behavior in Paris by mingling with the young man's social
circle and learning about his character.
Historical and Literary Context
• Polonius proposes that Reynaldo pose as a casual
Purgatory and the Protestant Reformation acquaintance and mention rumors about Laertes's issues with
• When the ghost appears to Hamlet and reveals that he’s the drinking, gambling, and women—he should then assess the
spirit of the late King Hamlet, he says that he is “doomed for a reactions of Laertes's friends to determine whether these
certain term to walk the night” and that he will suffer until rumors are actually true.
“the foul crimes” of his murderer are dealt with.
◦ Polonius takes pride in his espionage plan, even if he also
◦ The ghost’s description of his predicament—that he’s appears to struggle to keep the details of his own plan
languishing and unable to rest until he gains straight.
closure—sounds a lot like purgatory.
• As Reynaldo leaves for France, a pale and frightened Ophelia
▪ In this way, the play taps into the tension between
enters.
Catholicism and Protestantism that was very much
alive in Europe in the late 1500s, when Shakespeare ◦ Polonius inquires about her condition, and she describes
Hamlet's disheveled appearance when he entered her
wrote Hamlet.
room unannounced.
◦ The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century religious
movement that centered around the formation of • Ophelia explains that Hamlet grabbed her wrist and stared at
Protestantism, which ultimately emerged as a result of her intensely before leaving. Ophelia fears that Hamlet truly
discontent in the Catholic Church. loves her.
▪ In 1517, a German theologian named Martin Luther ◦ Polonius suggests they inform Claudius of Hamlet's
spoke out against certain practices in the Catholic behavior towards her.
Church, and his ideas resonated with many people • Polonius asks if Ophelia has upset Hamlet, and she explains
across Europe. that she followed her father's advice by returning Hamlet's
▪ The formation of Protestantism was quite contentious, letters and avoiding him.
leading to a touchy divide between Catholics and ◦ Polonius believes that Hamlet's madness stems from
Protestants surrounding church policy, religious beliefs, Ophelia's rejection, and he suddenly regrets his counsel.
and theological interpretations.
◦ He quickly takes Ophelia to see the king.
◦ One difference between Protestantism and Catholicism in
the Middle Ages was that Catholics believed in purgatory, Theme Analysis
whereas Protestants did not.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
▪ Hamlet is generally thought to be set in the 1300s or
• It’s unclear how, exactly, Hamlet is going about fulfilling the
1400s, meaning that it predates Protestantism.
ghost’s wish that he avenge his death—or, for that matter, if
▪ However, by the time of the play’s composition, Hamlet is even working toward this goal at all.
Denmark was a predominantly Protestant country.
◦ At the same time, Hamlet did tell Horatio and Marcellus
▪ This might account for some of Hamlet’s hesitancy to that he might act strangely in the coming few days.
trust the ghost right off the bat: it’s possible that
▪ It’s possible, then, that his odd behavior toward
Hamlet is suspicious about the idea of purgatory.
Ophelia is all part of his plan.
▪ This is, perhaps, Shakespeare’s way of subtly gesturing
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
toward late-15th-century Denmark’s Protestant
• Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship is largely characterized by

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misunderstandings and unfounded assumptions. find Hamlet.

◦ Although Ophelia told her father and brother that she • Polonius arrives with positive news: ambassadors Voltemand
wouldn’t spend time with Hamlet anymore because of and Cornelius are back safely.
their suspicions, she herself didn’t necessarily think
◦ What's more, Polonius says he has found the cause of
Hamlet would mistreat her.
Hamlet's odd behavior.
▪ Now, though, she has even more reason to believe that
◦ Claudius requests an explanation, but Polonius suggests
Hamlet cares for her, since he’s acting like he’s madly in
that the king should meet with the ambassadors first.
love with her.
• Polonius ushers Voltemand and Cornelius into the hall.
▪ The audience, however, knows that Hamlet’s behavior
Claudius inquires about Norway's news.
toward Ophelia in this moment is most likely wrapped
up in his broader plan to avenge his father’s death, ◦ Voltemand reveals that the king halted Fortinbras's plans.
since he already told Horatio and Marcellus that he What's more, Fortinbras's uncle has given Fortinbras funds
might act strange in the coming days. Still, it’s unclear and troops to invade Poland instead of Denmark.
how this will play out. ▪ Voltemand hands Claudius a letter requesting passage
through Denmark for Fortinbras's army.
▪ Either way, what’s clear is that Hamlet is most likely
misrepresenting himself when he acts feverishly in love ▪ Claudius expresses gratitude and dismisses them,
with Ophelia—but Ophelia has no way of knowing this, pledging to review the letter and respond.
so she assesses the situation based on the way Hamlet • With the ambassadors gone, Polonius addresses Hamlet's
presents himself to her. madness, presenting a letter written by Hamlet that Ophelia
Women in a Patriarchal Society gave him.
• Ophelia’s father and brother have both already instructed her ◦ In it, Hamlet declares his love for Ophelia. Polonius admits
to stay away from Hamlet, asserting their authority over her that after discovering their relationship, he instructed
in the context of the male-dominated society in which they Ophelia to reject Hamlet.
live. ▪ He now fears that he may have caused Hamlet's
◦ Although their warnings about Hamlet are somewhat madness.
wrongheaded at first, their advice to stay away from him • Claudius wonders if there's any method they could use to
actually turns out to be rather sensible. verify Polonius's hypothesis.
▪ After all, it appears that Hamlet is using Ophelia for
◦ Polonius proposes staging a meeting between Ophelia and
some other end in this scene, as it’s probably not a Hamlet during one of Hamlet's reflective walks in the
coincidence that his sudden strong feelings for her and castle's main hall.
strange behavior come immediately after the ghost
tells him to take revenge on Claudius.
▪ Meanwhile, Polonius and Claudius can observe
discreetly from behind some drapery.
▪ Although it’s entirely possible that Hamlet genuinely
◦ As Hamlet enters, reading a book, Polonius rushes the king
feels for Ophelia, it seems probable that she has
and queen away, intending to speak with Hamlet alone.
become a pawn in his scheme to take revenge on
Claudius—a scheme that apparently involves • Polonius approaches Hamlet. Hamlet's attitude is distant and
presenting himself as an unpredictable person. cold, leading Polonius to ask if Hamlet recognizes him.
◦ Hamlet responds that Polonius is a fishmonger. Polonius
Act 2, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis denies this, but Hamlet wishes Polonius were as honest as
one.
Summary ▪ Polonius concedes that honesty is scarce. Hamlet
• Claudius and Gertrude cordially greet Rosencrantz and inquires if Polonius has a daughter, and Polonius
Guildenstern, old friends of Hamlet, at Elsinore. confirms that he does.
◦ Claudius wants them to cheer up Hamlet and report any ▪ Hamlet then advises him to watch her closely to
deeper issues troubling him. prevent her from too much exposure to the sun, which
might lead her to "conceive."
◦ Gertrude promises a generous reward for their assistance,
and both friends agree to help. An attendant leads them to • Polonius, perplexed by Hamlet's odd behavior, tries asking

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about the book he's reading. ◦ Hamlet approves, as long as they perform well.
◦ Hamlet discusses the book's portrayal of old men as Rosencrantz mentions that this troupe was once a favorite
irrelevant and repulsive. of Hamlet's in the city.
▪ Although agreeing with the content, Hamlet says he • Hamlet questions why the actors are traveling when they
doesn't necessarily think it was proper for the author to could earn more in the city.
have written such things. He then notes that Polonius
◦ Rosencrantz suggests they've faced hard times and lost
would seem just as young as Hamlet himself—if, that is, popularity to child actors. Hamlet finds this absurd and
Polonius could reverse time. compares it to Claudius's rising popularity as king.
◦ Polonius privately acknowledges that, although Hamlet is
• A trumpet signals the players' arrival. Hamlet prepares to
speaking utter nonsense, there seems to be a "method" to
enthusiastically greet them.
his madness.
◦ Before their entrance, though, Hamlet hints to his friends
• Polonius keeps conversing with Hamlet, asking if he's going to that his madness is an act to deceive his "uncle-father and
walk outdoors or indoors. Hamlet cryptically talks about aunt-mother."
walking into his own grave.
• Polonius enters, greeting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
◦ In another private comment, Polonius notes that Hamlet's
dark responses are signs of insanity. He decides to leave ◦ Hamlet mockingly describes Polonius to his friends as an
infant. Polonius announces the actors' arrival, and Hamlet
Hamlet and find Ophelia to execute the plan with Claudius.
teases him while Polonius introduces the troupe.
▪ Polonius bids Hamlet goodbye, and upon his departure,
Hamlet quietly calls him a boring "old fool." ▪ Hamlet continues to make strange, layered puns until
the players enter.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, greeting Hamlet
• Hamlet warmly welcomes the actors, recognizing some of
enthusiastically. He welcomes them warmly, and they catch
them.
up on their lives.
◦ Both friends admit they are not extremely successful but ◦ He requests a speech to gauge their current work. The
First Player asks which speech Hamlet desires.
not struggling, either.
◦ Hamlet questions their return to the "prison" of Denmark, ▪ Hamlet recalls a speech from a poorly-received play
based on a Greek myth, and, struggling to remember it,
and they refute the idea that it's a prison. However,
ends up reciting most of it.
Hamlet insists it feels that way due to his ambitions.
• The First Player praises Hamlet's memory and proceeds with
• Hamlet urges Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to be honest
the speech, which describes the Greek warrior Pyrrhus killing
about their reasons for returning to Elsinore.
the Trojan king Priam while Priam's wife watches in horror.
◦ Rosencrantz claims they came solely to visit him. Hamlet
suspects they were summoned and insists they cannot ◦ The First Player's emotional delivery prompts Polonius to
comment on his pale complexion.
deceive him.
◦ Rosencrantz feigns ignorance, but Hamlet urges honesty. • Hamlet asks the First Player to stop and directs Polonius to
Guildenstern confesses they were indeed sent for. provide comfortable accommodations for the troupe.

• Hamlet playfully offers to reveal why they were summoned. ◦ Hamlet requests The Murder of Gonzago for the next
evening and asks the First Player to include a short speech
◦ He dramatically and sarcastically describes how the king
written by Hamlet. The First Player agrees, and everyone
and queen probably portrayed his depressed state, his lack
exits except Hamlet.
of interest in socializing, and his inability to appreciate the
beauty around him. • In a soliloquy, Hamlet laments his inability to take action

▪ Hamlet believes he has accurately guessed the purpose against his father's murderer while an actor can stir such
of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's mission simply emotion in a performance.
based on their reactions. ◦ He curses himself and despises his inaction, frustrated that
he can't summon the necessary fury to kill Claudius.
• Rosencrantz suggests that if Hamlet cannot enjoy real
company, he might be entertained by a group of actors. • Hamlet devises a plan: have the players perform a scene

◦ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern encountered a troupe en resembling the ghost's account of his murder.
route to Elsinore and invited them to perform. ◦ Claudius's reaction might reveal his guilt, allowing Hamlet

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to determine if he truly should avenge his father's death Guildenstern to cheer Hamlet up.
(since Hamlet is otherwise concerned about the possibility ▪ In doing so, Claudius tries to use Hamlet’s own close
that the ghost was actually the devil trying to trick him). friends to manipulate him and essentially neutralize
any threat Hamlet might pose to Claudius’s newfound
Theme Analysis power.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction ▪ What’s more, Claudius feigns concern for Hamlet as a
• By this point, it’s evident that feigning madness is part of way of endearing himself to Gertrude, who actually
Hamlet’s plan to take revenge on Claudius. cares about her son.
◦ By acting strangely, he becomes unpredictable and, in that • Furthermore, Hamlet’s plan to gauge Claudius’s reaction to
way, more difficult for his adversaries to read. the play he’s going to stage implies that certain secrets simply
▪ Polonius, in particular, is utterly incapable of can’t be fully concealed.
understanding what’s going on with the young prince. ◦ Hamlet is confident that his uncle will betray himself when
Given that Polonius is Claudius’s trusted advisor, this is he sees a reenactment of King Hamlet’s murder.
a significant detail that effectively gives Hamlet a leg
▪ This plan hinges on Hamlet’s apparent belief that
up. strong emotions inevitably come to the surface when
• Even with this tactic, though, Hamlet is frustrated with people are caught off guard, thus cutting through
himself because he hasn’t yet brought himself to actually act feigned behavior and tricks of self-presentation.
on the ghost’s wishes. Women in a Patriarchal Society
◦ The soliloquy he delivers at the end of the scene gives the • When Polonius suggests that he knows why Hamlet’s
audience a window into his turbulent thoughts about his behavior has been strange, he unwittingly plays into Hamlet’s
entire quest for revenge. plan to use Ophelia—and their relationship—as a pawn.
▪ It becomes clear in this moment that the idea of killing ◦ This, of course, is the exact opposite of what Polonius
Claudius as a way of avenging King Hamlet’s death isn’t originally set out to do when he domineeringly told
one that Hamlet automatically embraces—otherwise, Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.
he most likely would have already killed Claudius.
▪ Polonius worried that Hamlet wouldn’t treat Ophelia
▪ Instead of brazenly charging forth and carrying out his well because he’d be focused on other things (like his
father’s revenge, Hamlet pontificates and stalls, and role in the Danish monarchy).
this leaves him feeling ashamed and emotionally
▪ In a way, Polonius was ultimately right about this, but
conflicted. now—ironically enough—he plays into this dynamic by
◦ As the scene comes to an end, Hamlet makes himself feel a insisting that Hamlet has been strange recently
little better about his inaction by coming up with a plan to because he’s lovesick over Ophelia.
test whether or not Claudius is truly guilty.
▪ By falling for this (and by suggesting that Ophelia
▪ The very fact that Hamlet wants to confirm Claudius’s should meet with Hamlet while Polonius and Claudius
guilt indicates that he’s concerned about the morality eavesdrop), Polonius ends up enabling Hamlet to
of murdering his uncle. manipulate his daughter for his own ends.
▪ Hamlet doesn’t want to commit murder without
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
knowing for sure that Claudius killed his father.
• Hamlet feels that it’s his duty to avenge his father’s death,
▪ But it also seems that Hamlet struggles in general since this is seen in his society as the honorable thing to do.
with the idea of committing murder regardless of
the circumstances. His idea to stage this play, then,
◦ However, actually carrying this task out means committing
murder, which is obviously a very serious matter.
might be seen as yet another way of putting the
whole thing off. ▪ Part of Hamlet’s inaction and hesitancy, then, is
wrapped up in the fact that his society both endorses
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation honor-related revenge and condones murder as a
• Hamlet is intentionally deceiving the people around him by whole.
acting out of sorts, but he’s not the only one strategically
▪ After all, Hamlet lives in a Christian society, so he likely
manipulating others. understands—on an intellectual level—that two wrongs
◦ Claudius is also acting deceitful by telling Rosencrantz and don’t make a right.

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▪ And this, in turn, should mean that killing his father’s ◦ Meanwhile, Claudius privately acknowledges his own
killer wouldn’t actually be the moral thing to do. deceitful behavior in a brief aside, noting that he's quite
◦ It is largely because of his qualms about committing used to pretending.
murder that Hamlet devises his plan to reenact his father’s ▪ He and Polonius then conceal themselves nearby.
death, hoping that doing this will help him discern whether
• Hamlet enters, contemplating suicide in a soliloquy that
or not Claudius truly did kill King Hamlet.
begins, "To be, or not to be."
▪ By making sure Claudius is guilty, Hamlet will at least
◦ He ponders the merits of facing life's challenges or seeking
be able to justify his actions by claiming that murdering
death's oblivion. Fear of the unknown makes him feel
his uncle was an honorable act of revenge.
cowardly.
▪ But even if he does confirm Claudius’s guilt, he will still
▪ Spotting Ophelia, he asks her to pray for his sins.
have to wrestle with the fact that two wrongs don’t
make a right. • Ophelia approaches Hamlet and inquires about his well-
being, to which he replies positively.
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• Because the audience knows that Claudius murdered King
◦ She mentions that she has some items she wants to return
to him, but Hamlet denies giving her anything.
Hamlet (or, at the very least, that the ghost made this
allegation), his desire to use Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ▪ Ophelia insists he gave her presents and heartfelt
letters, which no longer bring her joy.
cheer up Hamlet points to his deceitful nature and, in turn, to
the kind of corruption that has made its way into the heart of ◦ Hamlet questions her honesty. While she is beautiful, he
the Danish monarchy. says, that doesn't mean that she is honest.

◦ It is exactly this sort of immorality that Hamlet seems to • In response, Ophelia argues that beauty and purity are closely
resent so much in his uncle. linked.
▪ In fact, Hamlet is so concerned with morality that he ◦ Hamlet counters that beauty can corrupt honesty, but
decides to verify that Claudius is actually guilty, honesty can't restore purity to a sinful woman.
apparently believing that it would be immoral to kill ◦ He admits to once loving her, and she notes that she really
him without knowing for sure that Claudius murdered believed in his strong feelings for her.
King Hamlet. ▪ But then Hamlet takes back what he has said, claiming
▪ If Hamlet were in charge, then, it seems that the Danish that he never truly loved her.
monarchy would at least be a little less susceptible to
• Hamlet advises Ophelia to quickly enter a convent so that she
moral decay.
won't give birth to more sinners.
◦ He admits to being a sinner himself and believes the world
Act 3, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis is filled with scoundrels.

Summary ▪ He then inquires about Polonius's whereabouts, and

upon hearing he's at home, he hopes the old man stays
• In Elsinore's hall, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia,
there so that he'll only be foolish in his own company.
Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern gather.
• Ophelia pleads to God to help Hamlet, but Hamlet pushes on,
◦ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report Hamlet's continued
evasiveness, and then they mention the upcoming play. saying that even if Ophelia remains pure, no one will trust her
righteousness.
▪ Claudius encourages them to keep Hamlet engaged,
and they depart. ◦ He insists that she should seclude herself in a convent,
away from men. Ophelia prays for Hamlet's sanity once
• Claudius instructs Gertrude to leave so he and Polonius can more, but he harshly claims that women like her deceive
secretly observe an interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia. men with makeup and cause them to sin.
◦ Gertrude expresses hope that Ophelia can help Hamlet
◦ Hamlet blames their promiscuity for his madness and
regain his sanity. wishes for an end to all marriage. He repeats his insistence
• Polonius gives Ophelia a prayer book as a prop while he and for Ophelia to join a convent, and then he exits the hall.
Claudius hide, telling his daughter to act like she has been • Ophelia, left alone, mourns Hamlet's descent into madness.
reading it—though he does acknowledge that merely She is heartbroken that his potential as a scholar, soldier, and
pretending to pray is sinful.

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future king has vanished. ◦ What’s complicated about this scene, though, is that
◦ Claudius and Polonius emerge from their hiding spot to Hamlet’s rant about women and convents seems
console her. Claudius believes Hamlet's situation could particularly unhinged, perhaps suggesting that he’s
become dangerous and decides to send him to England on cracking under the pressure of trying to avenge his
a diplomatic mission to distance him from Elsinore and father’s death.
give him a chance to recuperate and explore the world. ▪ Moreover, it’s worth noting that Ophelia isn’t Hamlet’s
enemy—in fact, he seemingly had fond feelings for her
• Polonius concurs with Claudius's decision but proposes that
before trouble descended on Elsinore.
before Hamlet departs for England, Gertrude should confront
him in an attempt to uncover the cause of his madness. ▪ And yet, he knows that Ophelia is Polonius’s daughter,
and he knows that Polonius is Claudius’s advisor.
◦ Claudius accepts Polonius's suggestion and emphasizes
Therefore, manipulating her is the easiest way for him
the need for close observation of Hamlet.
to vicariously manipulate Claudius.
Theme Analysis ◦ Still, Hamlet’s fervor in this scene blurs the line between
feigned madness and reality.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
• At this point in the play, it becomes somewhat difficult to fully
▪ This is because his intentionally unstable behavior has
become so exaggerated that it’s difficult to say what’s
understand and track how Hamlet’s behavior relates to his
real and what’s not.
plan to avenge his father’s death.
Women in a Patriarchal Society
◦ It has already been made clear that he intends to dupe
Ophelia—and, in turn, Claudius—by pretending to be • Hamlet expresses some very strong—and ultimately
unstable, but the dynamic of the play shifts in this scene, as sexist—opinions about women in this scene, effectively
the audience comes to feel that perhaps Hamlet truly has blaming women for leading men astray and toward evil.
descended into something like madness. ◦ To put it simply, Hamlet comes to this conversation with
▪ It’s possible, after all, that Hamlet set out to confound quite a bit of personal and emotional baggage.
Ophelia and Claudius as a tactical move but then ▪ Although he rails at Ophelia, it’s not hard to see that
actually succumbed to the stress related to the he’s probably thinking about his mother. After all, he
prospect of murdering Claudius. feels as if his mother betrayed his father. And, by
◦ As Hamlet acts increasingly strange, it comes to seem marrying Claudius, he feels that Gertrude has
more and more likely that the burden of avenging King ultimately betrayed him, too.
Hamlet’s death is beginning to weigh heavily on him—even ▪ What’s more, he seems to believe—on an intuitive
if acting crazy was originally part of his plan. level—that Gertrude is somehow involved in Claudius’s
dishonesty.
• The burden of revenge is especially apparent when Hamlet
delivers his famous soliloquy, in which he asks whether it’s ▪ Thus, his misogynistic views are wrapped up in the
resentment he feels toward his own mother and aren’t
better “to be or not to be.”
necessarily related to his relationship with Ophelia.
◦ This is a very existential question, as Hamlet tries to weigh
out the pros and cons of staying alive. ◦ It’s also worth noting that Hamlet’s unkind thoughts about
women are indicative of the sexist values held by the
◦ Although the play’s interest in Hamlet’s inaction has until
patriarchal society in which he lives.
this point primarily been related to whether or not he’ll
actually murder Claudius, Hamlet now struggles with a ▪ It’s especially noteworthy that this society is very
Christian, since the thoughts Hamlet expresses about
new kind of indecision—namely, whether or not to take his
women leading men astray are directly linked to the
own life.
Christian concept of original sin—the biblical story of
▪ It’s not as if Hamlet is eager to die by suicide.
Eve giving into temptation and eating the forbidden
▪ Rather, it’s that he feels frozen with indecision, as if his
fruit in the Garden of Eden (which led to the Fall of
inability to decide what to do about Claudius has
Man).
impacted his ability to decide anything.
▪ Since such Christian ideas are so prevalent in Hamlet’s
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation male-dominated society, it’s unsurprising that he
• As previously mentioned, Hamlet’s plan all along has been to subscribes to them—even if it is a little surprising that
feign madness in order to destabilize his enemies.

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he would subject Ophelia (whom he supposedly used to context of Hamlet’s Christian background—comes with
love) to such antagonistically sexist views. various moral implications.
◦ Bearing all this in mind, it’s important to remember that • On another note, Hamlet’s apparent belief that women lead
Hamlet’s original plan was to purposefully feign madness men to sin also signals his concern about the moral decay of
as a way of disorienting the people around him. his surrounding society.
▪ By ranting and raving about how Ophelia should flee to
◦ Having observed what happened to his father, he
a convent, he uses sexist views to achieve his goal of seemingly doesn’t trust anyone.
seeming unhinged.
▪ Although he used to have fond feelings for Ophelia, his
▪ In doing so, he uses Ophelia as a pawn in his broader own mother’s apparent betrayal of his father has led
goal of avenging King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet to the conclusion that a woman like Ophelia
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values should extricate herself from society to ensure she
• When Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to a convent, he implies that won’t tempt men into sinfulness.
women are responsible for leading men to sin—an idea ▪ To be fair, this rant is possibly just part of his attempt to
related to the Christian concept of original sin. seem crazy.But it also subtly underscores his sense that
◦ In the Bible’s Old Testament, Eve eats from the Tree of society is in decline, as he speaks about humanity as if
Knowledge, from which God has forbidden them to eat. people are very easily tempted into evil and sinfulness.
▪ This leads to the Fall of Man, which is the idea that all • Given that the ghost revealed Claudius murdered him, it
humans—ever since Adam and Eve—are sinners. seems likely that Claudius isn’t as well-intentioned in this
◦ In Christianity, the concept of original sin is mainly used to scene as he might appear.
convey the idea that humans are inherently flawed and ◦ Although he seems concerned for Hamlet, it’s likely that
must atone for their sins and open themselves to salvation. he just wants to get him away from Elsinore.It’s also
▪ Hamlet, however, focuses narrowly on the idea that possible that he has even more nefarious plans for Hamlet.
women are responsible for the Fall of Man—a point he ▪ If this is the case, it would reinforce Hamlet’s belief that
most likely obsesses over because of his complicated corruption, deceit, and sinfulness are at the core of his
feelings about his mother and her decision to marry her surrounding society.
late husband’s brother so soon after his death.
▪ In doing so, he subjects Ophelia to scorn through the Historical and Literary Context
lens of his religious views. Original Sin
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration • In a tense conversation, Hamlet cruelly tells Ophelia to run
• Hamlet questions the inherent value of staying alive—that is, away to a convent.
continuing to exist, or “be”—in his famous soliloquy, and this ◦ He tells her to become a nun because this way she won’t
highlights his tendency to dwell on deep, existential ideas. become a “breeder of sinners.”
◦ Some people in his position would spend very little time in ◦ By saying this, Hamlet obliquely references the Christian
deliberation, simply moving forward and murdering idea of original sin.
Claudius without hesitation. ▪ Original sin comes from the Old Testament story of
▪ They would justify this murder with the idea of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
revenge, claiming that it was the honorable thing to do. ▪ God has forbidden Adam and Eve from eating fruit
◦ Hamlet, however, is thinking about a lot more than from the Tree of Knowledge, but a serpent appears and
revenge. tempts Eve into disobeying God.
▪ He’s also thinking about right and wrong, perhaps ▪ Eve ends up eating from the Tree of Knowledge and
recognizing that to murder Claudius would make him even convinces Adam to do the same. As a result, God
no better than Claudius himself. banishes them from the Garden of Eden.
▪ In this way, Hamlet recognizes that to become a ◦ In Christianity, Eve’s decision to eat the fruit is the original
murderer would be to participate in the moral decay sin that leads to the Fall of Man, which is the idea that all
and corruption taking hold of Elsinore. humans are no longer the innocent, obedient beings that
▪ Therefore, he contemplates suicide, but he can’t Adam and Eve were before they ate from the Tree of
commit to the idea because even suicide—in the Knowledge.

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▪ All humans, according to this doctrine, must atone for being. Hamlet provides an indirect, puzzling response
their inherent sinfulness, which can be traced back to before questioning Polonius about his acting experiences
Eve’s mistake. in college.
• In the context of Hamlet’s conversation with Ophelia, the ◦ Polonius confirms that he participated in plays and even
Christian ideas about original sin and the Fall of Man make portrayed Julius Caesar. Hamlet reflects on Caesar's
sense, as it seems like Hamlet is effectively blaming women brutal assassination and the wrongness of Brutus's
for everything that is wrong with human nature. actions.

◦ He even says that he himself is a pretty good person but • Rosencrantz tells Hamlet that the performers are prepared.
still sometimes behaves in ways that make him wish his ◦ Gertrude invites Hamlet to sit beside her during the show,
own mother never gave birth to such a sinner. but he'd rather sit near Ophelia. As he settles next to her,
◦ According to Hamlet, the best way to rectify the wrongs he teases Ophelia with sexually suggestive remarks, which
brought on the human race by Eve is for women like she calmly deflects, commenting on Hamlet's high spirits.
Ophelia to remove themselves from society, making it ◦ Hamlet claims everyone in the room is content, including
impossible for them to become “breeder[s] of sinners.” his mother, even though his father passed away just two
hours prior.
Act 3, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis ▪ Ophelia counters that Hamlet's father has been dead
for over two months, to which Hamlet sarcastically
Summary suggests he'll change from mourning attire into a white
• Hamlet joins the group of actors and offers advice to the First suit.
Player on how to recite the monologue that he (Hamlet) has
• A trumpet announces the start of the pantomime before the
penned.
play.
◦ He bemoans actors who exaggerate their roles or aim for
◦ The actors perform a scene where a king and queen
cheap laughs instead of genuine portrayals.
lovingly embrace before the queen departs, leaving the
◦ The First Player promises to practice diligently and king to nap. As the king sleeps, another man steals his
present a performance that pleases Hamlet. The actors all crown, pours poison into his ear, and flees.
exit together.
◦ The queen discovers the dead king and mourns him. The
• Polonius arrives with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet killer returns, feigning grief, and woos the queen with gifts
inquires if the king and queen will watch the performance, until she falls for him.
and Polonius confirms they will. ▪ Ophelia is disturbed by the pantomime, but Hamlet
◦ Hamlet tells Polonius to pass this information to the tells her that he's merely stirring up mischief.
actors, and he instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ◦ The First Player enters and begins the actual play, while
ensure that the actors prepare swiftly. They comply. Hamlet and Ophelia exchange more lewd and suggestive
• When Horatio enters, Hamlet warmly welcomes his loyal banter.
friend. Overwhelmed by Hamlet's praise, Horatio listens as • The play commences with two players portraying a king and
Hamlet commends him for his loyalty, reason, and morality. queen, discussing the duration of their marriage and their
◦ Hamlet confides in Horatio about the upcoming play, love for each other.
which includes a scene he wrote that mirrors his father's ◦ The player king mentions his advancing age and imminent
murder. death, suggesting that his wife should remarry and find
▪ He asks Horatio to observe Claudius during that scene happiness again.
to assess his guilt. If Claudius appears innocent, the ◦ The player queen insists that she would be cursed if she
ghost might be a demon; if guilty, action is clearly were to remarry, adding that each kiss with a new husband
required. Horatio pledges to fulfill Hamlet's request. would be like repeatedly killing her first husband.
• Trumpets blare, and Claudius enters, followed by Gertrude, ▪ The player king encourages her to be open-minded,
Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and a number since her feelings may change after his death, but the
of other court members. queen adamantly refuses the idea of remarriage.
◦ Addressing Hamlet, Claudius inquires about his well- • As the player queen departs, leaving the player king to nap,

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Hamlet asks Gertrude if she is enjoying the play. She replies Hamlet’s murder, Hamlet gains valuable insight.
that the queen "protests too much." ◦ To be more specific, he becomes all but certain that
◦ Claudius wonders if the play is offensive, but Hamlet Claudius did, indeed, murder King Hamlet.
reassures him it is a jest and should not bother anyone ◦ This insight is valuable because the lack of evidence
with a clear conscience. condemning Claudius has—until this point—driven
• A player portraying a character named Lucianus enters the Hamlet’s feelings of indecision.
stage. Hamlet informs Ophelia that Lucianus is the king's ▪ Not wanting to commit murder without knowing for
nephew. She comments on Hamlet's knowledge of the play, sure his uncle is guilty, Hamlet has put off the ghost’s
and their conversation turns into a series of sexual innuendos, request for vengeance.
most of which Ophelia playfully bats away. ▪ Now, though, Hamlet will have little reason to continue
◦ Lucianus administers poison into the king's ear, killing him, stalling.
causing Claudius to rise from his seat. Gertrude questions ◦ In turn, this becomes a pivotal moment in the play, as it
Claudius's sudden discomfort, and he declares that he is strips Hamlet of his primary excuse to avoid taking action.
leaving. Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
▪ Polonius commands the actors to cease the • This scene relies heavily on the importance of outward
performance. All but Hamlet and Horatio follow appearances, as Hamlet uses a play—which is itself a sort of
Claudius out of the hall. manufactured reality—to gauge Claudius’s reactions.
• Hamlet asks Horatio if he noticed Claudius's hasty exit upon ◦ The fact that Hamlet instructed the players to perform this
witnessing his own misdeeds portrayed onstage. Horatio scene highlights the extent to which he’s involved in
concurs that Claudius appeared guilty. manipulating appearances.
◦ Hamlet instructs the players to play some music since the ▪ In order to discern whether or not Claudius is guilty,
king didn't enjoy their drama. Hamlet has intricately manipulated their surrounding
▪ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reenter and inform environment so that it will impact how Claudius
Hamlet that the king is extremely upset and that presents himself.
Hamlet's actions have angered the queen, who ▪ As a result, this important moment in Hamlet hinges on
requests his presence in her chamber. Hamlet evades Hamlet’s ability to both control how things appear and
their pleas and starts toying with a player's flute. read into how others present themselves.
• Hamlet tells Guildenstern to take the flute and play a melody, Women in a Patriarchal Society
but Guildenstern claims he doesn't know how. • As Hamlet goes about his plan to reveal Claudius’s guilt, he
◦ Hamlet insists it's simple, but Guildenstern still refuses. treats the women in his life callously.
Hamlet accuses Guildenstern and Rosencrantz of ◦ He’s uninterested, it seems, in stopping to think about
attempting to play him like a flute and declares he won't be Ophelia or Gertrude’s feelings or about how his behavior
played by them. might affect them.
• Polonius enters, informing Hamlet that his mother wishes to ▪ He has already told Ophelia that he doesn’t have
see him immediately. Hamlet asks Polonius to inform feelings for her, and now he purposefully sits next to
Gertrude that he will join her soon. her and makes lewd comments—comments that are
seemingly designed to make her uncomfortable.
◦ Polonius leaves to deliver the message, followed by
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. ▪ It’s not all that clear why Hamlet would want to treat
Ophelia this way, since he has already succeeded in
◦ Alone, Hamlet remarks on the unsettling atmosphere and
convincing most of the people around him that he has
expresses hope that he won't be harsh towards his
lost his mind. His crass behavior toward Ophelia thus
mother—he intends to use harsh words but not take any
seems rather unnecessary and is perhaps a symptom of
violent action.
his broader misogynistic views.
Theme Analysis ◦ At the end of the scene, Hamlet does take a brief moment
to reflect on his behavior and how it has impacted his
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
mother, but this moment of self-examination is too
• When Claudius reacts so poorly to the dramatization of King
late—he has already upset his mother.

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▪ In turn, the audience sees that Hamlet is so wrapped up

Act 3, Scene 3 Summary & Analysis
in his own plans that he flagrantly mistreats the women
in his life. Summary
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values • Claudius converses with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
• The opening scene of the play that Hamlet has the actors revealing his distress over Hamlet's madness and his decision
stage is, in many ways, an attack on his mother’s sense of to send them, along with Hamlet, on a mission to England.
honor. ◦ Both men express their willingness to do anything the king
◦ The player queen adamantly says she won’t remarry after requests, emphasizing their loyalty to him.
her husband’s death, even going so far as to say that ▪ Claudius thanks them and encourages them to prepare
kissing a new husband would be like killing her original quickly for the trip.
husband all over again.
• Once Rosencrantz and Guildenstern depart, Polonius enters
▪ This line challenges Gertrude’s loyalty to King Hamlet,
and informs Claudius that Hamlet is en route to Gertrude's
making her look inconsiderate compared to the player
chamber.
queen.
◦ Polonius intends to eavesdrop on their conversation from
◦ What’s interesting about the player queen’s sentiment,
behind a tapestry and relay the details to Claudius. He
though, is that it both aligns with and contrasts various
rushes off to execute his plan.
societal expectations at the time.
• Left alone, Claudius delivers a soliloquy, acknowledging his
▪ On the whole, it wasn’t uncommon for widows in
medieval Denmark to remarry, but it was generally heinous crime, which he says reeks "to heaven"—he
expected that they would observe a period of mourning recognizes that fratricide is one of the worst offenses.
for their deceased husband. ◦ He pleads for God's forgiveness and mercy but worries he
won't be absolved unless he relinquishes the throne and
▪ In this regard, Gertrude might have gone against
certain societal expectations by moving on rather his queen.
quickly. ▪ He wishes he could erase his sins without truly atoning
for them. Overcome with guilt, he kneels in prayer.
▪ At the same time, though, it’s also the case that widows
belonging to the nobility were even more likely to • Hamlet finds Claudius in prayer.
remarry than commoners were. Given that Gertrude is ◦ He views this as an opportunity to take revenge and kill
Queen of Denmark, it’s not unreasonable to assume him. However, Hamlet faces a dilemma—if he kills Claudius
that her subjects would expect her to quickly remarry. while Claudius is praying, the king's soul will ascend to
◦ With these factors in mind, Hamlet’s staged condemnation heaven, the opposite of what Hamlet and his father's ghost
of his mother’s behavior could be seen as both justified seek.
and a bit unfair, as he attacks his mother’s sense of honor ▪ Hamlet decides to delay the murder until Claudius
without considering the various societal pressures pushing commits a sinful act, such as during revelry or in his
her to remarry. "incestuous" bed. Hamlet rushes off to meet his
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration mother, while Claudius despairs over his ineffective
• Claudius’s strong reaction to watching the reenactment of prayers and doubts his salvation.
King Hamlet’s murder effectively reveals his guilt and, in that
way, highlights the fact that he has attained power through Theme Analysis
corrupt means. Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
◦ The only reason he’s King of Denmark, after all, is because • Claudius’s reaction to the reenactment of King Hamlet’s
he murdered his brother. murder has already all but confirmed his guilt, but now his
▪ This is the kind of moral decay that Marcellus soliloquy makes it undoubtedly clear to the audience that
apparently sensed in Act 1, Scene 4 when he suggested Claudius did, in fact, murder his brother.
that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” ◦ This is an important moment because it impacts how the
▪ The “rotten” thing, of course, is the fact that the current audience will likely view Hamlet’s decisions moving
king rose to power by committing fratricide. forward.
▪ Now that it has been revealed that Claudius is guilty,

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the audience expects Hamlet to take revenge as quickly ◦ He also shows his respect for religious values, finding it
as possible. reprehensible to think of committing murder—a mortal
▪ In turn, the audience holds Hamlet to the same sin—while his victim is actively engaged in prayer.
expectations that Hamlet’s own contemporaries would ◦ By passing up this otherwise perfect opportunity to
hold him to if they knew Claudius murdered his avenge his father’s death, Hamlet demonstrates that his
father—and, to a certain extent, to the same standards moral and religious values inform his behavior at least as
to which Hamlet holds himself. much (if not more) than his quest to fulfill the ghost’s wish
◦ But it has already become evident that Hamlet is also for revenge.
thinking about his circumstances in terms of morality, not Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
just in terms of revenge. • Claudius comes face to face with his own corrupted morality
▪ To be fair, his decision not to take revenge while his in this scene.
uncle is kneeling in prayer is ostensibly related to his
◦ By acknowledging his sins but remaining unwilling to truly
fear that this would actually send Claudius’s soul to atone for them, he establishes an overall lack of moral
heaven, which suggests that Hamlet’s main motivations integrity.
really do revolve around revenge.
▪ It is exactly this lack of integrity that Marcellus
▪ And yet, it’s also possible that this is little more than an prophetically anticipated when he suggested that
excuse to put off the act of murder. Even though there’s something “rotten in the state of Denmark.”
Hamlet now knows for sure that his uncle is guilty, he
▪ When Marcellus uttered these words, he didn’t know
still stalls.
what, exactly, was going on, but he still sensed that his
▪ Hamlet thought proving Claudius’s guilt would help him society had started to succumb to a certain kind of
come to a decision about whether or not to take action, moral decay.
but now that he has discovered the truth, he still seems
▪ Claudius is the embodiment of this moral decay, as he
eager to put off taking revenge.
boldly recognizes his own misdeeds but arrogantly
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation decides not to rectify his sinful behavior by genuinely
• By hatching a plan to eavesdrop on Hamlet, Claudius and repenting.
Polonius employ shady tactics to discern what, exactly, is
going on with Hamlet—a sign that his intentionally erratic Act 3, Scene 4 Summary & Analysis
behavior has succeeded in confusing them.
◦ Ironically, though, Hamlet is the one who ends up secretly Summary
watching Claudius in this scene. • In Gertrude's room, Polonius explains his plan to her, which
▪ It’s worth noting that Hamlet doesn’t actually hear she accepts. As Hamlet arrives, Polonius conceals himself
Claudius’s soliloquy—he just sees him kneeling in behind a tapestry.
prayer. ◦ Hamlet enters and inquires about his mother's concerns.
◦ Still, the fact that Claudius talks about his guilt in a Gertrude claims Hamlet has insulted the memory of his
soliloquy—which is intended only for his (and the father, but he counters that it is she who has wronged his
audience’s) ears—taps into the play’s interest in self- father.
presentation. ▪ Gertrude questions Hamlet's harsh words and wonders
▪ The use of soliloquy is especially important in this play if he has forgotten who she is. He asserts that he knows
because many of the characters are constantly her identity: his father's brother's spouse
concealing their true motives, acting in deceptive ways, and—regrettably—his mother.
and generally trying to dupe everyone around them.
• As Gertrude tries to exit, Hamlet pleads for her to stay. She
▪ These moments of unguarded confession are thus the questions if he intends to kill her and cries for help.
only times that the audience has a chance to grasp what
◦ Polonius, alarmed, also shouts out. Enraged by the
a character’s true intentions are.
eavesdropping, Hamlet unsheathes his sword, thrusts it
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values through the tapestry, and kills Polonius, who crumples to
• When Hamlet decides not to murder Claudius while he’s the floor, exclaiming that he has been slain.
praying, he reveals his desire to behave in an honorable way. ▪ Gertrude condemns Hamlet's actions, but he claims his

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deed isn't as bad as murdering a king and marrying his ◦ He bids his mother goodnight, promising to handle
brother. Polonius's body, and slowly drags it from her room.
• Gertrude inquires what she has done to deserve Hamlet's
harsh words. He accuses her of desecrating marriage and
Theme Analysis
rendering vows meaningless. Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
◦ Gertrude denies knowing her wrongdoing. Hamlet • Hamlet finally takes action in this scene, but his sudden
gestures to a tapestry depicting two brothers and accuses violence doesn’t actually advance his revenge plot.
her of abandoning the virtuous king for his wicked sibling. ◦ To the contrary, murdering Polonius only complicates
▪ He questions her motives for making such a disastrous matters for him, since this act of aggression will surely put
decision, speculating that she was either insane or Claudius on guard.
deceived by the devil. ▪ At the same time, though, Hamlet has been acting
◦ Gertrude pleads for Hamlet to stop making her confront insane, so he will likely be able to attribute Polonius’s
her tainted soul. murder to his frenzied state of mind.
▪ Despite Gertrude's pleas, Hamlet continues to chastise ◦ Either way, it’s notable that the boldest, most decisive
her for sharing a bed with a murderous villain. action Hamlet has taken in the entire play is impulsive
rather than planned.
• The ghost appears to Hamlet, and Hamlet asks it what to do.
Gertrude is unable to see the ghost and exclaims that Hamlet ▪ Hamlet is still struggling with the question of what to
do, even after confirming Claudius’s guilt. The only way
has lost his mind.
he’s capable of actually taking action, it seems, is by
◦ Hamlet wonders if the ghost is there to chastise his failure
reacting without forethought.
to take revenge.
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
▪ The ghost confirms he has come to prompt Hamlet to
take revenge but also advises him not to let Gertrude • When Hamlet speaks to the ghost in front of Gertrude, his
suffer. mother concludes that he has lost his mind after all.

◦ Hamlet checks on Gertrude, who claims she is fine but ◦ To be fair, he has been trying to convince everyone that he
believes Hamlet is unwell because he appears to be has gone mad, so it’s not surprising that Gertrude comes to
conversing with empty space. this conclusion.

▪ Despite Hamlet's attempts to show her the ghost, she ▪ To make matters worse, it seems that Gertrude can’t
cannot perceive it. see the ghost.

◦ As the ghost leaves, Hamlet implores his father to remain. ◦ This raises several interesting questions: is Hamlet crazy?
Is he the only person who can see his father’s ghost?
• Gertrude suggests Hamlet is experiencing delusions, but he
maintains his sanity and accuses her of labeling him mad to
▪ These are fair questions, but it’s important to
remember that the guards on the ramparts of Elsinore
divert attention from her own guilt. He commands her to
also saw the ghost.
repent.
▪ What’s more, the audience sees the ghost in this scene,
◦ Gertrude admits her heart has been split in two by
so Shakespeare either wants audience members to
Hamlet's words. He encourages her to discard the worse
believe that what Hamlet’s seeing is real or—at the very
half, seek forgiveness, and distance herself from Claudius.
least—wants to put audience members in the same
▪ Hamlet implores her not to sleep with Claudius or
position as Hamlet, who sees the ghost while his
reveal anything about their conversation. Gertrude
mother does not.
promises to try.
◦ When Gertrude suggests that Hamlet has become
• Hamlet informs Gertrude that he is destined for England delusional, his plan to feign madness works against him.
alongside Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but he anticipates Now he genuinely seems insane to Gertrude, thus making
the message he carries is not diplomatic but rather an order it less likely that she will side with him.
for his execution signed by Claudius.
Women in a Patriarchal Society
◦ Hamlet claims he has a scheme to outwit the king.
• Gertrude’s insistence that she doesn’t deserve Hamlet’s
Polonius's death, he explains, necessitates his early
mistreatment is a good reminder that although she’s a woman
departure.
living in a sexist, male-dominated society, she does occupy a

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position of power. ▪ In other moments, though, it’s as if he becomes

◦ Nonetheless, Hamlet is intent on trying to make her feel overwhelmed and abandons his core values.
guilty for betraying her late husband. Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
▪ He tries to portray Gertrude as an unloyal wife, which is • As Hamlet becomes increasingly embroiled in the difficult
undoubtedly hurtful to his mother. task of avenging his father’s death, he slowly succumbs to the
▪ Hamlet’s tactics seem to work, as Gertrude begs him to kind of moral decay that he claims to renounce in someone
stop forcing her to feel bad about exchanging one like Claudius.
brother for another as her husband. ◦ He has put off killing Claudius for as long as possible,
◦ This line of reasoning suggests that Gertrude—as a woman wanting to be ethical by confirming that his uncle is, in fact,
in a patriarchal society—is bound by expectation or duty to a murderer.
put her life on pause in the aftermath of her husband’s ▪ Along the way, Hamlet himself has become a murderer.
death.
◦ The play thus implies that the pursuit of revenge
▪ But this perspective fails to take into account the ultimately leads people down a dark path toward
various pressures Gertrude undoubtedly feels to immorality.
remarry, which wasn’t uncommon for medieval royalty.
Plus, it’s possible that Gertrude has an inkling that
Act 4, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis
Claudius is a dangerous man, so refusing him as a
husband would perhaps have been a dangerous thing to Summary
do.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet with Gertrude and
◦ Hamlet, however, doesn’t take any of this into account, Claudius in the hall. Claudius wants to know what's troubling
chastising his mother instead of seeing things from her Gertrude—she requests that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
perspective. leave, and they comply.
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values ◦ Gertrude informs Claudius of the unbelievable events she
• By killing Polonius, Hamlet has unwittingly committed has witnessed, telling him about Hamlet's complete
murder without having the kind of justification that would insanity and about his murder of Polonius during a
preserve his honor. delusional fit.
◦ This is somewhat ironic, since Hamlet initially put off ◦ Claudius notes that Hamlet poses a danger to all, but his
murdering Claudius because he wasn’t sure whether or affection for him has delayed necessary action.
not Claudius was guilty (and thus deserving of retribution). ▪ Hamlet, according to Claudius, is like an illness
▪ Now, though, Hamlet has killed an innocent man. consuming life's essence. He assures Gertrude that by
▪ Needless to say, this is not an honorable thing to do, sunrise, Hamlet will no longer be in Elsinore.
and he will now have to live with this guilt. • Claudius summons Rosencrantz and Guildenstern back and
◦ And yet, Hamlet doesn’t seem all that remorseful, as instructs them to locate Hamlet and deliver Polonius's body
evidenced by the fact that he continues his conversation to the chapel. They rush away.
with Gertrude.
◦ Claudius tells Gertrude it is time to publicly reveal the
▪ In some ways, then, this lack of regret surrounding truth about Hamlet and seek counsel on how to handle
Polonius’s death undercuts the notion that Hamlet has him.
a strong moral compass.
▪ Although Hamlet has spent much of the play Theme Analysis
deliberating about whether it would be right to murder Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
Claudius, it now seems that the murder of an innocent
• Hamlet has acted rashly by killing Polonius. In doing so, he has
(or mostly innocent) man doesn’t weigh all that heavily
given Claudius a good excuse to get him away from Elsinore.
on his conscience.
◦ Claudius clearly sees his opportunity here, jumping on the
◦ Moments like this one are part of why Hamlet is such a
first chance to justify his reasons for wanting Hamlet to go
complex play—its protagonist is quite difficult to read.
to England.
▪ Sometimes, he seems to genuinely want to do the
▪ In turn, Claudius’s behavior can be seen as a stark
honorable and moral thing.
contrast to Hamlet’s: whereas Hamlet tends to delay

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taking action, Claudius quickly capitalizes on whatever ▪ Therefore, they’re obligated to do whatever Claudius
might give him an advantage. says, even if that means betraying their longtime friend.
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
• It’s obvious that Claudius has sinister plans for Hamlet, but he • In the first half of the play, violence and murder were
masks these intentions by claiming that Hamlet is a presented in somewhat abstract terms, since the only
dangerous person to have around Elsinore. violence to have taken place actually happened before the
◦ By claiming that his own affection for Hamlet supposedly play’s beginning.
kept him from sending him away sooner, Claudius presents ◦ Now that Hamlet has murdered Polonius, though, violence
himself as a kind, caring figure—almost, it seems, a father is no longer a remote, abstract thing—it’s suddenly
figure. tangible, and it has immediate consequences.
▪ In reality, though, he’s just jumping on this opportunity ▪ This stands in stark contrast to the long speeches
to work against Hamlet. Hamlet has delivered about his father’s death.
▪ He surely would have sent Hamlet away sooner if he’d ▪ Now that Polonius has been killed, the sequence of
had a better excuse. events seem to speed up, with Claudius setting in
▪ Now that Hamlet has murdered an innocent man, motion his plan to remove Hamlet from Elsinore once
Claudius has all the justification he needs in order to and for all.
antagonize the young prince. ◦ With this acceleration of the plot, it’s worth noting that
◦ More importantly, Claudius can set his nefarious plans for the chain of events still traces back to Claudius’s murder of
Hamlet in motion while still acting like he has good King Hamlet.
intentions. ▪ That this murder ultimately led to the random killing of
Women in a Patriarchal Society Polonius suggests that violence and murder simply lead
to more violence and murder—an idea that will
• Gertrude reveals her disloyalty to her son in this scene.
manifest itself even more drastically as the play
◦ She does this by informing Claudius that Hamlet murdered
progresses.
Polonius.
▪ Before he ran off in the previous scene, Hamlet asked
his mother not to reveal anything about their
Act 4, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis
conversation to Claudius.
Summary
▪ However, Gertrude tells Claudius what happened the
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find Hamlet. Rosencrantz
very next time she sees him, suggesting that she doesn’t
inquires about Polonius's whereabouts, and Hamlet responds
mind undermining her son.
that he wouldn't give such information to a "sponge" like him.
• At the same time, Gertrude is, of course, the Queen of
◦ Offended, Rosencrantz asks why Hamlet considers him a
Denmark, which means she might feel beholden to her duties sponge. Hamlet retorts that both Rosencrantz and
as a reigning monarch. Guildenstern absorb the king's favor, doing his bidding and
◦ Polonius, after all, was a well-known and—to a certain then letting Claudius squeeze them dry.
extent—respected nobleman. ◦ Rosencrantz makes a final attempt to learn where Hamlet
▪ To keep news of his death a secret might therefore feel has stashed Polonius's body, but Hamlet refuses to give a
like a betrayal of her duties as queen. straightforward answer.
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values ◦ He runs out of the hall, daring Rosencrantz and
• Although Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s old Guildenstern to catch him.
friends, they don’t seem to mind hunting him down for
Claudius, thus revealing a certain lack of honor. Theme Analysis
◦ And yet, their willingness to work against Hamlet might, in Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
another sense, be a testament to their sense of honor. • Until this point, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have
▪ It’s possible that their conception of honor dictates that pretended to be on Hamlet’s side.
they must listen to the King of Denmark regardless of ◦ They now seem to reveal to him that they’re doing
whether or not it suits their preferences. Claudius’s bidding.

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▪ In turn, the play begins to strip away some of the • Now by himself, Claudius speaks aloud, hoping the King of
metaphorical masks that the characters wear in order England will follow the instructions in the letter he has given
to dupe one another. to Hamlet—that is, Claudius hopes the King of England will
▪ As the play progresses, all the characters who present execute Hamlet upon arrival.
themselves in misleading ways will slowly abandon ◦ Claudius asserts he'll never be happy again until he's
their false pretenses to finally reveal their true certain of Hamlet's demise.
intentions.
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
Theme Analysis
• Hamlet strongly condemns his (former) friends for doing Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
Claudius’s bidding, ultimately implying that he thinks they • Once again, the difference between Hamlet and Claudius is
have succumbed to the kind of moral decay that Claudius quite clear.
embodies. ◦ Hamlet has spent the entire play struggling to take action
◦ This is understandable, considering that his friends have against Claudius.
betrayed him and are now working against him alongside ◦ Claudius, on the other hand, quickly seizes the opportunity
his murderous uncle. to not just send Hamlet away, but to have him executed.
▪ Because Claudius moves through the world in this
Act 4, Scene 3 Summary & Analysis immoral way, the audience might see him as deserving
of the retribution Hamlet has been putting off enacting.
Summary
• Furthermore, because Hamlet impulsively murdered
• Claudius informs some advisers that while Hamlet poses a Polonius, his chances of being able to avenge his father’s
threat in Elsinore, he is adored by the populace—Claudius death are now significantly worse.
can't take any action against Hamlet that might anger
◦ This is very ironic: Hamlet is in this predicament because
Denmark's citizens.
he deliberated for too long about whether or not he should
◦ He intends to make Hamlet's departure to England appear kill Claudius.
as if it was a long-standing plan.
▪ But when he finally acts without thinking, he ends up
• Rosencrantz enters and informs Claudius that Hamlet won't killing the wrong person and, in doing so, making it even
reveal where Polonius's body is, but that they have Hamlet harder to take revenge on Claudius.
under watch. Claudius commands that Hamlet be brought in. Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
Guildenstern escorts him inside.
• Claudius is in a very strong position at this point in the play, as
◦ Claudius questions Hamlet about Polonius's whereabouts, nobody but Hamlet seems to suspect him of foul play.
to which Hamlet responds that he is "at supper." When
Claudius asks where he is dining, Hamlet retorts that
◦ He’s the King of Denmark, so he’s already in a position of
power.
Polonius isn't eating—he's being eaten. An increasingly
furious Claudius demands Polonius's location.
▪ By claiming that he wants to send Hamlet away for the
prince’s own well-being, though, Claudius gains even
◦ Hamlet claims Polonius is in heaven, but if not found
more power by presenting himself as a caring,
within a month, Elsinore's residents may detect his odor in
empathetic man.
the main hall. Claudius orders his servants to search for
the body.
▪ In reality, of course, this is all tactical: it’s just an act,
and he plans to have Hamlet executed in England.
• Claudius claims that he's worried about Hamlet's well-being,
▪ But nobody knows this, so Claudius just looks like a
which is why he has decided to send him to England. beneficent king who wants to help his nephew.
◦ Hamlet bids Claudius farewell, addressing him as "dear
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
mother." When Claudius corrects him, Hamlet insists that
• Although Hamlet has been feigning madness, it’s notable that
by marrying his mother, Claudius united their flesh.
he’s still popular amongst Denmark’s general population.
◦ Hamlet rushes off, and Claudius instructs his attendants to
ensure Hamlet boards the ship—he wants him gone that ◦ This suggests that Hamlet is seen as an upstanding
figure—the sort of honorable person who embodies
night.
positive societal values.

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◦ It’s helpful to keep this in mind as the play progresses, ◦ Men who fail to think and act are no better than animals,
since Hamlet has been acting crazy for long enough that it he says. Observing Fortinbras's determination in directing
can feel a bit difficult to discern his true character. a huge army for such a minor and inconsequential goal
▪ To add to this, the fact that he just murdered a (mostly) reminds Hamlet of his own incapacity to exact revenge for
innocent man makes it hard to see him as an honorable his father's death.
figure. ▪ Hamlet adds that if his own deeds don't culminate in
◦ Nonetheless, it’s clear that Hamlet is widely respected. bloodshed, they are of no value.
▪ This endears the audience to him, but it also spotlights
his moral decline, making it easier to chart his fall from Theme Analysis
unimpeachable goodness to something a bit more Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
complicated. • Fortinbras is a foil to Hamlet, since he is somebody who
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration is—unlike Hamlet—decisive, confident, and aggressive.
• Hamlet’s comments about Polonius’s body tap into the play’s ◦ To see Fortinbras pursuing conquest with such fervor
interest in decay and rot. makes Hamlet feel especially useless, and this only spurs
him on in his quest to take revenge on Claudius.
◦ When Hamlet says that Polonius is being eaten, he means
that the dead man’s body is deteriorating and being ▪ However, he’s not necessarily in position to do this: he’s
consumed by worms and other critters. about to be sent to England, so it’s unclear to audience
members how, exactly, he’ll manage to make good on
▪ This brings to mind Marcellus’s sage and ominous
prediction in Act 1, Scene 4 that “something is rotten in his newfound determination to kill Claudius.
the state of Denmark.” Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
▪ Originally, Marcellus meant this figuratively. Now, the • Although Hamlet inwardly renounces Fortinbras’s use of
statement has become literal: Polonius is truly rotting violence and vast resources to conquer Poland, his
in Elsinore. surrounding society clearly celebrates ambitious young men
like Fortinbras.
Act 4, Scene 4 Summary & Analysis ◦ This suggests that conquest and brazen ambition are
strong societal values in Denmark and beyond.
Summary ▪ As a result, after seeing Fortinbras’s determination and
• Fortinbras and his forces reach Elsinore. He instructs the recognizing that the young man’s attitude is widely
leader of his troops to enter the castle, convey Norway's celebrated, Hamlet most likely feels extra pressure to
regards to the Danish king, and recall the approval granted avenge his father’s death.
for Fortinbras's army to pass through Danish land. ▪ Doing so will be seen as honorable.
◦ He asks the captain to assure Claudius that they will
comply with any requests he may have. Fortinbras and his Act 4, Scene 5 Summary & Analysis
soldiers go back to their encampment, leaving the captain
by himself. Summary
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter with Hamlet in tow. • Gertrude, Horatio, and a court member stand in Elsinore's
Noticing the Norwegian forces, Hamlet inquires about their hall. The courtier informs Gertrude that Ophelia insists on
presence and objective. meeting her.
◦ The captain informs him that they are headed to Poland ◦ Although Gertrude is reluctant to see Ophelia, the
under Fortinbras's command, but he concedes that the courtier explains that she has gone mad and that she has
land they aim to acquire is insignificant and valueless. been spouting off nonsensical chatter.
▪ Privately, Hamlet deplores the use of wealth and ◦ Horatio advises Gertrude to listen to Ophelia, and she
aggression in such futile, trivial conflicts. The captain consents, though she privately comments that Ophelia's
says farewell to Hamlet and proceeds towards Elsinore. deterioration seems like the precursor to a major calamity.

• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern move on while Hamlet stays • Ophelia enters, singing a love song. Gertrude courteously
back. In a soliloquy, he declares that witnessing Fortinbras's inquires about the song's meaning, but Ophelia implores her
forces has stirred him back to action. to pay attention as she continues singing about a deceased

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man. pansies, fennel, and daisies—mentioning that all her

◦ Despite Gertrude's pleas to stop, Ophelia persistently violets died with her father.
sings about a man enshrouded, buried, and adorned with • Claudius expresses his shared grief with Laertes over
"sweet flowers." Ophelia's mental decline.
◦ Claudius enters, greets Ophelia, and asks how she is. Her
◦ He proposes to stand trial before Laertes and his most
response is an enigmatic story about a baker's daughter trusted, wise friends and, once proven innocent, to assist
transformed into an owl, with the moral being that people Laertes in seeking vengeance on the one responsible for
know who they are but not necessarily what they become. their family's sorrow.
▪ Claudius observes that her grief for her late father has
driven her insane. Theme Analysis
• Ophelia starts singing additional songs about unreciprocated Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
love and women being "tumbled" by disloyal men. • The play’s examination of revenge isn’t just limited to
◦ She interrupts her song, stating that she can't stop Hamlet’s own quest for vengeance.
thinking about her father in the "cold ground," and she ◦ Fortinbras and Laertes also want to avenge their fathers’
promises to inform her brother about the events. Saying deaths.
goodnight to Claudius and Gertrude, she exits the hall. ▪ In turn, there are multiple revenge plots, giving the
◦ Claudius asks Horatio to watch over Ophelia. After audience an opportunity to compare and contrast how
Horatio departs, Claudius informs Gertrude that Ophelia each character pursues vengeance.
has succumbed to the "poison of deep grief" following her ▪ While Fortinbras mostly directs his anger toward
father's demise and Hamlet's departure to England. military conquest, Laertes boldly makes accusations
• A loud commotion is heard outside, followed by a messenger and appears ready to confront his father’s killer right
entering the hall. away (even if he’s wrong about the identity of his
father’s killer).
◦ The messenger reveals that Laertes has taken up arms
against Claudius and has the support of the Danish ▪ Hamlet, on the other hand, ponders the pros and cons
citizens, who are proclaiming loudly on the streets that of avenging his father’s death, thinking about death and
Laertes should be king. Gertrude is shocked. Another loud morality while generally putting off any kind of decisive
noise indicates that the rebels have breached the door. action.

• Laertes arrives with his supporters but instructs them to wait ◦ Seeing Laertes’s rage in this scene once again spotlights
Hamlet’s relative indecision.
while he confronts the king. Upon seeing Claudius, he
declares his intent to avenge his father's death, stating that if Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
he were calm about his father's murder, he might as well be an • Laertes’s assumption that Claudius murdered his father is
illegitimate son. interesting because the angry young man unknowingly taps
into something that Claudius is hiding—namely, the fact that
• Claudius assures Laertes that, though Polonius is dead, he did
he really is a murderer, though he’s not Polonius’s murderer.
not kill him. Laertes inquires about Polonius's death, swearing
to disregard allegiance and loyalty to bring justice to his ◦ Still, it’s easy enough for Claudius to continue hiding his
father's killer. own murderous past.

◦ Claudius reiterates his innocence and cautions Laertes ▪ After all, he really didn’t murder Polonius, so he has
against attacking friends. nothing to hide in this regard.

• Another disturbance is heard offstage, and Ophelia enters.

▪ In fact, this moment gives him an opportunity to act like
an empathetic, levelheaded friend to Laertes, thus
Witnessing his sister's condition, Laertes vows to exact
ensuring that the young man is on his side while also
revenge in equal proportion to her madness.
turning him against Hamlet.
◦ Ophelia continues to sing a macabre song about a man
▪ In short, then, the way Claudius handles Laertes’s grief
carried to his grave in an exposed coffin. Laertes observes
and rage is by manipulatively drawing him into his own
her unsettling songs, noting that her insanity speaks more
plot against Hamlet.
to the extent of her sorrow than rational words ever could.
▪ Ophelia hands out imaginary flowers—rosemary,

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Women in a Patriarchal Society that has already taken hold of the castle.
• The fact that Ophelia’s songs center around unfaithful,
misleading men suggests that Hamlet’s treatment of her has Symbol Analysis
had a large impact on her wellbeing. Ophelia’s Flowers
◦ In addition, her father’s death has undoubtedly • When Ophelia becomes mentally unstable, she latches on to
exacerbated her strained state of mind. flowers as a way to express herself.
◦ At the beginning of the play, Ophelia had a promising ◦ In this scene, she hands out flowers to a number of people,
potential relationship with Hamlet. She also had a present and though nobody knows what to make of this, each
father figure and a loving brother. flower seems to represent something meaningful to her.
▪ Now, Hamlet has become an unkind, manipulative, and ▪ In fact, she overtly assigns meaning to some of the
unpredictable person in her life—and, of course, he flowers, saying that rosemary represents
murdered his father, which has made Laertes rageful. “remembrance” and pansies represent “thoughts.”
◦ To make matters worse, Ophelia lives in a time period and ▪ Of course, she’s not wrong that certain flowers have
society in which she has very little agency. symbolic meanings, especially in medieval times—it’s
▪ The men in her life have always told her what to do and just that people don’t usually cling to flowers quite so
how to behave, and now they’ve all either died or gone literally.
off the rails themselves. ◦ To that end, while Ophelia specifies the symbolism of some
▪ She’s thus left with nothing. of her flowers, it becomes increasingly clear that the
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values flowers have an even broader and more ambiguous
• It’s evident that Laertes sees it as his honor and duty to meaning in the play.
avenge his father’s death as quickly as possible. ▪ Namely, the flowers represent the many conflicting
ideas passing through her head and her growing
◦ This is most likely why he jumps to conclusions about who
murdered Polonius—he’s just trying to take revenge as detachment from reason and reality.
quickly as possible. ▪ The mere fact that she needs to express herself by
giving people flowers speaks to her inability to be more
▪ Needless to say, this stands in stark contrast to
Hamlet’s way of approaching the matter of revenge. straightforward about her tumultuous emotions.

▪ Interestingly, though, their society would most likely ◦ Having said that, it is possible to tie Ophelia’s flowers to a
approve of Laertes’s approach instead of Hamlet’s.The specific association, since she sings earlier in this scene
audience gets the general impression that medieval about a man who has been buried and decorated with
Danish society celebrated men who took swift action “sweet flowers.”
against those who wronged them. ▪ It’s thus reasonable to assume that Ophelia is drawing a
broad association between flowers and Polonius’s
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
death, which was seemingly what pushed her into
• Many of Ophelia’s songs and comments revolve around ideas
lunacy.
about death and decay.
▪ Although individual flowers might symbolize certain
◦ When she sings about a man being carried to his grave in
ideas in Ophelia’s mind, then, her overall obsession with
an open coffin, for instance, she taps into the play’s
flowers symbolizes her inability to cope with grief
interest in putrefaction.
head-on.
▪ This image symbolizes the general sense that each act
of moral depravity leads to more depravity.
Act 4, Scene 6 Summary & Analysis
▪ Marcellus said early in the play that “something is
rotten in the state of Denmark,” and Ophelia’s song Summary
picks up this thread, as she sings about death like it’s on
• In another part of Elsinore, Horatio meets two sailors bearing
open display in the halls of Elsinore.
a letter from abroad, which is from Hamlet.
◦ In turn, the play hints that violence and death only leads to
◦ Horatio reads it aloud, learning that after just two days at
more violence and death.
sea, Hamlet's ship was attacked by pirates. During the
▪ In other words, quests for revenge simply rot the core
skirmish, Hamlet boarded the pirate ship, and they held
of the Danish monarchy, speeding up the moral decay

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him captive in exchange for a favor. France, the Danish people have been praising his
▪ Hamlet asks Horatio to ensure that the sailors deliver fencing skills, a fact that allegedly filled Hamlet with
another letter from the pirates to the king—and once envy.
Horatio has made sure of this, he should come for • Claudius advises Laertes that to truly honor his father and
Hamlet immediately. seek vengeance, he must demonstrate his commitment rather
◦ Hamlet adds that he has much to tell Horatio, particularly than just speaking about it.
about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are still
◦ Laertes asserts that he would kill Hamlet even inside a
journeying to England. Horatio quickly escorts the sailors church.
to meet the king.
• Claudius suggests that upon Hamlet's return, Laertes should

Theme Analysis maintain some distance instead of immediately attacking him.

Meanwhile, Claudius will have Elsinore's residents praise
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
Laertes's fencing abilities, prompting Hamlet to challenge
• The fact that the sailors have two letters from Hamlet—one him.
for Horatio and one for Claudius—suggests that he’s pulling
strings from afar, manipulating the situation to make it appear
◦ Laertes can then select a sharp rapier and kill Hamlet
during the practice duel, making it appear accidental.
like he’s at a disadvantage.
▪ Laertes agrees and adds an extra measure—he'll coat
◦ Of course, it’s hard to say at this point how, exactly, he
his rapier's tip in poison, ensuring Hamlet's death even
might be doing this, but it’s reasonable to assume that
if he only gets scratched.
things aren’t exactly what they seem.
◦ Claudius comes up with a backup plan to poison drinks
▪ After all, they rarely are in Hamlet.
during the match so that Hamlet will die when he has
something to drink, bringing him to his death regardless of
Act 4, Scene 7 Summary & Analysis the duel's outcome.

Summary • Gertrude enters with more tragic news: Ophelia has drowned
in a nearby brook, her body adorned with flowers but lying in
• Claudius and Laertes discuss Claudius's innocence in
mud.
Polonius's death, which Laertes now believes.
◦ However, Laertes questions why Claudius didn't seek ◦ Laertes leaves to grieve for his sister, stating that once he
has finished mourning, he'll be prepared for revenge.
justice or vengeance against Polonius's actual killer,
Hamlet. Claudius reveals two reasons: Gertrude's love for
Theme Analysis
Hamlet and because of Hamlet's broader popularity in
Denmark. Vengeance, Action, and Inaction
◦ Laertes states that he doesn't care about damaging • The newfound alliance between Claudius and Laertes is
Hamlet's reputation and will soon have his revenge. particularly dangerous for Hamlet, since they both want him
dead.
• A messenger enters with letters from Hamlet—one for
Claudius and one for the queen. Claudius offers to read them
◦ Moreover, Claudius and Laertes form an especially deadly
combination.
out loud for Laertes.
◦ Hamlet's letter discloses that he has returned to Denmark
▪ Laertes is hotheaded and agile, but he seems to lack the
cunning, manipulative reasoning that Claudius has.
without money or belongings, and he requests a meeting
with the king the following day to explain his return. ▪ Together, then, they are something of a super villain:
Claudius is the brain, Laertes is the muscle.
◦ Laertes expresses his eagerness to see the man who killed
his father and caused his sister's madness. ◦ Another way of looking at the situation is that Claudius is
simply taking advantage of Laertes.
• Claudius enlists Laertes's help in devising a new, less
▪ Claudius doesn’t want anyone to know that he wants
suspicious method of eliminating Hamlet.
Hamlet dead, since this would not only upset his wife
◦ Laertes agrees to do whatever Claudius requests, even but also cast suspicion on him, potentially revealing the
taking Hamlet's life himself. Claudius concurs that Laertes fact that he murdered King Hamlet.
should be the one to end Hamlet.
▪ By devising a way for Laertes to murder Hamlet,
▪ He then reveals that since Laertes's departure for

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though, Claudius can distance himself from the deed Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
while still eliminating the threat that Hamlet poses to • The fencing match that Claudius and Laertes decide to stage
his own power. appeals to Hamlet’s vanity—they seem confident that his
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation sense of honor will lead him to accept the challenge.

• The plan that Claudius and Laertes devise to kill Hamlet is ◦ Hamlet has put off avenging his father’s murder. In his
purposefully structured to make the death look like an society, this delay wouldn’t be seen as a particularly
accident. honorable thing.

◦ By staging the entire thing as a friendly fencing match, ▪ Hamlet isn’t unaware of this dynamic, so it’s likely that
Claudius and Laertes will be able to murder Hamlet he really will be especially susceptible to Claudius and
without raising too much suspicion. Laertes’s plan.

◦ At the same time, the play doesn’t necessarily clarify why ▪ In other words, Claudius and Laertes are most likely
it’s the case that nobody would be suspicious of Hamlet’s correct in their assumption that Hamlet will want to
sudden death by poisoning after either getting scraped by defend his honor by accepting Laertes’s fencing
the rapier or drinking a cup of wine. challenge.

▪ It seems obvious that people would be able to put two Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
and two together, but Claudius and Laertes don’t seem • Ophelia’s suicide aligns with the play’s idea that death and
concerned about this. violence only lead to more death and violence.
▪ Their lack of concern in this regard perhaps ◦ Although Ophelia had nothing to do with King Hamlet’s
underscores just how eager they are to eliminate death, she has effectively been caught in the crossfire
Hamlet. between Claudius and Hamlet.
▪ Claudius, for his part, sees Hamlet as a threat, so it’s ▪ Hamlet’s erratic behavior drove her to the edge of
possible that he’s willing to risk the possibility that sanity, and his violence toward her father pushed her
others will see through his plan. over that edge.
▪ After all, if the public did suspect foul play, it would be ▪ But Ophelia herself is most likely the last person
easy enough for Claudius to pin it all on Laertes, since Hamlet would have wanted to harm—she is the only
people know Laertes wants to avenge his father’s person (other than Horatio) who seems to have truly
death. sympathized with him.
Women in a Patriarchal Society ▪ Nonetheless, his behavior is largely responsible for her
• Ophelia’s death emphasizes the extent to which Hamlet’s decision to take her own life.
callous behavior has negatively impacted the people in his ◦ It’s worth noting at this point in the play that Ophelia and
life—and, in particular, the women in his life. Polonius—two relatively major characters—have already
died.
◦ At the beginning of the play, Ophelia and Hamlet were on
good terms, but then Polonius and Laertes started ▪ This hints at the fact that Hamlet will adhere to (or
interfering with their relationship, and Hamlet himself perhaps even go beyond) various tragic conventions, as
started using Ophelia as a pawn in his broader revenge tragic plays usually end in death and sorrow.
plans.
Symbol Analysis
▪ Now, as the play’s conclusion draws near, Shakespeare
reveals the consequences of this kind of mistreatment. Ophelia’s Flowers
◦ At the same time, it’s worth considering that Ophelia’s • When Gertrude informs Laertes that Ophelia has died, she
suicide is—in some ways—the first time she has asserted specifically mentions that his sister died while trying to hang
her own agency in the play. flower crowns from a branch overhanging a brook.
▪ Granted, this is a sad and rather morbid way of ◦ Ophelia’s death therefore emphasizes her fixation on
asserting agency, but taking her own life is the only flowers, which was symbolic of her inability to process the
thing Ophelia has done on her own terms. grief she felt about her father’s death (and possibly the
▪ This sad fact highlights the limited options available to confusion she felt as a result of her relationship with
her. Hamlet).
▪ While pursuing beauty and hidden meaning, Ophelia

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neglected to think about her own safety. retorts that it should be, as the gravedigger is inside it.
▪ That she died while concentrated on flowers suggests ◦ Hamlet now asks the gravedigger to be serious and reveal
that obsession can be very dangerous. who it's for. The gravedigger insists it's for neither man nor
◦ Ophelia’s downfall as a result of obsession sheds light on woman, but for someone who was a woman before dying.
the predicament Hamlet currently finds himself in. ▪ Hamlet is simultaneously amused and irritated by the
▪ Although he hasn’t fully lost his mind like Ophelia, he gravedigger's wordplay.
has become fixated on the question of whether or not • Hamlet asks when the man became a gravedigger, and the
he should kill Claudius. gravedigger says he began on the day King Hamlet defeated
▪ Consequently, he has let his thoughts of revenge “taint” Fortinbras—the same day Prince Hamlet was born.
his mind, which is exactly what the ghost of his father
◦ The gravedigger mentions that the young prince was
warned him about. recently sent to England to recover his sanity—though
◦ In this way, Ophelia’s deadly preoccupation with flowers being insane in England isn't a big deal.
comes to embody the dangers of embracing obsessive
• Hamlet inquires how long it takes for a body to decompose in
thoughts.
the ground, and the gravedigger guesses about eight or nine
years. Pointing at the skull on the ground, the gravedigger
Act 5, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis hypothesizes that it has been buried for around 23 years.

Summary ◦ Hamlet asks to whom the skull belonged, and the

gravedigger reveals it was Yorick's, the king's jester.
• Two gravediggers are working on a plot of land outside
Elsinore's walls. The first gravedigger inquires if a particular
▪ Hamlet picks up the skull, examines it, and exclaims to
Horatio that he once knew Yorick, a man of "infinite
woman will receive a full Christian burial even though she
jest" who used to carry Hamlet on his back.
took her own life (the implication is that this woman is
Ophelia). ▪ Now, all of Yorick's distinctive traits have vanished.

◦ The second gravedigger confirms she will and tells the first • Hamlet questions Horatio about whether he believes even
to dig faster. They discuss if the woman purposely took her Alexander the Great looked and smelled like poor Yorick after
life or accidentally drowned. being buried.
▪ The second gravedigger thinks the woman did kill ◦ Horatio admits that he probably did, but then he suggests
herself and is only receiving a proper burial due to her that dwelling on such an idea is obsessive. "To what base
nobility. The first gravedigger implicitly agrees, uses we may return," Hamlet mourns.
expressing discontent about the advantages given to • Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, several courtiers, and a priest
the upper class. arrive carrying a coffin.
• The gravediggers engage in banter about human existence ◦ Observing the simplicity of the procession, Hamlet tells
and share dark riddles. Horatio that the deceased must have taken their own life
◦ Hamlet and Horatio arrive at the graveyard and observe but still held noble status.
the first gravedigger singing while digging. ▪ Hamlet asks Horatio to hide with him and observe the
▪ Hamlet is astonished by the man's cheerfulness during burial.
such a somber task. • Laertes questions the priest about the ceremonies to be
• One of the gravediggers carelessly tosses a skull from the performed. The priest responds that he has already included
ground, and Hamlet is further upset by his disregard for as much as possible for someone who died by suicide. Since
human remains. the deceased was a noble, the priest ensured that she was
◦ Hamlet wonders to whom the skull may have buried like a virgin with flowers on her grave.
belonged—perhaps a politician, a courtier, or a lawyer. ◦ Laertes inquires if more can be done, but the priest insists
▪ He laments how death robs everyone of their essence, that doing more would be sacrilegious. Laertes hopes
erasing their accomplishments, loves, and identities. violets will sprout from Ophelia's grave while the priest
suffers in hell.
• Hamlet asks whose grave the gravedigger is digging. The
gravedigger playfully responds that it's his own grave. Hamlet • Recognizing that Ophelia is the dead woman, Hamlet exclaims
in anguish. He watches as Laertes leaps, sobbing, into his

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sister's grave. Honor, Religion, and Societal Values

◦ Hamlet steps forward, claiming his sorrow is deeper than • As previously mentioned, the fact that Ophelia died by suicide
Laertes's, and also jumps into Ophelia's grave. Laertes is troubling for the people she has left behind, mostly because
curses Hamlet, and they start fighting. their society condemns suicide so intensely.
◦ Claudius, Gertrude, and Horatio plead for the men to stop. ◦ This condemnation stems from the society’s Christian
Hamlet swears to fight Laertes until his dying breath, roots.
asserting his love for Ophelia is greater than that of "forty ▪ In medieval Christianity, suicide was seen as a rejection
thousand brothers." of life, and life itself was believed to be a gift from God.
▪ Claudius and Gertrude bemoan Hamlet's madness. Thus, suicide was seen a flagrant form of disrespect
Hamlet departs from the gravesite, with Horatio against God.
trailing behind. ▪ In keeping with this, most people who died by suicide
◦ Claudius urges Laertes to be patient, as he will soon have were denied proper Christian burials.
an opportunity to avenge his sister. ▪ This is why Laertes has to push the priest into giving
Ophelia an honorable burial. It’s also why the priest is
Theme Analysis so reluctant to do this, since doing so clearly goes
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation against Christian practice.
• When Hamlet speaks to the gravediggers, they don’t know ◦ The fact that the priest makes any concessions at all
that they’re talking to the Prince of Denmark. underscores the importance of social status in Denmark at
the time.
◦ Hamlet thus presents himself as somebody other than he
is. ▪ Because Ophelia was a respected noblewoman with
powerful connections, the priest does everything he
▪ Throughout the play, he has feigned madness and has
can to give her an honorable burial, even though his
manipulated the way people see him, but he hasn’t
religious values suggest that he shouldn’t.
literally concealed who he is.
▪ In this scene, then, he manipulates his self-presentation Death, Corruption, and Deterioration
in an entirely different way, stepping outside his own • When Laertes and Hamlet jump into Ophelia’s grave and start
identity as a way of gaining information about Ophelia’s fighting, they disrespect her even in death.
death and burial. ◦ They ultimately focus on their own trivial rivalry instead of
Women in a Patriarchal Society respecting the woman they supposedly cared so much
about.
• Early in the play, both Polonius and Laertes give Ophelia
advice that is seemingly aimed at protecting her purity. ▪ The fact that this conflict literally takes place in a grave
foreshadows the violent turmoil to come.
◦ They don’t want her to get too close to Hamlet, for
instance, because they worry he might not treat her
honorably.
Symbol Analysis
◦ Their concern for Ophelia suggests that they’re especially Yorick’s Skull
invested in her innocence and purity, which were seen as • After Hamlet and Horatio come across Yorick’s skull in the
particularly important things for noblewomen at the time. graveyard, the skull sets Hamlet off on a morbid and
philosophical rumination about mortality.
• In this scene, Laertes shows the same level of concern, as he
tries to convince the priest to bury Ophelia like an innocent ◦ The main thing that bothers him about finding Yorick’s
skull is that it forces him to recognize that no matter how
young woman.
people live or how full of joy and life they might seem,
◦ The problem, however, is that Ophelia took her own life,
everyone will eventually become nothing more than a
which the church frowns upon.
collection of old bones.
◦ In death, then, Laertes can no longer exert his will over
Ophelia or protect her purity, thus marking what is most
▪ Hamlet also notices that Yorick’s skull stinks, which
makes him realize that even the greatest men in the
likely the first time that Ophelia has managed to escape
world—like, say, Alexander the Great—end up rotting
the domineering influence of the men in her life.
away.
▪ Nobody, Hamlet sees in this moment, is impervious to

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the ravages of time and mortality. ◦ Horatio advises Hamlet to withdraw from the fight, but
◦ Encountering Yorick’s skull ultimately intensifies Hamlet’s Hamlet insists on participating and entrusting his fate to
already growing sense that nothing matters. Regardless of God.
what he does, he will die. • Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, Osric, and numerous lords and
▪ In a sense, this gives him some freedom, and it’s no court members carrying trumpets, fencing swords, and wine
coincidence that he finally takes action toward revenge enter the hall.
in the very next scene (and, interestingly, that he
◦ Claudius encourages Hamlet and Laertes to reconcile and
embraces death himself). shake hands. As Hamlet approaches Laertes, he expresses
regret for the pain he caused Laertes and his family, but
Act 5, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis states that his actions under the influence of madness
cannot be blamed on him.
Summary ◦ Laertes assures Hamlet he appreciates his offer of
• Now in Elsinore, Hamlet recounts to Horatio his escape from friendship and will not undermine it.
the ship headed to England. Although not technically a
• Osric presents Hamlet and Laertes with their swords as they
prisoner, Hamlet felt confined and resolved to break free.
prepare to duel. Claudius announces that he will reward the
◦ One night, as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern slept, he
winner with fine wine.
sneaked into their cabin and took the documents they
carried. Upon opening the letters, he discovered
◦ He demands that the fight commence, and Hamlet and
Laertes begin fencing. Hamlet strikes Laertes in the first
Claudius's attempt to have him executed.
round, and Claudius offers him poisoned wine as a
▪ Hamlet explains to Horatio that he penned a new letter
celebratory drink. Hamlet declines, saying he will drink it
in Claudius's handwriting, ordering Rosencrantz and
later.
Guildenstern's immediate execution.
◦ In the second round, Hamlet strikes Laertes again.
▪ After sealing the letter with his father's signet, he
Gertrude, delighted, lifts Hamlet's cup and toasts his
returned it. During the pirate encounter the next day,
success.
Hamlet fled the ship and sent his former friends to their
demise.
▪ In an aside, Claudius regrets that he can't stop his
queen from drinking the poisoned wine.
• Horatio is astonished by Claudius's deceit and ruthlessness.
• The third round starts. The men are well-matched, but
◦ Hamlet declares his renewed resolve to kill the man who
Laertes finally lands a hit on Hamlet.
murdered his father, dishonored his mother, and usurped
his throne.
◦ Both men drop their swords and accidentally pick up each
other's weapon during the chaos. As the fight continues,
▪ Horatio encourages Hamlet to act swiftly, as news of
Hamlet strikes Laertes with Laertes's poisoned sword.
his actions toward Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will
soon reach Denmark.
▪ Claudius calls for the fight to end, but Hamlet insists on
continuing. Gertrude collapses, shocking everyone, and
• A young court member named Osric arrives and greets Laertes soon follows, bemoaning the fact that he has
Hamlet. Hamlet discretely informs Horatio that Osric is a fallen victim to his own scheme.
pretentious fool despite his wealth.
• Claudius claims that Gertrude has fainted from the intensity
◦ Osric conveys a message from the king, using elaborate
of the fight, but she insists it's the poisoned wine that has
language to praise Laertes and commend his strong
brought her down. She also tells Hamlet not to drink the wine.
character. He then mentions that Claudius has wagered on
Hamlet in a fencing match against Laertes.
◦ Hamlet orders the hall doors to be locked until the culprit
is discovered. Laertes admits his guilt and informs Hamlet
▪ Osric inquires if Hamlet accepts the challenge. Hamlet
that he, too, has been poisoned and that there's no cure.
agrees, and Osric hurries to inform Claudius.
◦ As Laertes dies, he reveals Claudius as the mastermind
• As Osric departs, Horatio and Hamlet ridicule him. However, behind the plot.
Horatio then expresses his unease about the outcome of the
▪ Hamlet, understanding that the swords are poisoned,
fencing challenge. stabs Claudius and forces him to drink from the
◦ Hamlet asserts his readiness to face Laertes, even as he poisoned wine.
admits to sharing Horatio's apprehension.

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▪ Claudius dies. that he finally slashes his uncle, thus avenging his
▪ In his final moments, Laertes declares that Claudius got father’s death.
what he deserved and seeks Hamlet's forgiveness. ◦ Once again, then, the only action Hamlet takes toward
revenge happens in a moment of impulse.
• As Hamlet slips toward death, Horatio lifts the poisoned wine,
apparently wanting to die alongside Hamlet. ▪ Just like when he stabbed Polonius, Hamlet kills
Claudius without having time to think about what he’s
◦ But Hamlet snatches the cup from Horatio, urging him to
doing.
survive and tell Hamlet's story.
▪ In a way, he never gets over his indecision about how to
• Before Hamlet dies, trumpets blare. Osric enters and informs
take revenge—he just gets thrust into action and is
Hamlet that Fortinbras has returned victoriously from forced to respond accordingly.
Poland.
Appearance, Reality, and Self-Presentation
◦ With his last breath, Hamlet declares that Fortinbras
• This final scene of the play reveals the many nefarious plans
should inherit the Danish crown. Hamlet dies.
that have been at work in the shadows.
• Fortinbras enters the hall accompanied by an English
◦ Hamlet, of course, has shown his own penchant for
ambassador, both shocked and bewildered by the gruesome
manipulation, as evidenced by his crafty trick of subverting
scene before them.
Claudius’s plan to send him to the gallows.
◦ The English ambassador announces the deaths of
▪ By duping Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, though,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Horatio points to Claudius
Hamlet betrays his old friends just as much as they
and states that even if he were alive, he wouldn't be
betrayed him.
grateful, as he didn't order their demise.
▪ He is therefore not above his traitorous friends, and
◦ Horatio offers to recount the tragic events leading to the
this is a significant detail because Hamlet has
dreadful scene for Fortinbras and the ambassador.
previously worried that two wrongs don’t make a right.
▪ Fortinbras expresses sorrow for Denmark's state but
▪ Now, though, Hamlet has seemingly discarded most of
asserts his claim to the throne.
his moral considerations, having gotten wrapped up in
▪ Horatio pledges his support to Fortinbras. his own plans to manipulate his enemies.
• Fortinbras commands four captains to carry Hamlet's body to Women in a Patriarchal Society
a viewing platform, saying mournfully that the prince would • When Gertrude unknowingly drinks the poisoned wine meant
have been an exceptional king. for Hamlet, the play’s only remaining female character dies
◦ He orders his soldiers to clear the hall of the dead, because of the men in her life and their thoughtlessness.
remarking that such a sight may suit a battlefield but not a
◦ It’s never made clear whether Gertrude knew about
castle. Claudius’s involvement in King Hamlet’s murder, but it
does seem reasonable to assume that she was—at the very
Theme Analysis least—uninvolved in the murder herself.
Vengeance, Action, and Inaction ▪ Despite this lack of involvement, she dies as a result of
• In the culminating scene of Hamlet, all the most important the unquenchable thirst for violence and revenge that
characters die, illustrating the extent to which an obsession seemingly all the men in her life have.
with vengeance leads to little more than death and ◦ The play thus spotlights the unfortunate ways in which
destruction. women living in medieval times and in patriarchal societies
◦ It’s notable that Hamlet finally slays Claudius not because suffer because of flawed and powerful men.
he’s following some plan of his own, but because he gets
Honor, Religion, and Societal Values
caught up in Laertes and Claudius’s plan to kill him.
• Given that Hamlet’s society seems to celebrate the idea of
▪ Of course, it’s possible that his decision to accept the revenge and the honor that supposedly goes along with it, he
fencing challenge was strategic, but the fact remains ultimately comes to a respectable end—even if he dies and
that Hamlet essentially walked right into Claudius and basically causes everyone else in his life to die alongside him.
Laertes’s trap to kill him.
◦ In this regard, the play hints at the absurdity of societal
▪ It’s only when Hamlet realizes that the rapier is values that celebrate things like violent revenge.
poisoned and that Claudius was behind the whole thing

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▪ It’s true that Hamlet succeeds in avenging his father’s anxiety as she aged and became increasingly frail.
death, but at what cost? ▪ One possible candidate for the throne was James
▪ Everyone except Horatio dies, and Hamlet doesn’t even Stuart, who was the king of Scotland and a relative of
get to ascend to the throne and rule Denmark as a Queen Elizabeth.
morally sound leader. ▪ However, James Stuart was Scottish, and there was a
▪ Instead, Fortinbras comes along and takes the throne, law forbidding a foreigner from becoming the ruler of
leaving audience members to question whether or not England. This led some to the fear that James Stuart
Hamlet’s efforts were even worthwhile. might invade England and force himself onto the
Death, Corruption, and Deterioration throne.
• The play suggests that trying to weed out moral corruption ◦ This fear of a foreigner invading and becoming king
through immoral means is futile. directly parallels what happens in Hamlet when
Fortinbras—who has a remote claim to the Danish
◦ Hamlet ultimately addresses the fact that “something is
throne—swoops in and takes power just after Hamlet,
rotten in the state of Denmark” by murdering Claudius,
Claudius, and Gertrude all die.
the man who introduced moral decay into the monarchy in
the first place by taking the throne through violent means. ▪ This moment dramatizes an anxiety that was very much
alive in England at the time of Hamlet’s composition
▪ But addressing the problem in this way only leads to
(most likely between 1599 and 1601).
widespread death, suggesting that violent means lead
to ugly, violent ends. ◦ In the end, James Stuart didn’t need to invade England to
become king.
▪ To be fair, Hamlet seems cognizant of this throughout
the play, which is perhaps part of why he delays killing ▪ An influential statesman named Robert Cecil privately
Claudius for so long. helped arrange the transition, ultimately installing
James Stuart on the throne after Elizabeth’s death in
▪ Nonetheless, he does end up killing the king, and the
1603.
entire monarchy falls to pieces.
◦ When Fortinbras takes control, it’s actually a rather fitting
end to the play, since it’s almost as if the moral decay at the How to Cite this Guide
heart of the Danish monarchy had to be completely Lannamann, Taylor. CliffsNotes on Hamlet. 2023. PDF.
destroyed before the monarchy could be built anew.
▪ Denmark will now get to have a fresh start and will be
unencumbered by the corruption, manipulation, and
violence of the previous regime.
▪ Horatio clearly recognizes this, so he pledges fealty to
Fortinbras and, in doing so, ushers in a new age for his
country.

Historical and Literary Context

British Anxiety About Succession
• At the end of the 16th century, around the time Hamlet was
written, there was quite a bit of anxiety in England about who
would succeed Queen Elizabeth I as ruler.
◦ Queen Elizabeth I was a popular queen, and the
Elizabethan Era saw an explosion of arts and
creativity—Shakespeare himself benefited from the
cultural appreciation that was at play during Queen
Elizabeth’s rule.
▪ However, Queen Elizabeth had no children and, thus,
no obvious heir. To complicate matters, she famously
refused to name an heir, and this caused quite a bit of

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