Narrative Elements
Setting
The story of Hamlet is set in the late middle ages (14th and 15th centuries, or 1300 to 1499) in and around (mostly) the royal palace in Elsinore, a city in Denmark. There are also allusions to the protestant reformation in the text. Shakespeare uses this setting to subtly criticize the monarch, he can not openly criticize the monarch of the time, however, creating a story of a royal family, based in a different location and a different place, allows for him to both entertain and express hi views about the situation at the time without drawing any attention to himself.
The story of Hamlet is set in the late middle ages (14th and 15th centuries, or 1300 to 1499) in and around (mostly) the royal palace in Elsinore, a city in Denmark. There are also allusions to the protestant reformation in the text. Shakespeare uses this setting to subtly criticize the monarch, he can not openly criticize the monarch of the time, however, creating a story of a royal family, based in a different location and a different place, allows for him to both entertain and express hi views about the situation at the time without drawing any attention to himself.
Character
Hamlet: The hero of the text. Hamlet has fascinated audiences and readers for centuries, and the first thing to point out about him is that he is enigmatic. There is always more to him than the other characters in the play can figure out; even the most careful and clever readers come away with the sense that they don’t know everything there is to know about this character. Hamlet actually tells other characters that there is more to him than meets the eye but his fascination involves much more than this. When he speaks, he sounds as if there’s something important he’s not saying, maybe something even he is not aware of. The ability to write soliloquies and dialogues that create this effect is one of Shakespeare’s most impressive achievements. Hamlet is seen to be one of the most complicated characters in the history of literature, he is depicted as both mad and also having deep philosophical thinking, he challenges the people around him and seeks revenge from his treacherous uncle.
Claudius: Hamlet’s major antagonist is a shrewd, lustful, conniving king who contrasts sharply with the other male characters in the play. Whereas most of the other important men in Hamlet are preoccupied with ideas of justice, revenge, and moral balance, Claudius is bent upon maintaining his own power. Claudius poisons his own brother to take his throne, and marries his brothers wife shortly after his death. He is a treacherous man and plans for the murder of his nephew as well, all in search of power. Claudius is a manipulative person and does not stop at anything to reach his goals. Hamlet kills Claudius and satisfies his revenge.
Gertrude: The Gertrude who does emerge clearly in Hamlet is a woman defined by her desire for station and affection, as well as by her tendency to use men to fulfill her instinct for self-preservation—which, of course, makes her extremely dependent upon the men in her life.
The play seems to raise more questions about Gertrude than it answers, including: Was she involved with Claudius before the death of her husband? Did she love her husband? Did she know about Claudius’s plan to commit the murder?
Hamlet: The hero of the text. Hamlet has fascinated audiences and readers for centuries, and the first thing to point out about him is that he is enigmatic. There is always more to him than the other characters in the play can figure out; even the most careful and clever readers come away with the sense that they don’t know everything there is to know about this character. Hamlet actually tells other characters that there is more to him than meets the eye but his fascination involves much more than this. When he speaks, he sounds as if there’s something important he’s not saying, maybe something even he is not aware of. The ability to write soliloquies and dialogues that create this effect is one of Shakespeare’s most impressive achievements. Hamlet is seen to be one of the most complicated characters in the history of literature, he is depicted as both mad and also having deep philosophical thinking, he challenges the people around him and seeks revenge from his treacherous uncle.
Claudius: Hamlet’s major antagonist is a shrewd, lustful, conniving king who contrasts sharply with the other male characters in the play. Whereas most of the other important men in Hamlet are preoccupied with ideas of justice, revenge, and moral balance, Claudius is bent upon maintaining his own power. Claudius poisons his own brother to take his throne, and marries his brothers wife shortly after his death. He is a treacherous man and plans for the murder of his nephew as well, all in search of power. Claudius is a manipulative person and does not stop at anything to reach his goals. Hamlet kills Claudius and satisfies his revenge.
Gertrude: The Gertrude who does emerge clearly in Hamlet is a woman defined by her desire for station and affection, as well as by her tendency to use men to fulfill her instinct for self-preservation—which, of course, makes her extremely dependent upon the men in her life.
The play seems to raise more questions about Gertrude than it answers, including: Was she involved with Claudius before the death of her husband? Did she love her husband? Did she know about Claudius’s plan to commit the murder?
Plot
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is visited by the ghost of his father and told that his uncle Claudius, who is now King, was responsible for his murder. Claudius marries his dead brothers widow, and attempts to murder his nephew. Hamlet is torn about trying to avenge him, and ends up pretending to be insane. He hires actors to do a play about a man who kills his brother to become king to see Claudius' reaction. Hamlet confirms that Claudius was responsible, ends up being abusive to his mother Gertrude for being in a relationship with the murderer of his father, and murders his lover Ophelia's dad thinking that it's Claudius. Ophelia goes insane from having her lover kill her dad and dies. Her brother Laertes is furious and is convinced by Claudius to kill Hamlet, in a duel, in which Claudius poisons both the sowrd and a cup of wine for Hamlet.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is visited by the ghost of his father and told that his uncle Claudius, who is now King, was responsible for his murder. Claudius marries his dead brothers widow, and attempts to murder his nephew. Hamlet is torn about trying to avenge him, and ends up pretending to be insane. He hires actors to do a play about a man who kills his brother to become king to see Claudius' reaction. Hamlet confirms that Claudius was responsible, ends up being abusive to his mother Gertrude for being in a relationship with the murderer of his father, and murders his lover Ophelia's dad thinking that it's Claudius. Ophelia goes insane from having her lover kill her dad and dies. Her brother Laertes is furious and is convinced by Claudius to kill Hamlet, in a duel, in which Claudius poisons both the sowrd and a cup of wine for Hamlet.
Conflict
The Major conflict in Hamlet is that Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do.
However, there are also other conflicts in the story, each royal family member has a conflict:
The Major conflict in Hamlet is that Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do.
However, there are also other conflicts in the story, each royal family member has a conflict:
- Ophelia loves Hamlet, and Hamlet uses Ophelia.
- Hamlet despises his uncle. Hamlet despises his mother for marrying his uncle and giving him the crown of Denmark.
- Claudius wants to win Hamlet over, and hamlet wants to prove Claudius guilty of murder.
- Polonius wants to prove Hamlet mad, and Gertrude wants him to spy on Hamlet.
- Laertes wants to warn Ophelia away from hamlet because a Crown Prince can't marry a steward's daughter, and Ophelia is in love with and receives love letters from Hamlet.
- Hamlet is friends with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Claudius summons them to betray Hamlet, which they do.
Resolution
The play ends with a massive bloodbath in the final scene, it is a duel between the angry and furious Laertes and the protagonist Hamlet. The two duel, in a final scene in which all of the main characters die. The sword-fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit, but declines to drink from the king’s wine. Instead, Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison. Laertes succeeds in wounding Hamlet, though Hamlet does not die of the poison immediately. First, Laertes is cut by his own sword’s blade, and, after revealing to Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queen’s death, he dies from the blade’s poison. Hamlet then stabs Claudius through with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink down the rest of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies immediately after achieving his revenge.
The play ends with a massive bloodbath in the final scene, it is a duel between the angry and furious Laertes and the protagonist Hamlet. The two duel, in a final scene in which all of the main characters die. The sword-fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit, but declines to drink from the king’s wine. Instead, Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison. Laertes succeeds in wounding Hamlet, though Hamlet does not die of the poison immediately. First, Laertes is cut by his own sword’s blade, and, after revealing to Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queen’s death, he dies from the blade’s poison. Hamlet then stabs Claudius through with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink down the rest of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies immediately after achieving his revenge.