HAML ET BY BROOKE EALES 9F

WHO IS HAMLET? Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. He is the main character in Shakespeare’s play; Hamlet. He is around 30 years old. Hamlet’s mother is Queen Gertrude and his father is the late King Hamlet. His uncle is the current king, Claudius. “man of thought” “sly” “honest” “shrewd” “courageous” “faithful” “profound” “vengeful” “indecisive” “idealistic” “tragic hero”

EVENTS THAT TYPIFY HAMLET When Hamlet discovers that King Claudius killed his father he is full of hatred and seeks justice. “Know this, Hamlet. Know it well. The snake that bit me now wears my crown.” … “’My uncle!’ Hamlet stammered. ‘My uncle! Your brother!’” “He did not know which betrayal hurt him most” Hamlet wants to act on his anger after finding out both his mother and Claudius had betrayed both himself and his father. He confronts both of them in time. Hamlet often acts out of anger and doesn’t think about his actions or the consequences before doing them. An example of this is when he presumes the noises behind the curtain are Claudius and he stabs him without thinking, when he realises it was actually Polonius that he killed.

EVENTS THAT TYPIFY HAMLET Hamlet studied at the University of Wittenberg and is intelligent, reflective and thoughtful. At the start of the novel we see Hamlet coming back from University not yet having to face the dark side of anything. Hamlet attempts to find stability, meaning and find his way through the evil and ruthlessness of Denmark. When Hamlet returns from England and finds out that Ophelia has drowned herself he is heartbroken and greatly upset but he doesn’t let it effect him enough to effect his sanity, He is able to move on and focus on avenging for his father. “That I loved Ophelia! Fifty thousand brothers, with all the love they can summon, would not equal my love for her. Ophelia, Ophelia.” Hamlet says this at Ophelia’s funeral when the queen asks what point he is trying to prove after his improvised speech and wrestle with the brother. It shows how much he loved Ophelia and how much he thought and cared about her.

HAMLET QUOTE “Do not take that easy path. Stay in the world instead, and speak for me. I fear the reputation I will leave… Horatio, I beg of you, forget your own pain a while and defend my good name.” This is a quote from Hamlet before he dies when Horatio is trying to comfort him through his last moments. Hamlet fears what people think of him and wants to die with dignity and leave people thinking what a good man he was and how much of a tragic loss it is. He orders Horatio to continue living and tell his story, making sure the kingdom stays well and cared for. This shows that he cares about his reputation and what people think of him. He is also cares about others and the people around him. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” “Let me be cruel, not unnatural; I will speak daggers to her, but use none.” “I must be cruel, only to be kind: Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” “I lov'd Ophelia: forty thousand brothers Could not, with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum.” “There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.” “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

CHARACTERS WHO PLAYED HAMLET John Gielgud Played Hamlet in the 20 th century Played the role more than 500 times 6 different productions; at 26 and 44 in London, Elsinore, and Broadway Was very similar to the traditional Shakespeare play David Tennant Performed in Gregory Doran’s production for the RSC; Hamlet in Was a modern-dress parody production Also played the 10 th Doctor Who on TV

“TO BE OR NOT TO BE. THAT IS THE QUESTION.”