The Essentials of Hamlet

The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark

Distillation Curve asDramatic Flow

John Hipsley: 3/23/2013

GERTRUDE• Queen• Mother of Hamlet• Remarried her step-brother one

month after her husband dies• Unknown whether she was

responsible for Old Hamlet’s death

CLAUDIUS• Uncle to Hamlet• Now his step-father• Married Gertrude the Queens

and his sister-in-law• Killed Old King Hamlet his

brother

Family Relationship of Characters

POLONIUS• Father to Laertes & Ophelia• Assistant to Claudius• Does not trust Hamlet

LAERTES• Son of Polonius• Brother to

Ophelia• Does not trust

or like Hamlet

OPHELIA• Daughter of Polonius• Sister to Laertes• In love with Hamlet

Horatio• Supports Prince Hamlet

in his quest

P Father of O

P Father of L

Siblings

H Son of GG Mother of H

H Step son & Nephew C Uncle & Step father

Hamlet & Horatio are Friend s

C&G Married

HAMLET• Prince of Denmark• Son of Gertrude• Nephew to Claudius• Boyfriend to Ophelia• Swears revenge against

Claudius and Gertrude

Old KING HAMLET’S GHOST• Returned to Castle Elsinore to

tell Hamlet that Claudius is his murderer

CLAUDIUS• King of Denmark• Marries his sister-in-law• Ascends to throne after

death of King Hamlet

GERTRUDE• Queen• Widow of the late King

and wife of Claudius

POLONIUS• Claudius’ Lord

Chamberlain

LAERTES• Returns from France to

avenge Polonius’ death• Conspires with

Claudius to kill Hamlet

HAMLET• Prince of Denmark• Seeks to avenge his

father’s death

Horatio• Supports Prince

Hamlet in his quest

ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN• Hamlet’s school friends brought

to Denmark to spy on Hamlet

OPHELIA• Polonius’ daughter• Goes made after Hamlet

mistreats and murders her father

Tragic Relationship of Characters

C Murders H Sr. (Pours poison in his ear)

H Murders P(by mistake)

H causes O. To Suicide

H Arranges Death of R&G

friends

Mothers

L Avenges O &

P

C&L Plot to Kill H

L Kills H(Poison Sword)

C Murders H (Poison Cup)

H. Kills C.(same duel) +

Poison Cup

“Ghost” was father to H.

H Kills L (Same Duel)

C Kills G.(inadvertently)

Poison Cup

C Marries G

Before the PlayHusband & Wife

ACT 2:RISING ACTION• Hamlet tries to discover

truth of ghost's accusations

ACT 3:CLIMAX• Hamlet springs trap• Catches proof of

Claudius’ guilt

ACT 4:FALLING ACTION:• Moves to have

Hamlet killed

ACT 5Denouement• Everyone’s vengeances

is consummated• Bloody end• Only Horatio left to

tell the tale

ACT I:EXPOSITION• Something rotten in

state of Denmark• Ghost appears and

calls for vengeance

ACT 3- CLIMAX• Hamlet discovers that Claudius is

guilty with the play (main plot),• But kills Polonius by Mistake in

the Closet Scene

Distillation Curve – Arc of Tragedy

ACT 2- RISING ACTION• Will Hamlet take

revenge?• Will he act?

ACT 4- FALLING ACTION• Claudius, not Hamlet, takes

control of the events• Counterplot of Claudius and

Laertes

The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark

ACT 2:RISING ACTION• Hamlet: “I smell a rat

behind the hangings”• He mistakenly kills

Polonius instead of Claudius

• (3:iv)

ACT 3:CLIMAX• Hamlet: “The play's

the thing,” he declares, “wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king” (2:ii;581–582).

ACT 4:FALLING ACTION:• Laertes to Claudius:

“And, for that purpose, I'll anoint my sword” (4:6;140)

ACT 5:Denouement• Horatio to Hamlet:

dying “Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! “(5:2)

ACT I:EXPOSITION• Marcellus to

Horatio: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. (1.4.90)

ACT 3- CLIMAXPlay within a Play“The Mousetrap

Scene”

Picturing the Visual Essentials

ACT 2

Hamlet seeks evidence of Claudius’ treachery

On the battlement of Elsinore Castle

The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark

ACT 4- FALLING ACTION• Laertes plots with Claudius

to kill Hamlet in a duel with his sword dipped in an “unction” (poison)

Quotation for Reflection

Polonius’ advice to his son Laertes:

Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,

grapple them to thy soul With hoops of steel.

Act 1 : iii ; 62