1. Hamlet
William Shakespeare

2. History Written 1599-1601 First performed in 1603
Inside a series of comedies in the last decade of the transition years between 1500 and 1600s.
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Merchant of Venice
Much Ado About Nothing
As You Like It
Twelfth Night
Also came on the tail of his first major forays into tragedy with historical/political themes.
Julius Caesar
Henry IV Parts I and II /1597
Henry V
First performed in 1603

3. Sources?
Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus wrote the story of Amleth, Prince of Denmark, in the late 1100s.
Ur-Hamlet in England, a decade before Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Ur is German for primordial
Vague references made to it in playbills and other documents from the time.
No known written copies or evidence.
Shakespeare famous for his hit song “I’m bringing Saxo back.”

4. Setting
Denmark

5. Characters Hamlet Prince of Denmark
Student at University of Wittenburg
A well respected school at the time, also the alma mater of Dr. Faustus.
Indecisive
Prone to violence
Brooding

6. Laertes (LAY-air-TEES)
Claudius
Polonius
The new King of Denmark.
After his brother (Hamlet’s father) died, Claudius married his then-sister-in-law.
Scheming, murderous, wiling to do whatever it takes for power.
Slow-witted, long-winded.
The head of the royal court.
Father to Ophelia and Laertes.
Laertes (LAY-air-TEES)
Also a student
Over-protective brother of Ophelia
Meant to be compared to Hamlet

7. Up Next?
Ooo… It’s the ladies…

8. Ophelia Gertrude Sweet, innocent and beautiful.
Long-time love interest of Hamlet.
Used by her father, brother and Claudius.
Mother of Hamlet, Queen of Denmark
Not the best mother, for a few reasons.
Not, I repeat, NOT a strumpet.
Kind of a strumpet, at least to Hamlet

9. Supporting Cast Fortinbras (FOR-tin-BRAZ) Horatio
King of Norway
Close to Hamlet’s age.
Son of Fortinbras, who was killed by Hamlet Sr
Hamlet killed Fortinbras, so now Fortinbras wants to kill Hamlet.
Wants to avenge his father’s death
Horatio
Hamlet’s best friend and friend from University.
Hamlet Sr. aka “The Ghost.”
Urges Hamlet along a path of revenge.

10. The comic relief Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Friends of Hamlet that end up working against him.
Stock characters
Mercutio and Benvolio
C3PO and R2D2
Timon and Pumbaa
Jay and Silent Bob
The Weasley twins

11. Themes Familial duty Action vs. Inaction Sanity
The body as a metaphor for a nation.

12. Familial Duty Hamlet has a duty to his father’s memory.
Gertrude has conflicting duties
To her son
To her dead husband
To her new husband
Ophelia has a duty to her father and brother
Polonius has duty to his family and his king.
Laertes has a duty to his father and sister.

13. Action vs. Inaction
Early in the play Hamlet is set on a course of revenge.
Although he has several opportunities, he constantly waits for more and more evidence.
He ponders revenge, suicide, love, life, death.
Hamlet admires people like Laertes and Fortinbras who are able to act on their feelings and desires.

14. Sanity
While not to the same degree as Othello, several people lose their minds in the course of the play.
Or do they?
Hamlet acts on the urges of a ghost.
Or does he?
Just as indecisiveness is a battle between planning and doing, we see a battle between sanity and insanity in both Hamlet and Ophelia.
Again, the story lies in the middle ground.

15. The body as a metaphor for the nation
As Hamlet and others get sicker (in the head) and actions become more depraved and dangerous, we see Denmark falling apart.
And Fortinbras and the Norwegian Army wait in the wings…

16. Lasting Legacy To be, or not to be…
Alas Poor Yorick, I knew him Horatio…
Brooding heroes with inner demons
Young men with kingdoms seeking to avenge their fathers’ deaths.