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Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular dramatic tragedies, not only for its tale of intrigue, revenge, and murder, but also for the depth of its characters. In addition to immortalizing the famous phrase ” to be or not to be “, the development of Hamlet, the protagonist, and the other characters is one of the distinctive details that make this work a classic of universal literature.
About the Author
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright and poet who was noted for being the author of some of the most important dramatic works in the history of universal literature.
Notable Shakespearean tragedies include Hamlet , Othello , Romeo and Juliet , King Lear , and Macbeth. Other works by this writer are The Hidalgos of Verona , A Midsummer Night’s Dream , The Merchant of Venice , Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest.
Shakespeare also wrote several historical dramas, including Antony and Cleopatra , King John , Richard II , Richard III , Edward III , Henry IV , and others, as well as more than 150 sonnets.
William Shakespeare is a great reference in English literature of the 16th and 17th centuries, currently his works are still valid and are regularly represented in theaters, cinemas and TV series.
About Hamlet
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s longest and most tragic plays. It consists of five acts, through which the protagonists face different internal conflicts in a context destined for disaster, until reaching a tragic end without any hope.
The exact date of Hamlet ‘s writing and publication is unknown . However, in a record from the year 1602, the name of the book The Revenge of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark appears . At that time it was customary to register in advance the books to be printed. Therefore, it is likely that this work was written one or more years earlier.
Regarding the plot of Hamlet , it is believed that Shakespeare drew on other stories to build the work: the character Amleth from a Scandinavian medieval legend; the romance between the queen and her brother-in-law in Tragic Stories (1570) by the French author Francois de Belleforest; the work Essays of the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1580); and the book by the English clergyman Timothy Bright, A Treatise on Melancholy (1586).
The story revolves around Prince Hamlet , who upon receiving a visit from his father’s ghost, finds out that he was murdered and is torn between surviving or taking revenge, going as far as madness. In this work, Shakespeare explores themes such as the afterlife, betrayal, revenge, murder, madness and the existential dilemma of acting according to free will or letting what fate has in store happen.
Brief summary of Hamlet
First act
The ghost of the late King Hamlet, father of Prince Hamlet, haunts the royal castle of Elsinore in Denmark. Hamlet finds out and waits to see his father. When he gets to see him, the ghost tells him that he was killed in his sleep by his brother Claudio and asks him to avenge his death.
Laertes, son of Polonius, tells his sister Ophelia to forget about her love for Hamlet.
Second act
Laertes travels to France and his father Polonius sends a servant as a spy. Ofelia confesses to her father that Hamlet has gone mad.
Polonius tells Kings Claudius and Gertrude of Hamlet’s state of mind, but attributes his madness to his love for Ophelia. The kings invite Hamlet’s friends and some comedians to cheer him up.
third act
King Claudius and Polonius try to discover the reason for Hamlet’s apparent madness. He uses comedians to stage a play where a man kills his brother and marries his wife, just as it happened in the palace. This shocks Claudius, and Hamlet continues to think about whether or not he should kill him.
Gertrudis talks to her son, trying to understand him, but Hamlet realizes that someone is listening to them behind a curtain and thinking it is Claudio, he kills him. But actually he was Polonius.
The king’s ghost appears again and only Hamlet can see it. Gertrudis thus confirms her suspicions about his madness.
fourth act
Claudius banishes Hamlet with the intention of assassinating him. Ofelia goes crazy when she finds out about the death of her father. Her brother, Laertes, returns from France to avenge Polonius’ crime.
Claudius and Laertes plot Hamlet’s death. Laertes will challenge him to a duel and fight with a poisoned sword.
Gertrudis announces that Ofelia has just died in the river.
fifth act
As two gravediggers prepare Ophelia’s grave, they find the skull of Yorick, a jester whom Hamlet was very fond of as a boy.
Hamlet sees the funeral procession and learns that it is Ophelia who has died. He also confesses to his friend Horacio that Claudio had sent Rosencrantz and Guildensten to assassinate him, and that, therefore, it was he who ordered the death of his two friends.
Later, Laertes and Hamlet duel. Laertes manages to wound Hamlet with the poisoned sword. Gertrude dies by mistakenly drinking Hamlet’s cup of wine. Laertes confesses to Hamlet that Claudius was the one who tried to poison him with the wine. Then, full of anger, Hamlet murders his uncle.
Before dying, Hamlet names Prince Fortinbras as the future King of Denmark.
Hamlet main characters
As in other Shakespearean tragedies, the characters in Hamlet undergo a transformation throughout the play. As the events unfold, the characters get carried away by the most base feelings and in some cases, their actions lead them to madness.
Major characters in the play Hamlet include:
- Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
- The ghost of Hamlet, king of Denmark and father of the protagonist.
- Claudius: brother of the late King Hamlet and uncle of Prince Hamlet.
- Gertrude: Queen of Denmark, mother of Hamlet, widow of King Hamlet, and wife of Claudius.
- Ophelia: daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and in love with Prince Hamlet.
Hamlets
He is the protagonist of the play and the heir to the throne of Denmark. He is the son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. He has a kind and thoughtful character, he is indecisive and sometimes he also gets carried away by melancholy. He studied at the University of Wittenberg, together with his friends Horace, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Hamlet is distressed by the sudden death of his father, the succession of his uncle Claudio and his marriage to his mother Gertrude. Especially, he doesn’t understand how his mother could marry her uncle so quickly.
When Hamlet sees the ghost of his father and he confesses that he was murdered by Claudius, he questions his existence and the possibility that such a heinous event actually occurred. He also doubts his mother’s involvement in the murder. The ghost of his father asks him to avenge his death, and this causes a great internal conflict in him. From there he begins his dilemma between having an active or passive role. After finding out that his uncle is guilty of the death of his father, he slowly becomes obsessed with revenge and his thoughts lead him little by little to madness.
At first he pretends to be crazy to avoid being suspected by his uncle as a threat to the throne. As he tries to uncover the truth and contemplates murdering his uncle, Hamlet is seized with different emotions, including guilt, hate, anger and contempt. Not only does he distance himself from his friends, but he also humiliates Ofelia, who was in love with him.
Hamlet becomes more and more cruel and kills several people throughout the play. But he always comes across as a thoughtful and melancholic person, who ponders too much before taking action.
The character of Hamlet is the one who reflects on different existential themes, such as life, death and life in the afterlife, which are the axes of this dramatic tragedy, especially when he finds Yorick’s skull. Precisely, the famous phrase “to be or not to be, that is the question” comes from one of his monologues where he reflects on his dilemma.
Hamlet dies after Laertes wounds him with his sword, which had been secretly poisoned by Claudius.
The Ghost of King Hamlet
The ghost of King Hamlet unleashes the events of the play and unfolds the plot with his appearances.
One winter night, the soldiers in the castle of Elsinore, Denmark, see a ghost that resembles King Hamlet, who recently died. The king’s ghost appears at midnight and disappears before dawn. He is pale, has a beard and gray hair and wears his armor.
Later, Horace tells Hamlet about the ghost in the castle. Hamlet wants to see if it is really his father and finally sees it. During their conversation, the ghost tells him that Claudius murdered him while he slept and asks Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet doubts the origin of the ghost, and believes that it may be an evil spirit that incites him to murder. As Hamlet hesitates to carry out his revenge, the ghost reappears and urges him to act.
claudio
Claudius is the brother of the late King Hamlet and uncle of Prince Hamlet. After his death, he became King of Denmark and married Queen Gertrude, who was his sister-in-law.
Claudio is the antagonistic character of the play. He is a greedy, calculating and unscrupulous person. He has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get and keep power.
Although he seems to be in love with Gertrudis, it is not clear if their marriage was for convenience or love.
When Hamlet appears to be insane, Claudius becomes suspicious of his nephew and keeps an eye on him. Once he realizes that Hamlet knows the truth, he doesn’t hesitate to plot his death. He not only sends Hamlet’s friends to kill him, but also encourages Laertes to kill Hamlet and avenge Polonius’s death. He later attempts to murder Hamlet with a cup of poisoned wine.
Gertrude
Gertrudis is an ambiguous character that leaves many questions. It is not clear if she was complicit in the murder of King Hamlet, if she seeks to maintain her position as queen, or simply desires her own safety. It is also not known if she had a relationship with Claudio before the death of her husband, nor are her real feelings for both men known.
Gertrudis is shown as a dependent woman. She has a calm personality and is characterized by her charisma in social situations.
Although Gertrudis notices that her son is overwhelmed by events, she does not understand his behavior. When Hamlet pretends to be crazy, she Gertrude believes him. Finally, she dies by mistake, by drinking the cup of poisoned wine that she was meant for Hamlet.
Ophelia
Ofelia is one of the most tragic characters in this work. Somehow, she is reminiscent of the characters of Juliet and Desdemona. She is the daughter of the king’s chamberlain, Polonius, and sister of Laertes. Both have great power over her.
Ofelia is an innocent and kind girl who is in love with Hamlet. At first, it seems that her love is reciprocated, but soon Hamlet, a prisoner of her own conflicts, moves away from her.
Polonius and Laertes ask him to distrust Hamlet and forget about him. Ofelia obeys them and later suffers humiliation from Hamlet.
Subsequently, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, believing that it was Claudius. Hamlet’s cruelty and the death of his father at his hands, added to the loss of her loved one, causes her great grief that drives her to madness.
Finally, under unclear circumstances, Ofelia falls into the river and drowns.
Other Hamlet characters
Other important characters in the play Hamlet are:
- Polonius: Chamberlain of King Claudius and father of Ophelia and Laertes.
- Horace: Prince Hamlet’s friend and confidante.
- Laertes: son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia.
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: friends of Hamlet.
- Fortinbras: Prince of Norway.
- Bernardo and Marcelo: soldiers.
In addition to these characters, in Hamlet there are also several courtiers, soldiers, two ambassadors from England, four comedians, ladies, gentlemen, priests and servants, among others.
Polonium
Polonius is the father of Ophelia and Laertes and serves as King Claudius’ chamberlain. He is a proud person and a loving father, who cares about his children. This united and happy family contrasts with Hamlet’s family, where there is death, betrayal and disloyalty.
When Laertes is about to go abroad, Polonius expresses that he does not agree with his son’s trip. Not knowing that they will not see each other again, Polonius says goodbye and tries to keep his son. When Hamlet begins to show signs of madness, Polonius advises his daughter Ophelia to avoid him.
However, his role as a father is later called into question. At one point in the play, he sends his servant Reinaldo to spy on his son Laertes, and at another time, he uses his daughter to trick Hamlet.
Polonius’s death has a great impact on his children. Laertes returns from abroad and is out to avenge him; and Ofelia is so distraught over losing him that she goes mad and dies.
Horace
Horace is Hamlet’s staunch friend and confidant. He is an intelligent and loyal person with no ambitions. Unlike Hamlet who questions everything and thinks too much, Horace accepts things as they are, without cavil.
Horacio supports Hamlet and only claims that he trusted Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet trusts him and when he is about to die, he expresses his wish that Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, be the new king of Denmark.
Finally, Horace is so sorry for the loss of Hamlet that he would rather plunge himself into his own sword than live without his friend.
laertes
Laertes is the son of Polonius and Ophelia’s brother. He grew up with Hamlet, but as they got older they drifted apart.
At the beginning of the play he goes to study in Paris. He is a noble, impulsive and passionate boy, and when he finds out about the murder of his father, he does not hesitate to take revenge and do justice.
The character of Laertes has the opposite characteristics to those of Hamlet: he is a man of action who does not ponder too much before acting.
Laertes also worries about his sister Ophelia and is heartbroken by the death of their father. Finally, Laertes is killed in a duel with Hamlet, after he takes her sword from him and wounds him with it, unaware that she was poisoned.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are inseparable friends and are also childhood friends of Hamlet. They are both cowards and not very smart.
Claudio calls them to spy on Hamlet and see if he really is crazy. But they are so incompetent that Hamlet quickly notices.
When Claudius banishes Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany him and have orders from the king to assassinate him. Later, Hamlet gives the order for them to be killed. Finally, Rosencrantz and Guildernstern are beheaded when they return to England.
fortinbras
Fortinbrás is the prince of Norway and nephew of the current king of that country. His father, King Fortinbras, died at the hands of King Hamlet and lost his land. He is an energetic boy who, although he wishes to take revenge, does not attack Denmark. This impresses Hamlet.
Later, Fortinbrás goes to Denmark and arrives when the royal family is dying. Hamlet names him as successor to the throne of Denmark. After his death, Fortinbrás becomes the new king.
Bernardo and Marcelo
Bernardo and Marcelos are two guards of the castle of Elsinore. Both have their turn on duty at midnight and are the first witnesses to the appearance of the king’s ghost. Also, they are the ones who tell Horacio about the ghost.
Bernardo believes that the ghost is a bad omen for Denmark and Marcelo is worried because the country is preparing for war. Marcelo also utters another of the famous phrases from the play Hamlet : “Something smells rotten in Denmark.”
