HAMLET VIEWED AS AN ARTISTIC FAILURE 
Ernest Jones’ more recent attempt to explain that
“which Shakespeare did not understand himself” …an “Oedipus Complex” of
which Shakespeare could not have been consciously aware…
HAMLET’S CHARACTER VIEWED AS EVIL
…second objection of Johnson …treats Ophelia with
“wanton cruelty” and ... the speech made over the praying figure of Claudius
...
…elaborated by such critics as G. Wilson Knight… 1930… Claudius...
HAMLET PLOT SUMMARIES
Plagued by royal treachery, vengeful scheming, and an unsettled ghost, Denmark is ripe for destruction. Directly following King Hamlet's recent death, the widowed Queen Gertrude has hastily remarried Claudius, King Hamlet's own brother. Young Prince
King Claudius is troubled by two pests. First, young Fortinbras of Norway has raised his army against Denmark in order to reclaim his father's lost land. Claudius suppresses Fortinbras' challenge but allows the hotheaded young Prince to pass peacefully through Denmark on his way to fight Poland. Claudius' second nuisance is his deranged nephew and stepson, Prince Hamlet. Claudius employs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's former friends, to spy on the mad Prince. Polonius, the King's principal advisor, argues that Hamlet's insanity is nothing more than love sickness. Ever watchful of his daughter's chastity, Polonius ordered Ophelia to reject Hamlet's lusty admiration. To prove that this rejection has caused Hamlet's mania, Polonius plants his daughter in Hamlet's path and hides with King Claudius to spy on their fixed encounter. The Prince's mania appears more sinister than expected, and Claudius is unconvinced by Polonius' explanation.
In Queen Gertrude's chamber, Hamlet chastises his mother for her lusty disloyalty. Spying behind an arras (curtain),Polonius
Polonius' death and his dishonorable burial drive Ophelia to insanity. The maiden ultimately dies, drowned in a suspected suicide. Laertes, Polonius' son, returns with a mob from Paris and demands retribution against Hamlet. Claudius proposes a rigged fencing competition between the Prince and Laertes: Hamlet's sword will be blunted, to protect Laertes, while Laertes' sword will be sharp and poisoned, to slay Hamlet. As planned, Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword. In the scuffle, they exchange rapiers and Hamlet slices Laertes with the toxic weapon. Both are doomed to die, but the King and Queen die first. Queen Gertrude falls dead from a poisoned chalice meant for Hamlet and, after the fight with Laertes, Hamlet slashes and kills King Claudius with the poisoned rapier. With his dying breath, Hamlet supports Fortinbras' appointment as the next King of Denmark. Surrounded by the royal massacre, Hamlet pleads with Horatio to tell his tragic story to the world.
Act I
Scene i: The play opens in the dead of night
on the walls of Elsinore Castle. Gloom, uncertainty and anxiety hang over
the kingdom of Denmark, the first words spoken coming as the sentinel's
challenge, "Who's there?" In short order we learn from the guard of the
night watch that the long-time King of Denmark, "Old Hamlet", died mysteriously
just two months earlier, that his brother, Claudius, has taken the throne,
and that Claudius has married the dead king's wife, Queen Gertrude. The
members of the watch, including Prince Hamlet's loyal friend Horatio, are
further alarmed over the recent appearance of a ghost who resembles Hamlet's
late father, and they plan to tell Hamlet about this disturbing apparition.
Scene ii: The play now shifts to the royal
court of King Claudius and his new wife, Queen Gertrude, as we first see
Hamlet's uncle dealing capably with affairs of state. In this, he is advised
by his chief counselor, Polonius, and the King has a cordial exchange with
his minister's son, Laertes. Hamlet, however, remains in the background,
a surly figure muttering resentful asides. Claudius rejects Hamlet's request
to return to college at Wittenberg, and urges him to cease his "unmanly"
mourning for his father. When the royal entourage departs, Hamlet speaks
a soliloquy about his resentments toward his stepfather, his mother, and
their incestuous marriage. Horatio and his cohorts arrive and tell the
prince about the ghost they have seen. Hamlet vows to observe it himself.
Scene iii:The scene is comprised of an exchange
among Polonius, his son Laertes and his daughter, Ophelia. The young maiden
Ophelia reveals to her father and brother that Prince Hamlet is "madly"
in love with her. Both Polonius and Laertes strongly warn her about any
romance with a prince of the realm, particularly one who seems to be mentally
unbalanced.
Scenes iv-v: Back at the walls of the castle,
the Ghost of Hamlet's father speaks to his son directly and urges him to
follow him to a one-on-one encounter. Hamlet has misgivings, but he obeys
and the ghost then confirms that he is, in fact, the dead King. He also
discloses that he was the victim of a murder, that Claudius poured poison
into his ear while he was asleep. The Ghost tells Hamlet that this heinous
crime must be avenged and that it falls to his son to exact justice by
killing Claudius. The Ghost also says that the Queen's fate must be left
to heaven. The Ghost departs and the Hamlet swears Horatio and Marcellus
(another member of the watch) to secrecy. He then reveals to them that
he will pretend to be mad as a ruse to further his emerging plan of revenge.
Act II
Scene i: Polonius sends a servant to spy on
Laertes who has returned to Paris to continue his studies. Ophelia enters
and tells her father that Hamlet is acting in an insane way. Polonius says
that he will tell King Claudius about his stepson's lunacy.
Scene ii: In the royal court the King and Queen
welcome two of Hamlet's college friends---Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
---and Claudius asks that they keep an eye on the melancholy Prince. Polonius
enters with the report about Hamlet's madness from Ophelia, and suggests
that he arrange for the King to eavesdrop on a conversation between his
daughter and the Prince. Polonius encounters Hamlet, and the Prince acts
in a seemingly "mad" way, although the aged counselor suspects that there
may be a "method" (ulterior purpose) behind Hamlet's insanity. A troupe
of actors arrive at Elsinore, and Hamlet arranges for them to perform a
modified version of a play titled "The Murder of Gonzago." His intention
is to watch Claudius during the performance for telltale signs of guilt.
Act III
Scene i: Polonius and Claudius carry out their
plan to watch Hamlet while he speaks with Ophelia. Hamlet enters and issues
a wild diatribe against women, insulting and rejecting Ophelia and thereby
showing his madness. Claudius tells Polonius that he has decided to send
Hamlet on a mission to England in the company of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Scene ii: With lines added to their script
by Hamlet, the actors, including a Player King and a Player Queen, perform
a silent introduction to a play-within-a-play with a plot that closely
resembles Claudius's murder of Hamlet's father. As Hamlet expects, Claudius
is visibly distressed by the guilt that this dumb-show evokes. Hamlet is
then summoned to a talk with his mother. Before going to see Gertrude,
Hamlet expresses great anger toward her but he recalls his ghost father's
words to leave her punishment to heaven.
Scene iii: Polonius informs the King that Hamlet
is about to speak with his mother, and that he plans to eavesdrop on their
talk. Alone on stage, Claudius reveals profound guilt about his crime,
and says that it so evil a deed that he is unable to seek God's forgiveness
for it. The King nevertheless falls to his knees in prayer. Hamlet sees
the King in this vulnerable posture and considers killing him. But he exercises
restraint instead, justifying the delay through the thought that killing
Claudius while at prayer might yield the villain-king's salvation. He decides
that he will wait until Claudius is provoked into anger before slaying
him.
Scene iv: In Queen Gertrude's chambers, Polonius hides behind a curtain to secretly witness her interaction with the Prince. Hamlet appears, and his irate demeanor causes the Queen to become frightened and to call out for help. Polonius also cries out for help, and Hamlet then stabs him behind the curtain, mistaking the counselor for King Claudius.
Hamlet expresses only modest regret for this mistake.
He immediately proceeds to condemn his mother, comparing the virtues of
her first husband to the vices of Claudius. The Ghost re-appears to Hamlet
(although not to Gertrude), and reminds his son of the vow to treat Gertrude
with pity. Hamlet urges his mother to confess her part in Old Hamlet's
death and leaves carrying the body of Polonius with him.
Act IV
Scenes i-ii: Gertrude tells Claudius about
the death of Polonius, and the King directs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
to recover the counselor's corpse. The two students confront Hamlet, who
mocks them, refuses to tell them where the body is hidden, but then agrees
to see the King.
Scene iii: At court, Claudius tells his noblemen
that Hamlet has become a threat to the kingdom, yet he fears to act directly
against him because of the Prince's popularity.
Instead, Claudius tells his liegemen that he will
exile Hamlet to England. Now in custody, Hamlet is informed of his "mission"
to England. When all save Claudius have left the stage, Claudius confides
that he is sending sealed letters to the King of England, asking that monarch
to kill Hamlet.
Scenes iv: On a field in Denmark, Hamlet and
his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, come across a captain from an
army led by the Norwegian prince Fortinbras. They learn that this armed
force is on its way to war with Poland over a small plot of land. Hamlet
derides himself for being unable to kill Claudius while the men of Fortinbras's
army die for a far less justifiable cause.
Scene v: Gertrude is informed that Ophelia
has gone insane. Ophelia enters and her behavior attests to this news,
as she sings a morbid, distracted song about a dead lover. A messenger
arrives and tells the King and Queen that Laertes, angered at news of his
father's death, has returned from France and is now at the castle gates
with a large army, demanding an explanation of Polonius's death. Claudius
enlists the irate Laertes in a plot to kill Hamlet.
Scene vi-vii: Horatio receives a letter from
Hamlet which tells of the Prince's being captured by pirates who have agreed
to release him while Rosencrantz and Guildenstern continue on to England.
Claudius and Laertes conspire to kill Hamlet during a "sporting" duel using
a sharpened and poisoned fencing sword. The King puts forth a back-up plan
to offer Hamlet a poisoned glass of wine during this context. Word comes
that the troubled Ophelia has committed suicide.
Act V
Scene i: The action takes place in a graveyard
as preparations are made to give Ophelia a Christian burial even though
she has committed the sin of suicide. Hamlet meditates upon the subject
of human mortality, some of his thoughts coming as he holds the skull of
the dead court jester, Yorick, in his hand. Laertes and a funeral procession
arrive with Ophelia's corpse. Hamlet and Laertes grapple with each other,
literally falling into the grave.
Scene ii: In the play's concluding scene, Hamlet
tells Horatio that he has altered the King's sealed document so that it
asks for the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Through the foppish
character Osric, Hamlet is challenged to a duel with Laertes. Hamlet suspects
foul play, but expresses his resolve to take part in the contest even if
it means his own death. In a rapid series of events, Hamlet is mortally
wounded, as is Laertes, Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup, and a dying
Hamlet first wounds Claudius and then forces him to drink from the same
lethal cup. Hamlet and Laertes forgive each other, and Hamlet then names
Fortinbras as his successor to the throne after dissuading Horatio from
joining him in death. Fortinbras arrives and orders a hero's funeral for
Hamlet.
Act I.
Shakespeare's longest play and the play responsible
for the immortal lines "To be or not to be: that is the question:" and
the advise "to thine own self be true," begins in Denmark with the news
that King Hamlet of Denmark has recently died.
Denmark is now in a state of high alert and preparing
for possible war with Young Fortinbras of Norway. A ghost resembling the
late King Hamlet is spotted on a platform before Elsinore Castle in Denmark.
King Claudius, who now rules Denmark, has taken King Hamlet's wife, Queen
Gertrude as his new wife and Queen of Denmark.
King Claudius fearing Young Fortinbras of Norway may
invade, has sent ambassadors to Norway to urge the King of Norway to restrain
Young Fortinbras. Young Hamlet distrusts King Claudius. The King and Queen
do not understand why Hamlet still mourns his father's death over two months
ago. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet explains that he does not like his
mother marrying the next King of Denmark so quickly within a month of his
father's death...
Laertes, the son of Lord Chamberlain Polonius, gives
his sister Ophelia some brotherly advice. He warns Ophelia not to fall
in love with Young Hamlet; she will only be hurt. Polonius tells his daughter
Ophelia not to return Hamlet's affections for her since he fears Hamlet
is only using her...
Hamlet meets the Ghost of his father, King Hamlet
and follows it to learn more...
Hamlet learns from King Hamlet's Ghost that he was
poisoned by King Claudius, the current ruler of Denmark. The Ghost tells
Hamlet to avenge his death but not to punish Queen Gertrude for remarrying;
it is not Hamlet's place and her conscience and heaven will judge her...
Hamlet swears Horatio and Marcellus to silence over Hamlet meeting the
Ghost.
Act II
Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on his son Laertes
in Paris. Polonius learns from his daughter Ophelia that a badly dressed
Hamlet met her, studied her face and promptly left. Polonius believes that
Hamlet's odd behavior is because Ophelia has rejected him. Polonius decides
to tell King Claudius the reason for Hamlet's recently odd behavior.
King Claudius instructs courtiers Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to find out what is causing Hamlet's strange "transformation,"
or change of character. Queen Gertrude reveals that only King Hamlet's
death and her recent remarriage could be upsetting Hamlet.
We learn more of Young Fortinbras' movements and Polonius
has his own theory about Hamlet's transformation; it is caused by Hamlet's
love for his daughter Ophelia. Hamlet makes his famous speech about the
greatness of man. Hamlet plans to use a play to test if King Claudius really
did kill his father as King Hamlet's Ghost told him...
Act III
The King's spies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report
to King Claudius on Hamlet's behavior. Hamlet is eager for King Claudius
and Queen Gertrude to watch a play tonight which Hamlet has added lines
to.
King Claudius and Polonius listen in on Hamlet's and
Ophelia's private conversation. Hamlet suspects Ophelia is spying on him
and is increasingly hostile to her before leaving.
King Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England, fearing
danger in Hamlet since he no longer believes Hamlet is merely lovesick.
The King agrees to Polonius' plan to eavesdrop on Hamlet's conversation
with his mother after the play to hopefully learn more from Hamlet. The
play Hamlet had added lines to is performed. The mime preceding the play
which mimics the Ghost's description of King Hamlet's death goes unnoticed.
The main play called "The Murder of Gonzago" is performed,
causing King Claudius to react in a way which convinces Hamlet that his
uncle did indeed poison his father King Hamlet as the Ghost previously
had told him... Hamlet pretends not to know that the play has offended
King Claudius. Hamlet agrees to speak with his mother in private...
King Claudius admits his growing fear of Hamlet and
decides to send him overseas to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
in order to protect himself. Alone, King Claudius reveals in soliloquy
his own knowledge of the crime he has committed (poisoning King Hamlet)
and realizes that he cannot escape divine justice...
Queen Gertrude attempts to scold her son but Hamlet
instead scolds his mother for her actions. Queen Gertrude cries out in
fear, and Polonius echoes it and is stabbed through the arras (subdivision
of a room created by a hanging tapestry) where he was listening in. Hamlet
continues scolding his mother but the Ghost reappears, telling Hamlet to
be gentle with the Queen. For her part, Queen Gertrude agrees to stop living
with King Claudius, beginning her redemption....
Act IV
King Claudius speaks with his wife, Queen Gertrude.
He learns of Polonius' murder which shocks him; it could easily have been
him. Queen Gertrude lies for her son, saying that Hamlet is as mad as a
tempestuous sea. King Claudius, now scared of Hamlet, decides to have Hamlet
sent away to England immediately... He also sends courtiers and spies Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern to speak with Hamlet to find out where Hamlet has hidden
Polonius' body so they can take it to the chapel.
Hamlet refuses to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
where Polonius' dead body is hidden. He calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
lapdogs revealing his true awareness that they are not his friends. Hamlet
agrees to see King Claudius.
Hamlet continues to refuse to tell Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern where Polonius' body is. Hamlet is brought before the King.
The two exchange words, clearly circling each other, each aware that the
other is a threat. Hamlet tells King Claudius where Polonius body is. King
Claudius ominously tells Hamlet to leave for England supposedly for Hamlet's
own safety. With Hamlet gone, King Claudius reveals his plans for Hamlet
to be killed in England, freeing King Claudius from further worry from
this threat...
Young Fortinbras marches his army across Denmark to
fight the Polish. Hamlet laments that he does not have in him the strength
of Young Fortinbras, who will lead an army into pointless fighting, if
only to maintain honor. Hamlet asks himself how he cannot fight for honor
when his father has been killed and his mother made a whore in his eyes
by becoming King Claudius' wife.
The death of Polonius leaves its mark on Ophelia who
becomes mad from the grief of losing her father. Laertes storms King Claudius'
castle, demanding to see his father and wanting justice when he learns
that his father, Polonius has been killed. King Claudius remains calm,
telling Laertes that he too mourned his father's loss...
Horatio is greeted by sailors who have news from Hamlet.
Horatio follows the sailors to learn more... King Claudius explains to
Laertes that Hamlet killed his father, Polonius. Deciding they have a common
enemy, they plot Hamlet's death at a fencing match to be arranged between
Laertes and Hamlet. Laertes learns of his sister Ophelia's death by drowning...
Act V
Hamlet and Horatio speak with a cheerful Clown or gravedigger. Hamlet famously realizes that man's accomplishments are
Hamlet explains to Horatio how he avoided the death
planned for him in England and had courtiers' Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
put to death instead. Hamlet reveals his desire to kill King Claudius.
Summoned by Osric to fence against Laertes, Hamlet
arrives at a hall in the castle and fights Laertes. Queen Gertrude drinks
a poisoned cup meant for Hamlet, dying but not before telling all that
she has been poisoned.
Hamlet wins the first two rounds against Laertes but
is stabbed and poisoned fatally in the third round. Exchanging swords whilst
fighting, Hamlet wounds and poisons Laertes who explains that his sword
is poison tipped.
Now dying, Hamlet stabs King Claudius with this same
sword, killing him.
Hamlet, dying, tells Horatio to tell his story and not to commit suicide. Hamlet recommends Young Fortinbras as the next King of Denmark. Young Fortinbras arrives, cleaning up the massacre. Horatio promises to tell all the story we have just witnessed, ending the play.