Hamlet Summary
Personages:
- Hamlet: Son of Hamlet the Old and Gertrude, he is the prince of Denmark. He is
obsessed with the thought of killing his uncle, after the ghost of his father appears to
him. He kills Polonius first, he is however in love with his daughter Ophelia. Hamlet
dies in the end, after a sword battle with Laertes.
- Gertrude: The mother of Hamlet, the ex-wife of Hamlet the Old and the current wife
of Claudius. She gets killed by poisoned wine, that was meant for Hamlet.
- Claudius: The uncle of Hamlet and the husband of Gertrude. He killed his own
brother, Hamlet the Old, to get to the throne of Denmark. He gets killed by Hamlet in
the end.
- Polonius: He is the advisor of Claudius and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He gets
killed by Hamlet.
- Ophelia: Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and in love with Hamlet. She drowns
in the water after she ‘fell’ out of a tree. However, some speculate that she had killed
herself.
- Laertes: Son of Polonius, brother of Ophelia. He studies in France, but return to
Denmark to kill Hamlet, because Hamlet had killed his father.
- Horatio: A good friend of Hamlet. He is the only one who can tell this story, because
he is the only main character that stays alive in the end.
- Guildenstern & Rosencrantz: Old friends of Hamlet, they were sent by Claudius to
keep an eye on him.
- Fortinbras: The prince of Norway. His father, also named Fortinbras, was killed by
Hamlet the Old.
- Bernardo, Francisco, Marcellus: They are guards at the castle in Denmark.
Details
- William Shakespeare
- 1600 – 1602, therefore Renaissance Period
- Scandinavian legend of Hamlet of Amleth (13th century)
- Revenge tragedy
- Protagonist: Hamlet (round-character), Antagonist: Claudius (flat-character),
Confidant: Horatio,
- Foreshadowing: Claudius talks about wanting to kill Hamlet, Hamlet talks about
wanting to kill Claudius
- Frame narration, written in the first person, sometimes monologues
- Theme: Justice, revenge, right and wrong, motif: poison, death, power
- Setting: Castle in Denmark
Personages:
- Hamlet: Son of Hamlet the Old and Gertrude, he is the prince of Denmark. He is
obsessed with the thought of killing his uncle, after the ghost of his father appears to
him. He kills Polonius first, he is however in love with his daughter Ophelia. Hamlet
dies in the end, after a sword battle with Laertes.
- Gertrude: The mother of Hamlet, the ex-wife of Hamlet the Old and the current wife
of Claudius. She gets killed by poisoned wine, that was meant for Hamlet.
- Claudius: The uncle of Hamlet and the husband of Gertrude. He killed his own
brother, Hamlet the Old, to get to the throne of Denmark. He gets killed by Hamlet in
the end.
- Polonius: He is the advisor of Claudius and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He gets
killed by Hamlet.
- Ophelia: Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and in love with Hamlet. She drowns
in the water after she ‘fell’ out of a tree. However, some speculate that she had killed
herself.
- Laertes: Son of Polonius, brother of Ophelia. He studies in France, but return to
Denmark to kill Hamlet, because Hamlet had killed his father.
- Horatio: A good friend of Hamlet. He is the only one who can tell this story, because
he is the only main character that stays alive in the end.
- Guildenstern & Rosencrantz: Old friends of Hamlet, they were sent by Claudius to
keep an eye on him.
- Fortinbras: The prince of Norway. His father, also named Fortinbras, was killed by
Hamlet the Old.
- Bernardo, Francisco, Marcellus: They are guards at the castle in Denmark.
Details
- William Shakespeare
- 1600 – 1602, therefore Renaissance Period
- Scandinavian legend of Hamlet of Amleth (13th century)
- Revenge tragedy
- Protagonist: Hamlet (round-character), Antagonist: Claudius (flat-character),
Confidant: Horatio,
- Foreshadowing: Claudius talks about wanting to kill Hamlet, Hamlet talks about
wanting to kill Claudius
- Frame narration, written in the first person, sometimes monologues
- Theme: Justice, revenge, right and wrong, motif: poison, death, power
- Setting: Castle in Denmark
