SparkNotes: Hamlet: Plot Overview Plot Overview Context Character List On a dark winter night, a ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Discovered first by a pair of watchmen, then by the scholar Horatio, the ghost resembles the recently deceased King Hamlet, whose brother Claudius has inherited the throne and married the king’s widow, Queen Gertrude. When Horatio and the watchmen bring Prince Hamlet, the son of Gertrude and the dead king, to see the ghost, it speaks to him, declaring ominously that it is indeed his father’s spirit, and that he was murdered by none other than Claudius. Ordering Hamlet to seek revenge on the man who usurped his throne and married his wife, the ghost disappears with the dawn. Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his father’s death, but, because he is contemplative and thoughtful by nature, he delays, entering into a deep melancholy and even apparent madness. Claudius and Gertrude worry about the prince’s erratic behavior and attempt to discover its cause. They employ a pair of Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to watch him.

When Polonius, the pompous Lord Chamberlain, suggests that Hamlet may be mad with love for his daughter, Ophelia, Claudius agrees to spy on Hamlet in conversation with the girl. But though Hamlet certainly seems mad, he does not seem to love Ophelia: he orders her to enter a nunnery and declares that he wishes to ban marriages. A group of traveling actors comes to Elsinore, and Hamlet seizes upon an idea to test his uncle’s guilt. He will have the players perform a scene closely resembling the sequence by which Hamlet imagines his uncle to have murdered his father, so that if Claudius is guilty, he will surely react. When the moment of the murder arrives in the theater, Claudius leaps up and leaves the room. Hamlet and Horatio agree that this proves his guilt. Hamlet goes to kill Claudius but finds him praying. Since he believes that killing Claudius while in prayer would send Claudius’s soul to heaven, Hamlet considers that it would be an inadequate revenge and decides to wait. Claudius, now frightened of Hamlet’s madness and fearing for his own safety, orders that Hamlet be sent to England at once.

Hamlet goes to confront his mother, in whose bedchamber Polonius has hidden behind a tapestry. Hearing a noise from behind the tapestry, Hamlet believes the king is hiding there. He draws his sword and stabs through the fabric, killing Polonius. For this crime, he is immediately dispatched to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, Claudius’s plan for Hamlet includes more than banishment, as he has given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed orders for the King of England demanding that Hamlet be put to death. In the aftermath of her father’s death, Ophelia goes mad with grief and drowns in the river. Polonius’s son, Laertes, who has been staying in France, returns to Denmark in a rage. Claudius convinces him that Hamlet is to blame for his father’s and sister’s deaths. When Horatio and the king receive letters from Hamlet indicating that the prince has returned to Denmark after pirates attacked his ship en route to England, Claudius concocts a plan to use Laertes’ desire for revenge to secure Hamlet’s death.

Laertes will fence with Hamlet in innocent sport, but Claudius will poison Laertes’ blade so that if he draws blood, Hamlet will die. As a backup plan, the king decides to poison a goblet, which he will give Hamlet to drink should Hamlet score the first or second hits of the match. Hamlet returns to the vicinity of Elsinore just as Ophelia’s funeral is taking place. Stricken with grief, he attacks Laertes and declares that he had in fact always loved Ophelia. Back at the castle, he tells Horatio that he believes one must be prepared to die, since death can come at any moment. A foolish courtier named Osric arrives on Claudius’s orders to arrange the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. The sword-fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit, but declines to drink from the king’s proffered goblet. Instead, Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison. Laertes succeeds in wounding Hamlet, though Hamlet does not die of the poison immediately.

First, Laertes is cut by his own sword’s blade, and, after revealing to Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queen’s death, he dies from the blade’s poison. Hamlet then stabs Claudius through with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink down the rest of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies immediately after achieving his revenge. At this moment, a Norwegian prince named Fortinbras, who has led an army to Denmark and attacked Poland earlier in the play, enters with ambassadors from England, who report that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Fortinbras is stunned by the gruesome sight of the entire royal family lying sprawled on the floor dead. He moves to take power of the kingdom. Horatio, fulfilling Hamlet’s last request, tells him Hamlet’s tragic story. Fortinbras orders that Hamlet be carried away in a manner befitting a fallen soldier. More Help Shakespeare Resource Center - Hamlet Synopsis University of Toronto English Library Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has multiple woes.

The ghost of his father haunts Elsinore; his uncle, Claudius, has married Queen Gertrude, his mother, and assumed the throne; and Fortinbras of Norway threatens Denmark with an invading army. When Hamlet meets the ghost, his dead father reveals that Claudius poisoned himand the ghost demands that Hamlet exact revenge. In order to carry this out, Hamlet feigns madness; as part of his insanity, he scorns the affections of Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, to whom he had made romantic overtures. Polonius grows concerned over the apparent insanity that has beset Hamlet and reveals it to the King and Queen. Meanwhile, Hamlet struggles to convince himself that Claudius is the murderer of his father, and in an attempt to "catch the king's conscience," Hamlet convinces a traveling troupe of actors to perform a play in which the action closely resembles the events related to him by the ghost. While Hamlet, judging the reaction of Claudius, is convinced of the new king's guilt, he can't bring himself to slay him outright. Instead, Hamlet rebukes Gertrude with the news that she is sleeping with the killer of her husband.

Unfortunately, Poloniuswho is hidden behind a tapestry in the Queen's chamber, eavesdroppingpanics and cries for help; Hamlet stabs him, thinking it is Claudius. Of course, when this news is given to Claudius, the King sends Hamlet to England with the ostensible purpose of securing Hamlet's safety and the recovery of his senses. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood friends of Hamlet's who are now little more than spies for Claudius, are to accompany him. The trick is that Hamlet will bear a letter to the King of England in which Claudius asks England to sentence Hamlet to death. In the midst of these events, Ophelia loses her own sanity; she is driven to madness by Hamlet's condition and the death of Polonius. Laertes, her brother, returns to Elsinore from his studies and vows his vengeance upon Hamlet for what the prince has done to his family. News is brought that Hamlet has returned to Denmark, much to the surprise of Claudius, and that Ophelia has drowned herself in a river.

Claudius now plots with Laertes to kill Hamlet upon his return to Elsinore. Meanwhile, Hamlet meets Horatio, his best friend, and tells how he altered the letter so that the execution order was for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern instead of him. At the end of Hamlet's tale, Ophelia's funeral procession enters, and Laertes and Hamlet confront one another. Laertes challenges Hamlet to a duel. This is all part of Claudius's plot; instead of dull blades, Laertes will select a sharp one. In addition, Laertes is to poison the tip of his blade so that a wound will kill the prince. And, just in case the previous measures are not enough, Claudius will keep a poisoned chalice from which Hamlet will drink. The plan goes awry from the beginning; Laertes is unable to wound Hamlet during the first pass. Between rounds, Gertrude raises a toast to Hamlet with the poisoned chalice. Then, in the heat of the duel, Laertes manages to wound Hamlet but loses the poisoned rapier to him, and Laertes himself is poisoned as well.

Gertrude swoons to her death; Laertes falls and reveals the plot against Hamlet, telling him he has "not a half-hour's life" in him. Enraged, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned foil, then makes him drink from the chalice that slew Gertrude. This done, Hamlet collapses and dies in Horatio's arms as Fortinbras enters the castle. Fortinbras is left to rule Denmark, as the entire royal family is dead, and he bids his men give Hamlet and the rest a proper funeral. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; nephew of Claudius Fortinbras, Prince of Norway Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet Ophelia, daughter of Polonius Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and Attendants Ghost of Hamlet's father No Fear Shakespeare: Hamlet: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 Hamlet The prince of Denmark, and a student at the University of Wittenberg.

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, has recently died, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married the new king, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle and disgust at his mother for marrying him. When the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and claims to have been murdered by Claudius, Hamlet becomes obsessed with avenging his father’s death but keeps thinking of reasons why he should wait before killing Claudius—then chastizes himself for failing to act boldly. Hamlet is a character of contradictions. He admires characters like Fortinbras and the Player King, who behave passionately and even violently for no good reason, but is himself thoughtful, reflective, and philosophical. At times Hamlet is indecisive and hesitant, but at other times he is prone to rash and impulsive acts of violence. Claudius The king of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, adept at manipulating others for his own ends and willing to execute, assassinate, or murder to stay in power.

He doesn’t understand Hamlet or Hamlet’s motives, but he is quick to perceive Hamlet as a threat and take decisive action against him. Claudius does occasionally show signs of remorse and human feeling—his affection for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude The queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. We never get to observe Gertrude on her own, so we know much more about how Hamlet feels about her than about how she sees herself. She seems clearly to love Hamlet, but Hamlet sees her as a weak, even depraved, woman motivated wholly by lust. Hamlet has such strong feelings about her sex life that he becomes momentarily distracted from his revenge quest, urging her toward a life of chastity. Polonius The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius has good intentions, but he tends to be somewhat conniving and underhanded. He frequently leaps to the wrong conclusions, and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of figuring out what Hamlet is up to.

Horatio Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the University of Wittenberg. Hamlet trusts Horatio above any of the other characters, valuing him for his even temper and equanimity—qualities that Hamlet seems to despise in himself. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet’s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story. Ophelia Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. A sweet and innocent young girl, Ophelia dutifully strives to obey her father and her brother, Laertes, allowing Polonius to use her in his scheme to spy on Hamlet. When her father dies, her sanity unravels, and in her madness she paints a scathing picture of young men as sexually exploitative and unfaithful, and her mad speeches about flowers conceal implied condemnations of Claudius and Gertrude. Laertes Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is a foil for the reflective and agonized Hamlet.

Fortinbras The young prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet. Hamlet admires Fortinbras for his willingness to fight for no good reason. The Ghost The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the ghost is what it appears to be. Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, and the question of what the ghost is or where it comes from is never definitively resolved. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Two slightly bumbling courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. Osric The foolish courtier who summons Hamlet to his duel with Laertes. His speeches are pretentious and difficult to understand.

Voltimand and Cornelius Courtiers whom Claudius sends to Norway to persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking. Marcellus and Barnardo The officers who first see the ghost walking the ramparts of Elsinore and who summon Horatio to witness it. Marcellus is present when Hamlet first encounters the ghost. Francisco A soldier and guardsman at Elsinore. Reynaldo Hamlet Summary - eNotes.com Hamlet Summary William Shakespeare Hamlet Summary Hamlet dramatizes Prince Hamlet's gradual descent into madness. Early in the play, the Ghost appears to Hamlet and informs him that Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark, was murdered by Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. Hamlet isn't sure that he believes the Ghost and sets about uncovering the truth. Hamlet makes himself appear crazy to deflect suspicion. He later rejects his sweetheart Ophelia and convinces players to enact the scene of the murder in front of Claudius, who reacts suspiciously. Hamlet’s attempt to kill Claudius results in the death of Ophelia’s father Polonius.

Claudius sends Hamlet to England, expecting him to be killed upon arrival, but Hamlet cleverly escapes and stumbles upon Ophelia’s funeral. Claudius arranges a duel between Hamlet and Ophelia’s angry brother Laertes. Gertrude drinks from a poisoned goblet that was intended for Hamlet, and Laertes and Hamlet each deal poisoned blows to the other. In the end, Hamlet kills Claudius, avenging his father. Download Study Guide Start Free Trial Start your free trial with eNotes to access more than 30,000 study guides. Get help with any book. link Link Prince Hamlet of Denmark is urged by his father’s Ghost to avenge his murder at the hands of the dead king’s brother, now King Claudius; to make matters worse, Claudius has married the widow, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude. Denmark is under threat of invasion from young Fortinbras, who seeks to regain lands lost to Hamlet’s father by Fortinbras’s father. Claudius sends word to the King of Norway (Fortinbras’s uncle) to curb Fortinbras’s aggression.

In the meantime, Hamlet feigns madness with his family and friends, including his beloved, Ophelia, sister to Laertes and daughter to Polonius. Both Polonius and Laertes warn Ophelia against Hamlet’s amorous advances. Polonius believes Hamlet’s “madness” to be love sickness. Laertes is given permission to return to his studies in Paris. Claudius directs Gertrude to try to learn the cause of Hamlet’s odd behavior; they suspect it is the old king’s death and their own recent marriage. Meantime, Claudius and Polonius eavesdrop on Ophelia and Hamlet, who spurns her and appears mad. The King reveals to Polonius his plan to send Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet seizes the opportunity presented by a traveling troupe of players to expose the King’s guilt with a “play within a play.” Soon after, Hamlet delays killing Claudius because the King is at prayer, and Hamlet does not wish to send him to heaven instead of hell.

When Gertrude meets with Hamlet as Claudius has directed, Polonius hides behind the arras in Gertrude’s room to eavesdrop on the conversation. Hamlet, suspecting the interloper is Claudius, stabs and kills Polonius. When Polonius’s body is discovered, Claudius summons Hamlet and tells him he must sail to England for his own safety; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany Hamlet, carrying letters to the English, threatening war unless they kill Hamlet. Hamlet eventually escapes, returns to Denmark, and is met by Horatio. Ophelia has gone insane after Hamlet’s departure and her father’s death. Laertes returns and vows to avenge Polonius’s death. Claudius contrives a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes, during which Hamlet is to be injured with a poisoned sword tip and poisoned with a drink, thus assuring his death. When news arrives that Ophelia has drowned herself, Laertes is grief stricken. Hamlet and Horatio happen upon the burial site and funeral cortege; Hamlet tries to fight Laertes but is restrained.

Hamlet tells Horatio that he rewrote the papers carried by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and that the letters now call for their own deaths. Osric invites Hamlet to the duel with Laertes; Claudius has supposedly bet on Hamlet to win. Gertrude mistakenly drinks from the cup poisoned by Claudius for Hamlet, and dies; Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword, and then Hamlet wounds Laertes when they accidentally exchange swords. When Laertes reveals the conspiracy, Hamlet wounds the King and forces the poisoned drink upon him. Laertes and Hamlet reconcile, and Laertes dies; Hamlet prevents Horatio from drinking the poison so that he can live to tell the truth. Hamlet names as his successor young Fortinbras, who arrives and orders Hamlet buried with all dignity. Estimated Reading Time Given a text with abundant and helpful footnotes, an average student should expect to spend at least an hour per act on the first read through; subsequent readings should take less time, as the language becomes more familiar.

Certainly a five-hour stretch is not advised; probably a few scenes at a time, or perhaps an entire act, would be a comfortable portion for an average reader. Since there are five acts with a total of twenty scenes, the student could expect to spend at least five hours in perhaps six to eight sessions. Related Content (hide) link Link There is little debate that Shakespeare is the greatest Renaissance tragedian, and that King Lear (pr. c. 1605-1606, pb. 1608) and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark are the best examples of his work in that genre. Since its first production at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Hamlet has been the subject of intense critical inquiry, and the figure of Hamlet has been among the most intensely studied of any of Shakespeare’s creations. Intellectual, self-reflective, alienated, and seemingly paralyzed by doubts about both himself and the circumstance in which he is called upon to act as an agent of revenge, Hamlet has come to be considered the quintessential modern hero.

For the subject of his drama, Shakespeare turned to a story already popular in English theaters; at least two earlier productions of the sad tale of the Danish prince had appeared in London playhouses. In many ways, Hamlet is typical of a subgenre immensely popular in Shakespeare’s time: the revenge play. Most of these were bloody spectacles in which almost every character dies in the final act. The body-strewn stage in act 5 of Hamlet continues this tradition, as does the central action of the drama: the need for the young Hamlet to avenge the death of his father, the king, whose ghost informs Hamlet early in the play that he (the king) had been poisoned by Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius so Claudius could become king and marry Hamlet’s mother, the queen Gertrude. The central dramatic interest in the play is the character of its hero. Hamlet sees himself as the “scourge and minister” of some higher order, returned from school in Germany to set right the disorder in his realm caused by his uncle’s murderous action. Unfortunately, the sensitive prince is not callous enough to ignore the doubts he has about the exact cause of his father’s death.

He has been told by his father’s ghost that Claudius committed murder; other hints to that effect abound. The prince feels he must delay his revenge, however, until he is certain Claudius is guilty. Compounding Hamlet’s problem is the fact that his mother, whom he loves dearly, has married his uncle soon after the old king has died. It is not at all clear to Hamlet whether his mother has had a hand in the murder, whether she is simply unaware of Claudius’s treachery, or whether she believes Claudius is innocent. Much is made of the mother-son relationship; Hamlet spends considerable time trying to convince his mother that she has made a mistake in marrying Claudius. Only when she finally comes to accept his view that the new king is somehow guilty does Hamlet decide to act. His decision is precipitated by several other actions as well, most notably the efforts of his supposed friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to have him killed. Many critics have observed that Hamlet is really too sensitive to effect the revenge that he intends. He is by nature melancholic, possessing a fatalistic disposition that borders on the suicidal. His most famous soliloquy focuses on the virtue of ending his life.

“To be, or not to be,” he begins his musings; that is, indeed, a central question for him, since he sees little benefit in continuing to live in a world where injustice reigns. Nevertheless, he decides to act to avenge his father’s murder—once he is certain he knows who has been involved in the plot to kill him. Viewing the world as a place where things are seldom as they seem, he spends a good portion of his time trying to sort appearance from reality. He invents various devices to help illuminate the truth, such as his elaborate arrangement for a dumb show that will re-create the murder of his father in the presence of Claudius to try to make the king reveal his guilt. Hamlet is not satisfied simply to take vengeance on his uncle clandestinely; he wants Claudius to admit his guilt. For centuries, scholars have debated Hamlet’s inability to act even when he has the opportunity to do so. Early in the play, his inactivity can be attributed to his lack of assurance that Claudius is guilty. Were he to kill the new king without justification, he would be seen as no better than a murderer himself, and no good would come of his action.

Nevertheless, when he does appear to have sufficient evidence of Claudius’s role in his father’s murder, the prince still seems paralyzed. In a crucial scene after Claudius has seen the dumb show and left the room visibly upset, Hamlet finds his uncle praying in the castle’s chapel. It is a perfect chance to slay the king, but Hamlet refrains because he says he does not want to send his uncle’s soul to heaven. Such casuistry has been reason for several critics to claim that Shakespeare is simply drawing out the drama until the final catastrophe. By the final act, Hamlet has become totally fatalistic. Having killed Polonius accidentally, he has already bloodied his hands; he accepts the challenge of Polonius’s son, Laertes, with resignation, knowing that he will probably be killed himself. In the final scene, all of the principals meet their end—and almost all by some mischance of fate. Despite the resounding encomium pronounced over the body of the slain prince, the bleak ending offers little encouragement for an audience who has witnessed this great tragedy. Surprisingly, however, the ending seems justified, in that order has been restored to the Danish kingdom, although won at a terrible price.

Such is the lesson of most great tragedies, and Hamlet ranks with the very best examples of the genre. Hamlet Play: Shakespeare's Hamlet Overview & Resources Read Hamlet in simple, modern English Main characters in Hamlet: Hamlet, the son of the recently murdered King is the heir to the throne. Hehas had the crown stolen from him by his father’s villainous brother, Claudius whom thelate king’s widow, Gertrude – Hamlet’s mother – has married. Hamlet’s father’s ghost tells him on the battlements that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet is continuously spied on by Polonius, the garrulous Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. His eavesdropping results in his being accidentally killed by Hamlet. Ophelia is Polonius’ daughter. Led on to a possible relationship by Hamlet, then rejected, she commits suicide by drowning . Her brother, Laertesseeks revenge by plotting with Claudius to kill Hamlet.

Other characters are Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, in whom he confides, Rosencranz and Guidenstern, Hamlet’s fellow university students, who spy on Hamlet for Claudius, a troupe of strolling actors and a pair of gravediggers. See a full list of characters in Hamlet . Hamlet Themes: The play falls into the genre of the Revenge Tragedy, which was very popular in the Jacobean era with its taste for violence and intrigue. Revenge is the most obvious, and one of the main, themes of the play. Although explorations of the idea of appearance and reality are present in all Shakespeare’s plays, it’s more fully developed in Hamlet, with all it’s plotting, intrigues, deceit and hypocrisy. Other themes are the question of what a human being is; death and mortality and suicide. In common with several other Shakespeare plays, there is a clear Christian parallel. Hamlet Play Resources: King Claudius King Claudius HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Crabbe, Jerome P. "King Claudius." Hamlet Prince of Denmark. 25 September, 2012.

< King Claudius, the antagonist of Shakespeare's Hamlet, is brother to the deceased King Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and uncle to the younger Hamlet . He ascends to the throne of Denmark by poisoning his own brother and seducing his brother's widow. He is loosely based on the treacherous chieftain Feng who appears in Chronicon Lethrense and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. [ 1 ] Claudius first appears in Act I, scene ii , where he addresses his court, informing them that Young Fortinbras, "holding a weak supposal of our worth," has demanded the surrender of certain lands that were lost by his father to the late King Hamlet. Claudius reveals that he has responded to this threat by writing to Norway, the uncle of Fortinbras, in hopes of suppressing the prince's warlike ambitions. He dispatches Cornelius and Voltemand as ambassadors to Norway for the same purpose. This seemingly minor action, easily overlooked in the opening lines of the scene, is suggestive of Claudius' modus operandi, revealing a preference for stealth and subterfuge over direct confrontation.

This matter handled, Claudius quickly turns his attention to Hamlet. Along with the queen, he gently chastises the prince for the dark cloud that he allows to hang over him, saying: 'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father, But you must know your father lost a father, That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow. But to persevere In obstinate condolement is a course Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief. He goes on to say: We pray you throw to earth This unprevailing woe, and think of us As of a father, for let the world take note, You are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of love Than that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you.

Furthermore, Claudius chooses to deny Hamlet's request to return to school at Wittenberg, expressing a desire rather that the prince remain in Elsinore, "Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye." Hamlet reluctantly consents, and were the play to end here, one might think nothing worse of Claudius than that he has been perhaps indiscreet in his hasty marriage to his deceased brother's wife or overly protective of his mourning nephew. But the play does not end here, and a few scenes later ( Act I, scene v ), we learn the usurper's dark secret. The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to him on the ramparts of the castle, revealing that he has been most foully murdered and that: The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown. Hamlet is not shocked by this revelation. On the contrary, he exclaims: O my prophetic soul! My uncle! The prince, it seems, is already aware (at least on some some level) of his uncle's true nature.

He listens in horror as the ghost recounts the details of Claudius' hideous crime, explaining how he crept into King Hamlet's orchard and while he slept poured into his ear juice of hebenon which: with a sudden vigour doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood. The ghost, having known Claudius longer and better than any other character in the play, describes him as "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" who "with witchcraft of his wit" and "with traitorous gifts" seduced the queen. In each case, note that Claudius has chosen trickery and deceit to achieve his aims, murdering the king secretly in his sleep and quietly seducing the queen rather than making a power play for the throne. The ghost, of course, charges Hamlet to avenge his "foul and most unnatural murder," and the stage is set for the action of the play: Hamlet the avenger vs. Claudius the murderer. The opponents hardly seem equally matched. Claudius is an experienced politician, ruthless and cunning, familiar with the employment of treachery, and Hamlet is an untried youth.

While the prince was away at school, passing carefree days with the likes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two foolish youths who expend their limited cunning in the forging of crude witticisms (i.e. residing in the private parts of Fortune), Claudius was diligently plotting his rise to power, laying the groundwork for the clandestine assassination of King Hamlet, a coup he pulls off without anyone (other than Hamlet apparently) even suspecting foul play. In fact, he has the old king's courtiers, groveling bootlickers like Polonius, eating out of his hand. A master manipulator, Claudius appears to have little fear of Hamlet, his brooding nephew who seems only moderately successful even in the diversions of youth -- his love suit to Ophelia, for instance, which is so easily undermined by her father. In addition, Claudius has the entire court at his disposal, while Hamlet trusts no one, not even his closest friend, Horatio, from whom he hides the facts of his uncle's transgression until the play scene ( Act III, scene ii ) when he finally enlists his friend's aid in determining the king's guilt.

By all outward appearances, Claudius would seem to hold the advantage in the game of cat and mouse that is about to ensue. He only seems to be sharpening his claws. But appearances can be deceiving, and as one critic writes, Claudius' confident display of kingly power is perhaps more air than substance: Claudius is, from one point of view, another Player King: a "thing of shreds and patches", as Hamlet calls him, referring to the motley of the "Vice" or clown.... Claudius is an example of a spurious kind of authority, who has the persuasiveness and physical courage of a ruler, but who is morally empty. [ 2 ] Not all critics, however, are prepared to accept Claudius as an empty suit.

In fact, some have even taken the remarkable position of becoming apologists for the usurper, suggesting that, regardless of his method of ascension, Claudius would have made a fine king and that Denmark would have been better off under his rule, describing him as "calm, reasonable, decisive," [ 3 ] pointing out that: Denmark is a healthy and contented community with Claudius as its efficient and kindly administrator, sensibly not wishing to let memories of the past impede the promise of the future. [ 4 ] and even writing: Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is -- strange as it may seem -- a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. [ 5 ] This sort of specious argument seems like the kind of contorted logic that one might expect from the mouth of the usurper himself, or else one of his sycophants.

It is a brittle defense, to say the least, and crumbles during the play scene when Claudius' mask of competence is so easily shattered by the presentation of Hamlet's play. Would such an able king as these critics describe allow himself to be visibly rattled by a theatrical reenactment of his crime? Would he rush from the theatre calling for light, as Claudius does, or would he calmly sit through the entertainment, revealing nothing, smiling, even applauding perhaps? The presentation of the play is little more than a school boy's trick, and yet it is sufficient to reveal Claudius' "calm, reasonable, decisive" exterior as a thin facade, an illusion whose magic is easily dispelled by a discerning eye. If the rest of the court were not bewitched by Claudius' spell, they too would see what Hamlet and Horatio observe -- a criminal exposed. Have there been earlier signs of his weak and depraved nature? From the very beginning of the play, Claudius is perhaps overly eager to know the cause of Hamlet's brooding. While Gertrude is more concerned with Hamlet's well-being, her husband's interest seems to revolve around finding the hidden cause of Hamlet's unnatural temperament.

(Perhaps because he suspects the truth!) He is vexed at the prince's refusal to accept the natural course of life and to move on (as the rest of the court has done, including Gertrude). In retrospect this is probably a sign of fear, an inability to manage his own guilty conscience. Claudius is not a cool manipulator like Iago. Neither is he the bold decision maker that some critics make him out to be. Whenever he is ready to take decisive action, he allows himself to be dissuaded by others. When he first decides to send Hamlet away, for instance, he listens to the counsel of Polonius and is led astray, persuaded to explore the possibility that Hamlet's brooding is merely a product of his infatuation with Ophelia (when all of his instincts scream that it is not). It is probable that Claudius' suffers from feelings of inadequacey after living most of his life in the shadow of his more able brother. As Hamlet makes clear in the interview with his mother ( Act III, scene iv ), there is an enormous gap between the two men: Look here, upon this picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.

See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars, to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill; A combination and a form indeed Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man. This was your husband. Look you now what follows. Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear, Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed And batten on this moor? If there is any truth to Hamlet's words, how Claudius must have cringed at any comparison to his brother -- how he must have feared his shortcomings would be exposed by the juxtaposition of their contrasting natures. After his meltdown during the play scene, Claudius makes a weak attempt at repentance, retreating to his chambers to pray, but finds that he is unable. O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'? That cannot be, since I am still possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.

May one be pardoned and retain the offense? ( Act III, scene iii ) Though he forces himself to pray ("Bow, stubborn knees!"), Claudius does not in his heart repent. Unwilling to relinquish the fruits of his crime, he plunges ahead instead with his wickedness. How lost he is, how deeply immersed in darkness, becomes clear in his Machiavellian subversion of Laertes (Act IV, scene v and vii). Violent, self-willed, irrational, Laertes is easily maneuvered into a seemingly foolproof plot against Hamlet's life. Emblematic of purpose, passion, and memory at their worst, Laertes will stick at nothing to live up to his own warped conception of honor. [ 6 ] But Claudius' trickery is too indirect. He holds all the power, yet he fears direct confrontation. He could easily have the prince slain but he fears the reaction of the people and of his queen. Instead, he recruits multiple partners to carry out this treachery in secret -- Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the king of England -- but these plots fail, being too elaborate and long-winded.

The young inexperienced prince outwits Claudius and his minions at every turn because (in spite of his reputation as a man incapable of action and unlike his uncle who better deserves such renown) Hamlet recognizes opportunity when it presents itself and seizes it boldly and directly. Claudius could learn from his nephew, but he does not. In the end, he falls victim to his own (too elaborate) scheme, run through with the poisoned blade he intended for Hamlet. He is undone by his own weakness. Enslaved by ambition and driven to acts of immorality and lawlessness by his sexual appetite and his lust for power, Claudius is ultimately undone by a lack of fortitude, a lack of commitment to his own evil nature and a need to be seen as honorable when he is not. Hamlet - Wikiquote Hamlet How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world . The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a revenge tragedy by William Shakespeare , and is one of his most well-known and oft-quoted plays.

It is uncertain exactly when it was written, but scholars tend to place its composition between 1600 and the summer of 1602. Contents I'll speak to it though Hell itself should gape And bid me hold my peace . You come most carefully upon your hour. Francisco, scene i Our sometime sister, now our Queen. Claudius, scene ii Claudius: ...But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son — Hamlet: A little more than kin, and less than kind. Claudius: How is it that the clouds still hang on you? Hamlet: Not so my lord; I am too much i' the sun. scene ii Seems, madam! Nay, it is; I know not "seems." Hamlet, scene ii O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew. Hamlet, scene ii Note: "Solid" is the word found in the First Folio edition of the plays (1623).

Earlier versions (the First and Second Quartos), had used the word "sallied." In some later editions, the word was "sullied." How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world. Hamlet, scene ii Frailty, thy name is woman! Hamlet, scene ii But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue. Hamlet, scene ii Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak'd meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Hamlet, scene ii A countenance more in sorrow than in anger. Horatio, scene ii I'll speak to it though Hell itself should gape And bid me hold my peace. Hamlet, scene ii For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours, Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood; A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute — No more. Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads.

And recks not his own rede. Ophelia, scene iii Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Polonius, scene iii Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. Polonius, scene iii Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man. Polonius, scene iii Neither a borrower nor a lender be: For loan oft loses both itself and friend. Polonius, scene iii This above all — to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Polonius, scene iii But to my mind, — though I am native here And to the manner born, — it is a custom More honour'd in the breach than the observance. Hamlet, scene iv Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee, And for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself? Hamlet, scene iv Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Marcellus, scene iv My hour is almost come When I to sulphrous and tormenting flames Must render up myself. Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. Ghost, scene v The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown. Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin. Ghost, scene v O horrible, O horrible, most horrible! Ghost, scene v And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fretful porpentine. Ghost, scene v Variant: Most modern publications modernize this phrase to "Like quills upon the fretful porcupine." O most pernicious woman! O, villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! My tables, — meet it is I set it down, That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain. Hamlet, scene v There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Hamlet, scene v How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself — As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on.

Hamlet, scene v The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right! Hamlet, scene v Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. More matter with less art. Gertrude, scene ii. That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true 'tis pity; And pity 'tis 'tis true: a foolish figure; But farewell it, for I will use no art. Polonius, scene ii Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. Hamlet, from a letter read by Polonius, scene ii Polonius: Do you know me, my lord? Hamlet: Excellent well; you're a fishmonger. Polonius: Not I, my lord. Hamlet Then I would you were so honest a man. Polonius: Honest, my lord!

Hamlet: Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. Polonius: That's very true, my lord. Hamlet: [Reads] For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion, — Have you a daughter? Polonius: I have, my lord. Hamlet: Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a blessing: but not as your daughter may conceive; — friend, look to 't. Polonius: [Aside] How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter: — yet he knew me not at first; he said I was a fishmonger: he is far gone, far gone: and truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; very near this. scene ii Polonius: What do you read, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words. scene ii Polonius: [Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't. — Will you walk out of the air, my lord? Hamlet: Into my grave.

scene ii Polonius: My honored lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you. Hamlet: You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal — except my life — except my life — except my life. scene ii Hamlet: My excellent good friends! How dost thou Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do you both? Rosencrantz: As indifferent as children of the earth. Guildenstern: Happy in that we are not overhappy; on Fortune's cap we are not the very button. Hamlet: Nor the soles of her shoe? Rosencrantz: Neither, my lord. Hamlet: Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours? Guildenstern: Faith, her privates we. Hamlet: In the secret parts of Fortune? O, most true! She is a strumpet. What's the news? Rosencrantz: None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest. Hamlet: Then is doomsday near. scene ii There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Hamlet, scene ii I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams. Hamlet, scene ii Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks. Hamlet, scene ii I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises, and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory. This most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me then a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though, by your smiling, you seem to say so.

Hamlet, scene ii Use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping? Hamlet, scene ii O! what a rogue and peasant slave am I! Hamlet, scene ii What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? Hamlet, scene ii That I, the son of a dear father murdered, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must like a whore unpack my heart with words, and fall a-cursing like a very drab Hamlet, scene ii The spirit that I have seen May be the devil: and the devil hath power To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds More relative than this: the play 's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. Hamlet, scene ii Be all my sins remembered. Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?

We are oft to blame in this, — 'Tis too much prov'd, — that with devotion's visage, And pious action, we do sugar o'er The devil himself. To be, or not to be, — that is the question: — Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? — To die, to sleep, — No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, — 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd.

To die, to sleep; — To sleep, perchance to dream: — ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, — The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, — puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know naught of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought; And enterprises of great pith and moment, With this regard, their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. Hamlet, scene i The fair Ophelia! — Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd. Hamlet, scene i Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest; but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me. I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious; with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us. Hamlet, scene i Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. Ophelia, scene i I say, we will have no more marriages: those that are married already, — all but one, — shall live; the rest shall keep as they are.

Hamlet, scene i O! what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! Ophelia, scene i To have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Ophelia, scene i Madness in great ones must not unwatched go. Claudius, scene i Gertrude: Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me. Hamlet: No, good mother, here's metal more attractive. [Hamlet takes a place near Ophelia.] scene ii Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap? Ophelia: No, my lord. Hamlet: I mean, my head upon your lap? Ophelia: Ay, my lord. Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters? scene ii So long? Nay, then, let the devil wear black, for I'll have a suit of sables. Oh heavens! die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half a year. Hamlet, scene ii The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Gertrude, scene ii Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me.

You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass; and there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. 'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. Hamlet, scene ii Hamlet: Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel? Polonius: By th' Mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed. Hamlet: Methinks it is like a weasel. Polonius: It is backed like a weasel. Hamlet: Or like a whale. Polonius: Very like a whale. scene ii Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood, And do such bitter business, as the day Would quake to look on.

Hamlet, scene ii Let me be cruel, not unnatural; I will speak daggers to her, but use none. Hamlet, scene ii O! my offence is rank, it smells to heaven. Claudius, scene iii What if this cursed hand Were thicker than itself with brother's blood, — Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? Claudius, scene iii Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I'll do 't: and so he goes to heaven; And so am I reveng'd. Hamlet, scene iii My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go. Claudius, scene iii Hamlet: How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead! Polonius: Oh, I am slain! scene iv Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! I took thee for thy better. Hamlet, scene iv In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love Over the nasty sty. I must be cruel, only to be kind: Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.

Hamlet, scene iv Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me. Gertrude, scene iv Good-night, ladies; good-night, sweet ladies; good-night, good-night. So, haply, slander — Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter, As level as the cannon to his blank, Transports his poisoned shot — may miss our name And hit the woundless air. — O, come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay. Claudius, scene i Rosencrantz: I understand you not, my lord. Hamlet: I am glad of it: a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear. Rosencrantz: My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the king. Hamlet: The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing — Guildenstern: A thing, my lord? Hamlet: Of nothing. scene ii Hamlet: A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.

Claudius: What dost thou mean by this? Hamlet: Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar. scene iii Claudius: Where is Polonius? Hamlet: In heaven; send thither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourself. But, indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby. scene iii How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! Hamlet, scene iv O! from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! Hamlet, scene iv We know what we are, but know not what we may be. Ophelia, scene v Good-night, ladies; good-night, sweet ladies; good-night, good-night. Ophelia, scene v When sorrows come, they come not single spies, But in battalions. I'm lost in it, my lord.

But let him come; It warms the very sickness in my heart, That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, 'Thus diest thou.' Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears. Laertes, scene vii What is the reason that you use me thus? I lov'd you ever: but it is no matter. Let Hercules himself do what he may, The cat will mew, and dog will have his day. Hamlet, scene i There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will. Hamlet, scene ii We defy augury; there's 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 all. Hamlet, scene ii The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit: I cannot live to hear the news from England; But I do prophesy the election lights On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice; So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited.

The rest is silence. Hamlet, scene ii; variant, from the First Folio: The rest is silence. O, o, o, o. [Dies] If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Horatio, scene ii Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage. Fortinbras, scene ii Go, bid the soldiers shoot. Fortinbras, scene ii

Question: Who was King of Denmark in Shakespeare’s Hamlet?
Answer: Claudius