Work: Hamlet
Author: Willy Shakespeare (late 19th century/early 20th)
Characters: Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Horatio, Ophelia, Polonius, Laertes, Fortinbras
Setting: Denmark (middle ages ish), Elsinore and surrounding area
Plot: Old King Hamlet and Old Fortinbras, in a duel to the death, wagered their respective countries. Hamlet won, killing Fortinbras and winning Norway. Old Hamlet is dead when the play opens and his brother Claudius has assumed the throne and his wife. Hamlet is told by a ghost claiming to be Old Hamlet that he was poisoned by Claudius and Hamlet must seek revenge. Hamlet is in a relationship with Ophelia, which Ophelia’s father Polonius tries to diffuse and hide out of fear of political fallout. Hamlet is depressed after his father’s death and acts/pretends to act insane, which Polonius Gertrude and Claudius believe to be madness for Ophelia. Hamlet puts on a play with events similar to those that the ghost described to him, in order to gauge Claudius’ reaction and determine his guilt. Claudius is deeply startled by the play, confirming his guilt in Hamlets mind. Hamlet rejects Ophelia which causes her to kill herself in grief. Claudius realizes Hamlets intentions and attempts to have him killed, first by sending Hamlet to England where he would be killed, and then in a fencing match with Laertes, who fights with a real sword that has been poisoned instead of a not poisoned dull sword. Through a series of unfortunate events, Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude all die and Fortinbras becomes king of Denmark and Norway.
Analysis: Hamlet is a play about the dangers of revenge and obsession.
Theme: Actions of violent passion, un tempered by thought or reason, lead to equally violent ends.
Quote: : “To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether tis more noble in the mind to suffer the 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”
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”
It's interesting that you started the plot with Old Hamlet and Old Fortinbras' duel. While that did happen chronologically, perhaps for the summary it's best to start where the play opened so as not to lose any of the playwright's meaning.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Hamlet's insanity isn't a result of depression, but an attempt to keep Claudius in the dark about his awareness of his father's murder.
Come on Nico, Hamlet begs a bit more analysis than one sentence.
Nice theme-- explain though.
You probably could use a few more quotes. Explanations would also be useful.