1. Intro to Hamlet

3. Info on the Play
Full title: The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Genre: tragedy
Written: between
Setting: late medieval period ( s), Denmark
Shakespeare used versions of a floating legend of Prince Hamlet to complete the play.

4. About the Setting: Denmark
Scandinavian country in northern Europe
Ruling system is a constitutional monarchy
Language is Danish (close to Norwegian and Swedish)

6. Medieval Denmark
Before the time period of the play, Danes were considered Vikings (Anglo-Saxons)
During the late medieval period (1300s-late 1500s), country was ruled by powerful kings and the nobility
Controlled the Baltic Sea
Religion was originally Catholic (presently Lutheran)

7. Kronborg Castle

9. Major Characters Prince Hamlet
Son of Old King Hamlet and Gertrude
Visited by fathers ghost who asks him to seek revenge for his murder
Driven by revenge, hatred
Is extremely philosophical and moody
Learns to be disgusted by women
May have had an Oedipal Complex

10. Old King Hamlet’s Ghost
Visits the castle Elsinore around midnight, seeking Hamlet
Wants Hamlet to get revenge for his death

11. Claudius Brother of Old King Hamlet Uncle/stepfather of Hamlet
Husband to Gertrude
Killed Old King Hamlet

12. Gertrude Wife of Old King Hamlet; now wife of his brother, Claudius
Was seduced into marrying Claudius by lust and gifts
Defined by her need for affection
Extremely dependent on men

13. Polonius The Lord Chamberlain (responsible for all court functions)
Forces Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet
Father of Ophelia and Laertes

14. Ophelia Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes
Is completely dominated by the men
Goes insane

15. Laertes Son of Polonius
Brother of Ophelia, whom he seems to have an incestuous lust for
Wants to kill Hamlet for what happens to his sister

16. Horatio Hamlet’s best friend
First to tell Hamlet about the ghost of his father

17. Themes Uncertainty The play shows how life is built upon uncertainties
Some questions that arise:
Can we believe in ghosts; Can we for certain know the details of a crime that has no witnesses; Can we know whether our actions will have the results we want them to have

18. Themes Reasonable, Effective Action
The question that comes up is whether or not actions can really be reasonable, since emotions are almost always involved.
Revenge
Is revenge justified? Is it really ok to kill in
revenge?

19. Themes
Death
Hamlet is obsessed with death after his father dies; he becomes driven to kill Claudius; he ponders suicide; the death of several characters in the play

20. Themes Incest and Incestuous Desire -Claudius and Gertrude
-Hamlet’s fixation on Gertrude’s sex life and w/ her in general
-Laertes fear of Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet and the loss of her virginity

21. Themes Misogyny (“hatred of women”)
-Hamlet turns misogynistic after his mother “jumps into bed” with Claudius
-Hamlet tells Ophelia to become a nun so that she does not become corrupted by sex
-Views women as weak and easily persuaded

22. Symbols The only physical object used as a symbol is Yorick’s skull
Represents the inevitability of death and decay of the body
Also shows that no matter who we are, we all end up the same: as dust