Summary
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.
