Lines 118-168: The ghost reappears and, as Horatio attempts to make it speak, a cock crows. Horatio instructs Marcellus to "Stop it" and Marcellus strikes at the ghost, which leaves again. Horatio suggests that they tell Prince Hamlet what they have seen, as, if it really is the ghost of his father, it will speak to him.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Lines 1-128: King Claudius (whose name is never mentioned in the dialogue) makes a speech to court, expressing his grief at the death of his brother and announcing that he has married his brother's widow, Queen Gertrude: "With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole," again suggesting balance between opposites. The speech is formal and ceremonious, as Claudius emphasizes his new role as king, but it seems awkward as well: it is difficult to reconcile his apparent grief with his happiness at his marriage. Claudius also announces that Fortinbras is demanding the "surrender" of the captured Norwegian lands, and he sends two ambassadors to inform the king of Norway, Fortinbras' elderly uncle, of his nephew's actions. Laertes asks for permission to return to his studies in France now that he has shown his duty in attending Claudius' coronation. Claudius agrees, provided Laertes has Polonius' permission, which is given. Three sets of fatherson relationships have now been established, emphasizing the importance of this particular family dynamic to the play. Claudius turns to Hamlet, addressing him as "my son," and asks him why "the clouds still hang" on him, to which Hamlet replies that he is "too much i'th'sun." This pun on "son/sun" establishes the wordplay that is a key feature of this play, particularly in Hamlet's speeches. Language/words are focused on and explored throughout in terms of the complexities of "meaning," and also as an opposition to action. Gertrude asks Hamlet to stop wearing mourning for his father, but Hamlet responds that his grief goes much deeper than "the trappings and the suits of woe," reinforcing the theme of appearance and reality and the motif of clothing. He argues that there is a difference between what is "within" and external appearances, which are something a "man might play," an expression that raises the theme of performance/theater. Claudius accuses Hamlet of "impious stubbornness," and calls his grief "unmanly," one of several reflections on gender. In a more conciliatory tone, he asks Hamlet to think of him as a father, and says that he would prefer him to remain in court rather than returning to university in Wittenberg. Gertrude adds her "prayers" that Hamlet will remain, and he agrees.
Lines 129-271: Alone, Hamlet embarks on the first of the many soliloquies that reveal his introspective nature. He wishes that he could die and that his "too solid flesh would melt," emphasizing the opposing elements of physical and spiritual as he also regrets that suicide is a sin against God. He contemplates the "stale" nature of the world, comparing it to an "unweeded garden" filled with "things rank and gross in nature," establishing the recurring motif of decay/infection. He reveals his disgust at his mother's remarriage and the "wicked speed" with which she moved between "incestuous sheets." He recalls how much she appeared to love his father, blaming her behavior on the fickle nature of her sex: "frailty, thy name is woman!" Horatio, Barnardo and Marcellus arrive. Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing his father's ghost. Hamlet resolves to watch that night and to try to speak to it. After they leave, he contemplates what the appearance of the "armed" ghost means, suspecting "some foul play."
ACT 1 SCENE 3
Laertes says goodbye to his sister, Ophelia. He warns her against "Hamlet and the trifling of his favours," saying that, while Hamlet may love her now, their difference of rank is too great for him to marry Ophelia and so she must not open her "chaste treasure" to him. Ophelia says that she will do as he asks, but reminds him that he must not preach virtue to her and then behave immorally himself. Polonius arrives and urges his son to board the ship, which is ready to sail. He kindly, but pompously, gives Laertes a great deal of advice and bids him farewell. Laertes urges Ophelia to remember what he has said and leaves. Polonius asks Ophelia what Laertes meant and, hearing that it concerns Hamlet, repeats Laertes' advice in harsher, more realistic terms. He forbids Ophelia to "give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet," and Ophelia obeys with a readiness that demonstrates her father's authority over her.
ACT 1 SCENE 4
Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus wait for the ghost as sounds of revelry from the court are heard in the background. The Ghost appears and Hamlet declares his intention to speak to it, whether it is "a spirit of health or goblin damned," raising the possibility that the Ghost is a malevolent force and reminding us that appearances are subjective. The Ghost beckons and Hamlet follows, despite Horatio and Marcellus' attempts to stop him.
ACT 1 SCENE 5
Lines 1-118: The Ghost tells Hamlet that he is his father's spirit, "Doomed for a certain time to walk the night," and asks Hamlet to revenge his murder. The ghostly request for revenge is a key element of the "revenge tragedy," a genre that is acknowledged throughout the play, but also consciously explored and challenged. Hamlet begs to hear more, so that he may "sweep" to his revenge. The Ghost explains that Hamlet's father was not, as everyone believes, killed by a snake's bite. He tells Hamlet that Claudius first seduced the "seeming virtuous queen," Gertrude, and then killed him by pouring poison in his ear as he slept (a literal representation of the rumor and plotting in the play). He urges Hamlet to kill Claudius, but says that he must spare Gertrude, who will be punished by her own guilt: "the thorns that in her bosom lodge." Morning approaches and the ghost leaves, urging Hamlet to remember him. Alone, Hamlet swears that he will remember nothing else.
Lines 119-207: Horatio and Marcellus find Hamlet and question him, but he reveals nothing except that "There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark But he's an arrant knave," a statement that is both true and meaningless, showing the ambiguity of language and Hamlet's control over it. Hamlet asks his companions to swear on his sword that they will never reveal what they have seen that night. The voice of the Ghost repeats "swear," and Horatio and Marcellus do so. Hamlet's disjointed speech reveals his state of mind as he thinks about what he has heard. Establishing the theme of sanitymadness, he hints that he may in the future pretend to be mad: "put an antic disposition on," and asks them not to reveal what they know, whatever happens.
ACT 2 SCENE 1
Polonius sends Reynaldo to Paris with messages and money for his son, but tells him that first he is to spy on Laertes and spread rumors about him to the effect that he is "very wild." Ironically, he explains the purpose behind these lies is to discover the truth about Laertes' behavior. He shows Reynaldo how to subtly generate rumors, demonstrating the potential distance between words and truth. The conversation reveals tensions in the characterization of Polonius: his instructions to Reynaldo show cunning, but the reason for them seems nonsensical and foolish. The latter aspect to his character is emphasized by his long-windedness and temporary forgetfulness mid-speech, requiring Reynaldo to "prompt" him in a moment that becomes almost metatheatrical. Reynaldo leaves and Ophelia enters, telling Polonius that she has been "affrighted" by Hamlet, who appeared in her chamber half-dressed and looking "As if he had been loosed out of hell." She reports that Hamlet did not speak, but just held her arm and stared at her face. Polonius decides that Hamlet has gone mad with love for Ophelia and goes to tell Claudius.
ACT 2 SCENE 2
Lines 1-89: Claudius greets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former schoolfellows of Hamlet. He explains that he is worried about Hamlet and suggests that they might spend time with him and find out whether there is anything "unknown" afflicting him. Although Claudius presents this as kindly concern, revealing his capacity as an "actor," we are reminded of Polonius' attempts to spy on Laertes. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern agree to help, and are taken to find Hamlet. Polonius brings the news that the ambassadors have arrived back from Norway and adds that he has found the "very cause of Hamlet's lunacy." He insists that Claudius sees the ambassadors first, however, and goes to fetch them. The ambassadors report that the king of Norway believed Fortinbras was preparing for w
ar on Poland, but found out that it was really against Denmark. He ordered Fortinbras to cease plotting against Denmark and genuinely prepare to fight Poland. The king of Norway sends a request that Claudius will grant him "quiet pass" through his lands, and Claudius promises to consider it.
Lines 90-227: Despite declaring that he will be brief, Polonius embarks on a lengthy and rambling explanation of Hamlet's madness that demonstrates his obsequious attitude to the king and queen. He reads out a love letter from Hamlet to Ophelia and explains that he instructed Ophelia not to encourage Hamlet because of the difference in their status. He explains that Hamlet's madness stems from being "repulsed" by Ophelia. Claudius and Gertrude ask Polonius if he is certain and he offers to prove it, suggesting a plan: he will "loose" Ophelia to Hamlet, and then hide behind an arras with Claudius to watch the encounter. His choice of vocabulary reduces Ophelia to the level of an animal, demonstrating her powerlessness and her status as one her father's possessions. Claudius agrees to the plan and, as Hamlet enters, he and Gertrude leave. Polonius greets Hamlet, who appears not to recognize him. Hamlet's disjointed and nonsensical speech suggests madness, but many of his remarks contain implicit comments/criticisms on Polonius' character. This uncertainty as to the extent and veracity of Hamlet's madness has been the subject of much debate in the play's critical history, as the audience remains uncertain as to whether he is really mad or merely acting, or, perhaps, there is a genuine disturbance due to his father's death that he is exaggerating for his own purposes. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive and Polonius leaves.
Lines 228-372: Hamlet seems pleased to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but asks them why they have come to the "prison" of Denmark. They cheerfully claim that they have come solely to see Hamlet, but he tells them that he knows that Claudius and Gertrude sent for them. Our perception of Hamlet's sanity is further confused during this exchange, as his manner toward Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is introspective and melancholy, but shows nothing of the "madness" he portrayed to Polonius. Rosencrantz tells him that they have engaged a group of "Players," "the tragedians of the city," that Hamlet has previously enjoyed watching. The presence of the Players further develops the theme of theater/performance and the conversation about them establishes a metatheatrical commentary on the conventions of genre, as Hamlet lists various recognizable "roles" (the "adventurous knight," the "lover" and the "clown," for example). A flourish announces the arrival of the Players and Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that they are "welcome to Elsinore," adding that his "uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived" about his madness, a description that emphasizes the "incestuous" nature of Claudius and Gertrude's relationship, and the uncomfortably close nature of various family dynamics in the play.
Lines 373-533: Polonius returns, and Hamlet switches back to a more disjointed pattern of speech. He breaks off to welcome the Players and asks one man to recite a speech about the fall of Troy, which he begins and which is then taken up by the player, emphasizing Hamlet's potential role as an "actor." Pleased with the recital, Hamlet asks Polonius to "see the players well bestowed" and asks for a performance of The Murder of Gonzago the next day, adding that he has written "some dozen or sixteen lines" that he would like them to add.
Lines 534-591: Hamlet's soliloquy reveals his anguish at his own inaction, a factor that conflicts with his potential role of revenge-hero and one of the ways in which the play challenges expectations of genre. He comments that the player who gave the speech was able to summon emotion for a character in a play, whereas he himself is a "dull and muddy-mettled rascal" who remains unmotivated by a genuine "cue for passion." The tensions between actions and words are explored again, as Hamlet comments that, despite being "Prompted to [his] revenge by heaven and hell," all he does is "unpack" his heart "with words." He outlines his plan to establish Claudius' guilt: the players will act out "something like" the death of his father, while he watches Claudius' reaction. This will give him proof that Claudius really did commit the murder and allay his concern that the spirit might have been "the devil," working to damn him, rather than the genuine ghost of his father.
ACT 3 SCENE 1
Lines 1-61: Claudius questions Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They report that they cannot find out what is troubling Hamlet, who has evaded their questions "with a crafty madness." The king tells them to encourage Hamlet's interest in the players and they leave. Claudius asks Gertrude to leave, so that he and Polonius may secretly observe the arranged meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet. Polonius "directs" Ophelia in how she is to act, drawing attention once more to theater/performance and appearance/reality as he comments on how a "pious action" can "sugar o'er / The devil himself." This prompts an aside about his "conscience" from Claudius, the first implicit acknowledgment of his guilt that he has made. Hearing Hamlet approach, they withdraw, forming a dual audience to the action, further revealing the play's self-conscious theatricality.
Lines 62-166: Hamlet appears to be contemplating suicide as he asks himself: "To be, or not to be," although the question can be considered in a more abstract way than just Hamlet's choice over whether to live or die, and can potentially transcend the action of the play as a philosophical argument. It returns us to the concept of "balance," between flesh/spirit and action/inaction, as Hamlet is torn between a passive acceptance of life's events, "to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," and definitive resistance to them: "to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them." Hamlet breaks off as he sees Ophelia, who tries to return some love-tokens that he has previously given her. Hamlet's disjointed responses become a wild verbal attack on Ophelia that further complicates our understanding of his mental state, seeming too extreme to be merely acting. It is also difficult to distinguish whether Hamlet's outburst is personal and related directly to his feelings for Ophelia, or an attack on all women and their sexuality, possibly generated by his disgust at his mother's relationship with his uncle. He repeatedly tells Ophelia to go "to a nunnery," and then leaves abruptly. Ophelia laments the loss of Hamlet's "sovereign reason."
Lines 167-194: Claudius and Polonius discuss what they have overheard. Claudius is not convinced that Hamlet's madness is the result of love, nor, indeed, that Hamlet is actually mad. He says that there is something in Hamlet's soul "O'er which his melancholy sits on brood" and that he is worried that the "hatch and the disclose" of this thing will be "some danger" (although he does not acknowledge aloud the fear that the danger will be to himself). He resolves to send Hamlet to England, claiming that the change might "expel" the "something-settled matter" from his heart. Polonius agrees, but still insists that Hamlet's problem is "neglected love." He suggests a further test of this: Queen Gertrude will speak "all alone" to her son, and "entreat him / To show his griefs," while Polonius will conceal himself again and listen to the exchange.
ACT 3 SCENE 2
The performance of the play-within-the-play makes the theme of theater/performance explicit and focuses attention on the nature of "reality." The presence of a dual audience also emphasizes the theme of sight/perception, as we watch the characters watching a play, and, more specifically, Hamlet secretly observing Claudius (neatly reversing their roles of observed/observer from the previous scene).
Lines 1-129: Hamlet directs the players as to how he wants them to deliver the lines he has written, urging them to "suit the action to the word, the word to the action"--an ironic instruction given the apparent disparity between words and actions in the wider play. The players go to prepare and Hamlet sends Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to "hasten" them. Horatio arrives and Hamlet excitedly explains his plan and tells him to watch Claudius. Horatio agrees, and the king and queen enter in a formal procession with other members of the court, accompanied by guards and torchbearers. This ceremony emphasizes the public setting for this scene, which contrasts with the concealed secrets, emotions and intentions of the various characters. Hamlet continues to disconcert everyone with his changeable speech,
including some bawdy wordplay directed at Ophelia that emphasizes his fixation with women in terms of their sexuality. Music sounds, and the dumb show begins.
Lines 130-256: The dumb show establishes the plot of the play-within-the-play, and the events surrounding the death of Hamlet's father in the wider play. This paralleling of storylines creates metatheatrical awareness, emphasized by Ophelia's comment, "Belike this show imports the argument of the play." The full performance begins, with asides from Hamlet as he comments on and explains the action for the others. Ophelia says that he makes a "good chorus," emphasizing his capacity as an "actor" but also highlighting that, despite this, he is often slightly distanced from the action, observing and commenting rather than participating. Hamlet responds to Ophelia with his usual harsh, deliberately sexual, wordplay. As we reach the point in the play-within-the-play where "Lucianus" kills "Gonzago" by pouring poison in his ear, Claudius rushes out, calling for light and throwing the court into confusion.
Lines 257-379: Hamlet and Horatio discuss Claudius' behavior and Horatio's more measured response contrasts with Hamlet's wild exclamations of conviction as to his uncle's guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to report that the king is "marvellous distempered" and that they have been sent by Gertrude to fetch Hamlet. Despite their attempts to make Hamlet respond in a more reasoned way and put his "discourse into some frame," he continues to disconcert them with his unpredictable speech and behavior. He accuses them of trying to "play" him as they might play a musical instrument. Polonius interrupts and tells Hamlet to go to his mother. When he is left alone, Hamlet prepares himself to see Gertrude, declaring that he will be "cruel," but "not unnatural" and that although he will "speak daggers" he will "use none."
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