Hamlet

Hamlet

Michele franceschini, fabiola negrato, arantxa pavin, alice viganò, anna sarcinella

William Shakespeare

Index

plot

1

characters

2

themes

3

text analysis

4

to be or not to be

5

link to reality

6

Plot

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

ACT I

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ACT II

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ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

In Act I of Hamlet, set in medieval Denmark, King Hamlet’s ghost appears, revealing to his son, Prince Hamlet, that he was murdered by his brother Claudius, who has now married Queen Gertrude and become king. The ghost urges Hamlet to seek revenge but to leave Gertrude’s fate to heaven.

In Act II of Hamlet, Hamlet pretends to be insane to help him with his revenge. Polonius thinks Hamlet’s madness is due to love for Ophelia. Hamlet then arranges for actors to perform a play that mirrors his father’s murder.

In Act III of Hamlet, Hamlet delivers his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy. During a play staged to reveal Claudius’s guilt, Claudius abruptly leaves. Later, Hamlet confronts his mother, and in a heated argument, he kills Polonius, who is hiding behind a curtain.

In Act IV of Hamlet, Hamlet is sent to England to be killed, but escapes. Ophelia goes mad and drowns her self, while Laertes seeks revenge. The king plots Hamlet’s death by arranging a duel between Hamlet and Laertes.

In Act V of Hamlet, Hamlet returns for a duel with Laertes, during which the king poisons a drink and tips Laertes’s sword with poison. Hamlet’s mother accidentally drinks the poison and dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet, but they exchange swords, and Hamlet fatally wounds Laertes. As Laertes dies, he reveals the king’s treachery, leading Hamlet to kill Claudius. Hamlet then asks Horatio to tell his story and recommends Fortinbras as the next king before dying. Fortinbras takes over the kingdom and honors Hamlet.

Characters

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

+Claudius

Claudius: king of Denmark, hamlet's uncle and the antagonist of the play. He's killed hamlet's father. He's a calculating, ambitious politician driven by sexual appetites and greed for power. Occasionally he shows signs of guilt and human feelings for Gertrude.

+Hamlet

Hamlet: The protagonist of the play. He's queen Gertrude and the late king of Denmark's son, nephew of the present king, Claudius. He's melancholy, bitter and cynical. He's hate the uncle's plans and disgust for his mother asservity. He's indecisive and hesitant, but sometimes prone to rush and impulsive acts

+Gertrude

Gertrude: queen of Denmark, hamlet's mother, actually married to Claudius. She's love his son Hamlet. She's a shallow and weak woman who search affection and status more than moral and truth.

+Ophelia

Ophelia: Polonius's daughter, beautiful young woman. She's the Hamlet's love interest. She's an innocent person and obeys his father and his brother. She's very struggle by his dad's death, in fact she's drowning herself in the river.

+Polonius

Polonius: lord chamberlain of Claudius's court. He's a pompous and conniving old man. Father of Laertes and Ophelia.

+The Ghost

The ghost: specter of hamlet's father and king of Denmark, recently deceased. He said to Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and ask to avenge him.

Characters

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

+Laertes

Laertes: Polonius's son and Ophelia's brother. He's will try to kill Hamlet to average his father and his sister.

+Horatio

Horatio: hamlet's closest friend. He's loyal and help hamlet through the story. In the end, he's still alive to tell Hamlet's story.

+Fortinbrass

Fortinbras: Prince of Norway, that want to avenge his father's honor, that was killed by Hamlet's father, going to attack Denmark.

Shakespeare explores themes like family, love, madness, and power, focusing on the contrast between appearance and reality. Honor is emphasized, suggesting justice should come from reason, not emotion.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Themes

Text analysis

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

In Hamlet, soliloquies are used to reveal Hamlet’s inner thoughts, like the famous “To be or not to be” speech, where he reflects on life and death. Monologues occur when he speaks to others but directs his words to the audience, such as when he instructs the players in the play-within-a-play. Both highlight his internal struggles and plans.

To be or not to be

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

In Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he debates whether to endure life’s pain or escape through death, but fears the uncertainty of the afterlife, which makes him hesitate.

Link to reality

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

In Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he reflects on suicide, debating whether to endure life’s suffering or escape it through death.This can be related to youth suicide in Italy, where young people face pressures from school, family, or societal expectations. Like Hamlet, they may struggle with mental health and fear the unknown consequences of their actions, preventing them from seeking help

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