Web viewHamlet’s sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet’s behavior,

Hamletby William Shakespeare

Hamlet Scenes and Characters

Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 1

Elsinore. A platform before the castle.

(Barnardo; Francisco; Horatio; Marcellus; Ghost)


Elsinore. A room of state in the castle.

(Claudius; Gertrude; Polonius; Laertes; Hamlet;

Voltemand; Cornelius; Horatio; Marcellus; Barnardo)


Elsinore. A room in Polonius’ house.

(Laertes; Ophelia; Polonius)


Elsinore. A platform before Elsinore castle.

(Hamlet; Horatio; Marcellus; Ghost)


Elsinore. Another part of the platform before Elsinore

castle.

(Ghost; Hamlet; Horatio; Marcellus)


Elsinore. A room in Polonius’ house.

(Polonius; Reynaldo; Ophelia)


Elsinore. A room in Elsinore castle.

(King; Queen; Hamlet; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern;

Polonius; Voltemand; Cornelius; Attendants; First

Player (Player King); Player Queen; Player Prologue;

Player Lucianus)



(King; Queen; Polonius; Ophelia; Rosencrantz;

Guildenstern; Lords; Hamlet)


Elsinore. A hall in Elsinore castle.

(Hamlet; Polonius; Guildenstern; Rosencrantz;

Horatio; King; Queen; Polonius; Ophelia;

Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; Lords; Guard; First Player

(Player King); Player Queen; Prologue; Lucianus)



(King; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; Polonius; Hamlet)


Elsinore. The Queen’s room in Elsinore castle.

(Queen Gertrude; Polonius; Hamlet; Ghost)



(King; Queen; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern)


Elsinore. Another room in Elsinore castle.

(Hamlet; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern)



(King; Attendants; Rosencrantz; Hamlet;

Guildenstern)


Near Elsinore. A plain in Denmark.

(Fortinbras; Captain; Hamlet; Rosencrantz;

Guildenstern)



(Horatio; Queen Gertrude; Gentleman; Ophelia; King;

Messenger; Laertes; Laertes’s Followers)



(Horatio; Gentleman; Sailors)



(King; Laertes; Messenger; Queen)


Elsinore. A churchyard.

(First Clown; Second Clown; Hamlet; Horatio; King;

Queen; Laertes; Doctor of Divinity; Lords;

Attendants)


Elsinore. A hall in Elsinore castle.

(Hamlet; Horatio; Osric; Lord; King; Queen; Laertes;

Fortinbras; English Ambassadors; Attendants)

Pre-Reading

Write out your answers on lined paper.

Hamlet Preparatory Questions

1. How common do you believe the act of revenge is in everyday life? Write about specific incidents, including any in your own life, in history, or in the news.

2. Characterize yourself as a "thinker" or a "doer." How would you like to be different, or would you like to be different?

3. To what extent do parents have the right to "spy" on or check up on their children? 4. King Claudius states "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." (III, i) How is this true in

any age? What evidence can you find in recent news stories to support this statement? How do societies keep checks and balances on their "great ones?"

Major Motifs

Revenge : Hamlet searches continuously for the answer to the question of whether or not he should avenge his father’s death. His concern with right and wrong in religious, moral, and political terms causes him much inner turmoil.

Appearance vs. Reality : The play contains many situations in which the surface appearance of things does not always match reality. Hamlet struggles to determine who his true friends are; the players in the acting troupe assume new identities; Claudius appears to be a true and just king and Gertrude his virtuous queen.

Sanity vs. Insanity : In many ways this conflict is intertwined with the theme of appearance vs. reality. Hamlet’s sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet’s behavior, sometimes assuming he is really insane, at other times amazed by his clarity of thought.

Decay and Corruption : Among the most powerful images of the play are those which reveal disintegrating situations, both in personal terms for Prince Hamlet, and in political terms for Denmark.

HamletAct I

King Hamlet

Claudius

Gertrude

Ophelia

Horatio

Relationships: How does Hamlet feel about the following characters?

Act IAnalyzing Drama

1. Describe the mood Shakespeare creates in the opening scene of Hamlet, when the ghost first appears. What specific words and actions create this mood?

2. Who is Polonius? What is his relationship to Claudius and to Hamlet? Explain his feelings about Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet and the reasons behind those feelings.

3. Based on Hamlet’s comments in Act I, what are his feelings toward his mother’s marriage? Why is Hamlet keeping these feelings to himself?

4. Do the events of Act I suggest that the ghost of Hamlet’s father is real or just a product of Hamlet’s imagination? Explain.

5. Based on Hamlet’s relationships with his mother, Claudius, and Horatio, does it seem he will be successful in carrying out his father’s spirit’s wishes? Why or why not?

6. Does Hamlet appear to be someone who is grieving or someone who is insane? Explain.

Act II

Plan Desired EffectPlotting: In this act, many characters develop secret plans to expose other characters’ motives and true feelings. Keep track of these plans and their desired effects.

Act II

Direct Quotes Explanation of Double MeaningsPuns: In scene ii, Hamlet says to Polonius, “You are a fishmonger.” Hamlet continues to ridicule Polonius, but much of what he says is hidden in double meanings or attributed to his “madness.” Search for details in Hamlet’s speech that have double meanings. Give three of these and explain.

Act IIAnalyzing Drama

1. Describe Hamlet’s behavior when he visits Ophelia in scene i. Do his actions provide evidence of insanity, or are they motivated by something else? Explain.

2. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Why have they been invited to the castle? What motives do they have for carrying out the king’s request?

3. Why is Hamlet bothered by the fact that one of the actors is able to read about the death of King Priam with such passion? How does Hamlet think he is different from the actor?

4. Is Hamlet’s hesitation in approaching his task of revenge a sign of cowardice, or is his thoughtfulness admirable and/or understandable? Explain.

5. How does the atmosphere of Act II compare to the atmosphere of Act I? Give specific examples.

Act III

The climax, or crisis, is the decisive moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the story is reversed to falling action. Thus, a climax is the point at which a conflict or crisis reaches its peak and calls for a resolution or denouement (conclusion).

In order to find the climax, one must identify the major conflict in the work; next, look for the point at which the protagonist is either going to “win” or “lose” in terms of the conflict. When does the reader know what the outcome of the conflict will be? This is the point of no return. The climax usually involves an important event, decision, or discovery that effects in a decisive way the final outcome of the story. Historically, in a five-act play, the climax tends to appear at the end of Act III.

Where the climax lies in this play has always been a subject of debate. Some possibilities include:

When Hamlet…

definitely knows Claudius is guilty stabs Polonius through the arras resolves to commit himself fully to violent revenge hesitates to kill Claudius while Claudius prays kills Claudius (Act V)

Which of these would you call the climax? Why?

Act IIIAnalyzing Drama

1. Do Claudius and Polonius have the same reason for spying on Hamlet and Ophelia? How are their goals similar? How are they different?

2. What do you think of Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia?

3. What do Hamlet and his mother discuss in her private chamber? What mixed feelings does Gertrude experience as she listens to her son?

4. Why is Hamlet able to kill Polonius so easily after he has been hesitant to act in other situations? What does this reveal about Hamlet’s state of mind?

5. In Act III, King Claudius reveals his guilt and shows he has a conscience. Should readers feel differently about Claudius after hearing him express remorse? Why or why not?

Act IVAnalyzing Drama

1. Images of corruption, disease, and death throughout the play help convey the theme that a corrupt leader corrupts his country as well. List three instances of this imagery in Act IV.

2. Who is Fortinbras, and why is he entering Denmark?

3. According to Hamlet, Fortinbras is an admirable man. How does the sight of Fortinbras and his troops change Hamlet’s attitude?

4. How does Laertes respond to tragedy in this act, and what do these responses reveal about him?

5. Compare and contrast Laertes with Hamlet.

6. Has Hamlet’s attitude toward his task of revenge changed in Act IV? Explain.

7. Describe Hamlet’s self-image. Re-read the soliloquy at the end of Act II, scene ii; then re-read the soliloquy at the end of Act IV, scene iv before you write!

8. Conflict: (Man vs. Man / Man vs. Self / Man vs. Society / Man vs. Nature). After finishing Act IV, try to list as many conflicts in the text as you can.

9. Tragic Flaw: (a character defect that leads to the tragic hero’s suffering and downfall). After finishing Act IV, try to identify Hamlet’s tragic flaw. Explain your reasoning.

Act VAnalyzing Drama

1. Why do both the gravediggers and the priest seem to scoff at Ophelia being given a Christian burial? Why is it that the church allowed the burial?

2. Who was Yorick, and what has become of him? What does Hamlet say about what became of Alexander and Caesar?

3. How does Hamlet seem to feel about Ophelia now that she is dead? How can readers interpret his change of attitude toward her?

4. What does Gertrude say as she bids Ophelia farewell? Is this surprising? What does it reveal about Gertrude’s character?

5. As Hamlet relates what he did to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and later, his feelings about killing Claudius, how has he seemingly moved away from his indecisiveness?

6. How well does Hamlet expect to do in the match? Why does he go ahead with it? How does this reflect the new attitude readers saw in Hamlet in Act V, scene i?

7. How does Laertes respond to Hamlet’s apology? How does his choosing of the swords help the audience realize he is being two-faced?

8. Why is it important that Horatio tell Hamlet’s story? What does he mean when he speaks of angels’ voices?

9. Why is it important Fortibras take over? Will he be a good king?

10. In Act I, Hamlet states, “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right.” Has he succeeded in setting things right? Why or why not?

Documents

Web viewHamlet’s sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet’s behavior,