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Hamlet by William Shakespearescene by scene summary notes – your ideas with links to context & themesAct 1 Scene 1 – The exposition of the playPathetic Fallacy is used in the opening “Tis bitter cold” Midnight the time the play is revealed to us is known as a superstitious time of night “the witching hour” – tradition of ghost stories and supernatural events happening at this time of night would have been well-knownLower class guards are used in the exposition of the play to introduce us to the main plot with the ghost of King Hamlet – Bernardo and Francisco (minor characters) – set the climate of the play and imply that due to them guarding the battlements there is unrest in Denmark. It is in a vulnerable state due to the recent death of King Hamlet and this may be a metaphor for the uncertainty at court as Claudius is now the ruler of Denmark (due to his alleged incestuous marriage to the recently bereaved Gertrude) Introduction to the sub-plot of war - Fortinbras the Norwegian nephew of the King is desperate to reclaim land by marching on Denmark – meaning that guarding the battlements was wise Horatio, Hamlet’s trusted friend and ally and a scholar is introduced and gives a voice of authority to the story of the guards seeing the Ghost of Hamlet in his warlike form Ghost of Hamlet (Hamlet snr) is introduced but does not talk to the figures on the battlements – the guards or Horatio When Horatio sees with his own eyes the Ghost he then believes in him, prior to this he was a cynic and disbeliever – again this adds to the credibility of the story THEMES: introduced to Death – Hamlet snr – War – Fortinbras – Corruption – Hamlet snr & the guards – Deceit – Hamlet snr – Class – the difference in mean length utterance between Horatio and the guards immediately indicates the class differences between these characters – Gothic – time of night & ghostly figures – Supernatural – the GhostThe end of Act 1 Scene 1 introduces us verbally to Hamlet as we know that we will meet him next when he is introduced to the Ghost (to find out what it wants) Context: Scientific advances lend credibility to the story of the Ghost – As a protestant country purgatory would have been widely known about and believed in (the idea that if you have unfinished business in the afterlife you will wander in this half existence until the unfinished business is taken care of)Education was the preserve of the rich and we see this in the scholarly, intelligent and trustworthy depiction of HoratioUncertainty at court – this was a prevailing theme during Shakespeare’s life and one which he used to his advantage within his play Act 1 Scene 2 – Introducing the power – ClaudiusClaudius is introduced to us with a lengthy detailed monologue in which he gives 4 directives: Laertes is granted permission to take his leave of the court and go to France We realise that he has recently wed Gertrude and is in charge of Denmark as the King and ruler He dispatches messengers to Norway to stop the war-like nephew FortinbrasHe asks Hamlet to remain at court, rather than returning to Wittenberg Claudius has the main speaking role to begin with showing patriarchal authority and setting himself up as the ruling voice – his mean length utterance is long and developed and the fact he deals with multiple issues offer him as a man of action, decisive and in control Gertrude in contrast has little mean length utterance suggesting she lacks control over her own destiny. She is not shown to be grieving which is polysemic – it suggests strength of character that she is able to move on quickly, but contrastingly weakness of character as she could be seen to be driven by lust or an inability to function without a man. She appears maternal towards Hamlet, although misunderstands his griefHamlet the main protagonist is introduced to us. He appears very uncertain and within his soliloquy we see his burgeoning internal conflict. Before this soliloquy he appears to be put down by his family due to his grief over his father, he is conflicted about the legitimacy of Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius (but appears to blame her). He can take action, but his natural instinct is to procrastinate and deliberate or obsessively contemplate the issue at hand. He appears young and immature. He is a non-traditional hero and admits to being less than heroic during his soliloquy. Within the soliloquy we see a nihilistic element to Hamlet’s character – he lacks hope – he also enjoys dwelling on the negativity – he shows a morose mindset – he lacks hope Laertes appears to be introduced as a foil (a counter-character) to Hamlet – he is decisive, quick to action and appears to be the perfect son. Themes: Death – mourning indicated by Hamlet’s garb – Power – Claudius – Patriarchy – the role of Gertrude – Sub plot of War – Fortinbras Context: The working of the court linking to real life Threat of war Religion and the sin of the ‘incestuous’ marriage Mourning rituals Act 1 Scene 3 – Family Ties – Polonius/Laertes/OpheliaLaertes – Brother and son - mean length utterance (MLU) immediately sets him up as a character of authority, protective of his sister, giving the impression he is wary of and suspicious of Hamlet’s intentions. He warns Ophelia to be careful of Hamlet and to not give up her virginity to him as he will discard her immediately if she does. Ophelia – Sister and daughter - is aware of Laertes own promiscuous behaviour and that he is being hypocritical in his warning. She seems intelligent, can respond effectively to Laertes and makes fun of him and uses sarcasm. Although her mean length utterance reinforces the position of submission that she takes.Polonius – Father and Claudius’ advisor – Enters and immediately set up in a position of authority (MLU) over Ophelia and Laertes – appears to be a bumbling fool – difficult to understand. Could be used as a metaphor for the discord/discontent at court as the main advisor to the King is presented this way. He reinforces Laertes warning to Ophelia to keep her virginity to herself and uses the extended metaphor throughout his speech to suggest that Ophelia’s worth can be measured through money and wealth. Ophelia shows obedience to both Laertes and her father by agreeing to their will. She is portrayed as a commodity by men.The hearsay within this scene about Hamlet suggests that he is a man out of control and a sexually charged individual who can’t be trusted with Ophelia. Themes – Family ties, Patriarchy, PowerContext – Patriarchy and the role of women. Instability at court. Act 1 Scene 4 – Hamlet sees his ghostly fatherHamlet, Horatio and Marcellus are on the battlements and the first lines mirror the opening in A1S1 – a device used by Shakespeare deliberately The Ghost beckons for Hamlet to follow him – Horatio and Marcellus implore Hamlet to remain with them and not to do soHamlet becomes a ‘man of action’ pulls his sword and quick to anger threatens his friends if they don’t allow him to follow the ghost, shows his temper here and could foreshadow the later death of Polonius (who was acting against Hamlet, so arguably a foe) Hamlet follows against the wishes of Horatio and Marcellus Themes – Family, Death, Inaction vs Action, Supernatural“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” the almost penultimate line foreshadows the unrest and deceit that will be told – the whole state is seen to be corrupt, questionable and in a state of flux. Hamlet’s decisiveness and willingness to put himself at peril by following the ghost elicits sympathy for him, he is desperate to know the truth and goes against his trusted allies to find it. Hamlet is seen to be a solitary figure, willing to act alone in his search for the truth. He shows solidarity with truth in his desire to avenge his father’s death, although as yet he is unaware of the treacherous nature of Claudius (despite suspecting it) Act 1 Scene 5 – Hamlet speaks to his ghostly father & resolves to avenge his deathThe ghost (Hamlet snr) reveals that he was killed at the hand of Claudius, who poured poison into his ear and killed himLinks are made and repeated to the original sin and the garden of Eden and the extended metaphor of Claudius as a serpent is made – this biblical allusion is made clear throughout the scene The Ghost makes it clear that he doesn’t blame Gertrude but repeats the idea that this is an incestuous relationship due to Claudius being his less worthy brother Hamlet however does blame Gertrude “frailty thy name is woman” – he is incredibly melodramatic and angry and he resolves that he will avenge the death of his father no matter whatClaudius is depicted as a “villain” and this idea is repeated and reflects an almost pantomime tradition of having a villain pitched against a stereotypical hero (in this case that makes Hamlet the hero). However, is he an effective hero? At this time we can assume not, as he has yet to take action There is a volta in the scene when Horatio and Marcellus arrive to speak to Hamlet about what the ghost has said and there is a palpable reduction in the tension and the seriousness of tone in the scene – the mood lightens and becomes more jovial – Hamlet is in a position of control and greater knowledge and in this way he changes from morose and serious to a man with a plan. The supernatural, sombre and seriousness abates, and Hamlet can express what he wants from his friends – he makes them swear allegiance and secrecy. Metatheatricality is used within this part of the scene which helps to lighten the mood as well – the ghost is in the cellarage and ‘swear’ and the ‘Globe’ is also self-consciously referencedThemes – Family, Death, Religion and the Supernatural. Act 2 Scene 1 – Polonius spies on Laertes. Ophelia is perturbed by Hamlet’s dishevelmentPolonius asks Reynaldo (a servant) to spy on Laertes, his son, in France and to spread rumours “slight sullies” which reinforces the sly intent of Polonius and his ability to meddle in affairs of others. His character is presented as cunning, he uses tricks and he isn’t above spying and using underhand tactics. Ophelia arrives with news of Hamlet’s visit. Hamlet was desperate for her help, he is scared and nervous. Ophelia doesn’t know about the ghost and this dramatic irony reinforces her confusion as his behaviour. Hamlet was dishevelled, and half undressed when he appeared to talk to Ophelia and he seemed to be mad “loosed out of hell” which links back and symbolises the appearance of the ghost earlier in the play. Polonius puts into Ophelia’s head that Hamlet is mad for the love of her and this again suggests that he is assumptive and not as wise as first suggested by his role. She agrees that this may be the cause of Hamlet’s madness as she has obeyed her father’s earlier command to keep Hamlet at arm’s length.The immediate solution that Claudius sees is to speak to the King Shakespeare manipulates the audience, showing contrasting personality traits linked to Hamlet with the hearsay evident in Ophelia’s speech and Polonius’ immediate conclusions. We also see that he is disturbed emotionally and mentally by the visit of the ghost and we see action versus inaction again and his inconsistency too. All of this is presented through the eyes of other characters which is an interesting way that Shakespeare reveals his thoughts and feelings. Themes – Power, Deceit and Women Act 2 Scene 2 – The plot with friends and the plan starts to take shape regarding the playersThe King sends for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern two interchangeable characters and childhood friends of Hamlet’s who the King enlists to spy on Hamlet, as he will trust them implicitly.Polonius speaks to the King in a deliberately obtuse and drawn out manner – he knows(!) the reason that Hamlet is mad (shown in A2S1 – the discussion between Ophelia and Polonius) Polonius reads the letter from Hamlet to Ophelia out to the King – breaking the trust of Ophelia and Hamlet Queen Gertrude reconfirms that the reason for Hamlet’s madness could be the “oe’rhasty marriage” after the sudden death of her husband. She acknowledges that this could be the reason for Hamlet’s distress. Polonius decides to hide behind the arras (the religious tapestry) in order to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia’s conversation and shows that he is using religion for his own gain, perhaps it suggests that people shouldn’t think that they can hide behind religion. This may link to the unease in the country over religion and whether you should be catholic or protestant. Voltemand is the vehicle in which the sub=plot with Denmark is discussed. Fortinbras intended to attack Denmark, but his uncle stopped this plan, gave him money to wage a war on the Polish, which was his initial intent (as a cover up for attacking Denmark) and asked that Denmark support him by allowing him clear passage through the kingdom. This foreshadows his trustworthy nature and that he will be asked to become King of Denmark. He is seen as loyal and obedient to his Uncle in Norway and in this way is a worthy leader. Hamlet is cruel towards Polonius mocking him and this indicates a lack of madness in Hamlet and could suggest that he has a calculating nature. The players arrive – travelling actors have become popular and this could be Shakespeare highlighting a social issue of the time – for his company “The Kings Men (Players)” it creates uncertainty and puts them out of work so the fact the players have travelled shows this issue in Shakespeare’s life. We have foreshadowing of Hamlet’s plan to avenge his father’s death Hecuba’s reaction could symbolise the wishes of Hamlet that Gertrude would take action and do something (at this point Hamlet sees her as weak) Achilles – is mentioned as well as a hero of mythology and Hamlet may see his father as this hero. Hamlet’s soliloquy – he lacks strength at this point and he doesn’t act on the knowledge that he has. Dwells on aspects that he can’t change and there is a self-critical element to his soliloquy. His indecision is evident and the fact that he takes no action shows this.However, he resolves in a moment of realisation that he can have confirmation of Claudius’ guilt through the players. This shows that he has a cunning and stealthy mind and hints at his intellectually strength even if his physical actions are at this point wanting. Themes – deceit, action vs inaction, death, play within a play Context – Greek Mythology, Players travelling ‘an eerie of children’ taking over the theatre, threat to court – links to James 1st plotting against Queen ElizabethAct 3 Scene 1 – Rejecting Ophelia – Plots to send Hamlet to EnglandClaudius knows that Hamlet is feigning madness and Hamlet tricks Claudius into watching the play. Queen sends her away to maintain his image Hamlet has a soliloquy but it appears as if he knows there are spies watching Soliloquy reveals his state of mind and Hamlet questions whether being alive is worth it. Links to the death of his father as if he died there would be unresolved business – death at this point doesn’t offer peace. Ophelia – he is duplicitous and rude towards her “Get thee to a nunnery” which has a double meaning – it could be a protection of her virtue or that she is considered a fallen women – here feelings are revealed at the end and she is heartbroken as she clearly loves himKing and Polonius resolve to send Hamlet to England to his death. Polonius remains convinced it is love that is affecting him and causing his madness. Themes – Power – Deceit – Betrayal – Patriarchy – LoyaltyAct 3 Scene 2 – The Dumb Show – or the play within a play – Claudius’ guilt is revealedHamlet is in control he tells the players how to act and how to speak, this is meta-theatricality as as Hamlet is taking on the director role Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are in charge of ensuring Hamlet goes to England and given orders from the King. Hamlet shows that he is in control and a man of action he tells Horatio to watch Claudius, which reinforces that he knows Hamlet and Horatio are more powerful which is shown through the dramatic irony Hamlet and Ophelia – he is flirty after rejecting. It could be that he is not toying with her he is being young and flirty to throw her off the scent regarding the play. It is a very public display of affection Hamlet’s interjections show his tensionThe dumb show reveals that Hamlet knows. There are religious allusions throughout.Horatio confirms the guilt when he stands up – this means that the show is overThis scene is a turning point (volta) in the play Polonius tells him to go speak to his mother Final soliloquy reveals that the dead have been raised and he is hoping that his mother will support him in plotting Claudius’ downfall. Act 3 Scene 3 – Claudius praying – Pivotal scene for the character of Claudius (inner thoughts are revealed) The King orders for Hamlet (officially) to be sent to England Polonius reveals that he will hide behind the arras – religious tapestry (which shows a lack of trust at court) and could reflect King James plots to overthrow ElizabethKing Claudius – His soliloquy confession to God alone – he shows remorse for being caught but not that he is sorry for his actions. Hamlet: Arrives ready to kill but Claudius is praying suggesting he will go to heaven rather than hell, meaning that he delays the killing of ClaudiusAct 3 Scene 4 – The death of PoloniusHamlet and Gertrude are in her ‘chamber’. The language they use mirrors each other and could suggest that they are mistrustful of each other, as it is as if they are second guessing each other. Action happens right at the start of the play. Polonius is stabbed and killed by Hamlet early in the scene, which is not the climax of the scene, as he almost brushes it aside and the fact that it is behind the arras is both religiously significant, due to the fact this is a religious tapestry and also ironic in terms of the scene being adjacent to Hamlet’s pondering over whether to kill Claudius and deciding not to. Polonius in death is mute, which contrasts or juxtaposes his earlier verbosity. Hamlet: chastises her for her lack of morality – her sexuality is an issue within this scene that Hamlet returns to again and again. Hamlet doesn’t feel guilt – he sees the ghost, but Gertrude doesn’t. The ghost reminds him of his moral purpose and that he still walks in purgatory due to the unfinished nature of his business with Claudius, which he has tasked his son with finishing. The ghost is also important for reminding Hamlet that it is Claudius that is at fault, not Gertrude. The ghost leaves and he persuades her that Claudius is the killer of the late King Hamlet. This could link to context – the Oedipus complex – Is Hamlet in love with his mother? Is this why he is so insistent with her?Gertrude agrees that she will keep his revelations to herself and also that she will withdraw her affections from Gertrude. Hamlet reveals that he knows Claudius plans to send him to England and to kill him, so will double cross him instead. At the end the stage directions indicate that Hamlet leaves “tugging Polonius” which implies a lack of respect and could be considered inhumane, as he is not showing any respect for the dead.Themes – deceit, death, Action vs Inaction Act 4 Scene 1 – King reveals his planKing sees Gertrude – she reveals Polonius was killed by Hamlet in a fit of rage. This is an example of Gertrude keeping her promise to Hamlet. Pathetic fallacy – foreshadows trouble at sea with the wind and the stormClaudius – calls up Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out where Polonius is and to put his plan of sending Hamlet to England and certain death. Themes – Corruption at court, deceit, contextAct 4 Scene 2 – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are fooled by HamletIncredibly short scene Hamlet and Rosencrantz – reinforces his distrust of R&G Uses an animalistic metaphor to reveal his distrust of them and show he knows that they are pawns in the King (Claudius’ plan) ‘Knavish’ reveals he knows that R&G are not clever enough to pick up on his knowledge ‘foolish ear’ links to Hamlet’s death R&G are unsuccessful in their appeal to Hamlet to reveal where Polonius is Theme – deceitAct 4 Scene 3 – The King reveals his planIn his soliloquy Claudius reveals his plan to kill Hamlet. He offers confirmation that he will send Hamlet to England/ We discover that Hamlet is loved by the common people. Politic worms link to the idea of Claudius feeding like a parasite off others for his own gain. Theme – murder, deceit and death Act 4 Scene 4 – The sub plot is discussed with Hamlet who sees Fortinbras as a man to be admiredForeshadowing of the eventual ruler – his ascension to the throneReveals that the army have been successful in taking the worthless piece of Polish land – just because Fortinbras had decided that this was his course of action Moral victory was won, but the cost was extortionate, showing that Fortinbras will act without cause, but Hamlet won’t act with just moral cause showing that Fortinbras is a foil to Hamlet and a man of action in contrast Hamlet’s soliloquy shows that he is in awe of the worthy Fortinbras and reveals that Hamlet is aware of his own cowardly ways Themes – War, Death Act 4 Scene 5 – Ophelia’s Madness Ophelia goes mad. He singing implies that she has slept with Hamlet, before marriage and that him killing her father and not marrying her has left her mad. The rhyme in Ophelia’s singing makes it sound childish and reduces her as a character to the role of the fool. It diminishes her status. Perhaps, it could be suggested that this role was left by Polonius when he died.Dramatic downfall of Ophelia is revealed to us by either Horatio (which adds authority) or a gentleman (which makes it seem less important) King arrives and her singing suggests that she is in charge and she wants to be heard and listened to, but it juxtaposes the Queen’s role as she asks questions and seems to lack power. As soon as Claudius arrives she concedes charge to him, which may suggest the subservience of women or the lack of any real power that women have. Laertes comes crashing in full of righteous anger and ready to kill the King (which would be treason and is ignored) The King disarms him with his speech explaining that Hamlet is the enemy. He encourages Laertes to seek revenge for the death of his father (somewhat ironically, as this is what Hamlet it doing towards him, however it could also foreshadow his own imminent death) Claudius is very manipulative when he reveals that it was Hamlet. Laertes is angry and incenses to begin with, but calm and rationale and mirrors the Hamlet soliloquy at the start of the play. Themes: Patriarchy, Madness, Deceit, Family and Revenge Act 4 Scene 6 – Guess who is back – HamletHoratio receives a letter from Hamlet, which withholds information about everything that has happened at sea but does reveal that Hamlet is coming back and wants the letters stating this to fall into the hands of Claudius. Hamlet was unfortunate to have been chased by pirates, although he managed to make a pact with them and they have returned him safely to Denmark. This scene is incredibly short and shows that he is taking action now. Theme: Deceit, TreasonAct 4 Scene 7 – The plot thickens – Laertes agrees to kill HamletThe letters from Hamlet are given to the King and he learns that Hamlet is returning to Denmark and would like to speak to him. King Claudius uses flattery towards Laertes to get him to agree to kill Hamlet. He tells him he is an excellent and renowned sword fighter and that he should undoubtedly win in a bout with Hamlet. Laertes to be sure of his death decides that he will ‘anoint’ his sword with poison and use Polonius’ death as the reason for the fight. Ironically, we know that Claudius is threatened by Hamlet and deceiving and manipulating Laertes at this point. Claudius states that to be doubly sure of Hamlet’s death he will poison a goblet of wine as well. Interesting that the choice of murder weapon, once more is poison, as this is the way he killed his brother Hamlet originally.Gertrude arrives with news of Ophelia’s death (which happened off stage). The death could be considered an extended metaphor for the relationship of Hamlet and Ophelia. Her death was through drowning and cannot be confirmed as suicide or an accident, but she lay in the brook surrounded and draped in flowers and died there. Laertes resolves that he will shed no more tears for her, showing his strength and resolves to avenge the death of both his father and his sister, showing his strength as a man of action. At the end the King follows Laertes, as he is now uncertain that he will be able to kill Hamlet as a result of the death of Ophelia. Themes: Death, Deceit, Revenge, PatriarchyAct 5 Scene 1 – Hamlet the Dane returns Clown 1 and 2 (the gravediggers) are introduced to us as the voice of the common people. Dramatic Irony – they reveal to the audience that there is uncertainty over whether she died a proper death deserving of a Christian burial or whether she committed suicide. Either way, they recognise that her status and place at court means that she will be buried as a Christian (exposing the hypocrisy of the monarchy) and showing that the court will make their own rules. They also speak to Hamlet and reveal that ‘Hamlet’ is mad and has been sent to England, although they don’t realise that they are speaking to Hamlet. Hamlet picks up Yorick’s skull and this moment could symbolise teat death is an equaliser – Shakespeare is suggesting that we all die equal and that death waits for no man. Laertes jumps into the grave as does Hamlet which is foreshadowing of their imminent deaths.It could also be a dramatic technique used by Shakespeare to show their grief, although it appears to fail and contradicts his point linking to the theme of madness. Hamlet challenges him and this plays into the hands of the King and Laertes as it appears to be justified that they fight as Hamlet is the one impetuous enough to challenge Laertes. The King sees his chance to put his plan into action Themes – Treason, Death, Religion, Corruption Act 5 Scene – Death, death and more death (with a touch of irony!) Horatio and Hamlet discuss the deaths of R&G (this is forgotten about at the end of the play and there appears to be no guilt or remorse from Hamlet in relation to this treacherous act of murder) Messenger from the King to persuade him to fight – Osric tells Hamlet that he will go to trial otherwise, so Hamlet has no choice but to fight Laertes. The messenger implies that Laertes is fighting for money This is a turning point in the play Hamlet is exempting himself from blame – asks for forgiveness while contradicting himself by stating that he doesn’t need it. Laertes states that he forgives him but for his honour, he needs to go ahead with the fight. Action speeds up Gertrude dies – drinks the poisoned wine, reveals Claudius’ murderous intent (it appears that she is not complicit with the plan, although this is not revealed!) Claudius dies – Hamlet stabs him, but also forces him to drink the poisoned wine (he will die in the same way as Hamlet – ironic Laertes dies – during the fight, he loses the ‘anointed’ sword and it is used against him by Hamlet. He blames himself and reveals that it was the King Hamlet dies – he was already stabbed and then drinks from the poisoned cup to hasten his death (presumably) Horatio lives to tell the tale The plot is circular as Horatio was the voice of reason and authority at the start and is so again at the endContext – court – power struggles and the uncertainty of what a monarch will do. Links to Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots and the ongoing struggle for power. Themes – death, deceit, corruption, treason, patriarchy and chance ................
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