Elizabethan Literature/ Age

DRAMA

Lesson 1: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

✅ Brief Introduction (150-200 words):

Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, written between 1600-1601. It is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, exploring revenge, betrayal, madness, morality, and the complex nature of human existence. The full title of the play is The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

The play is set in Denmark and follows Prince Hamlet, whose father, King Hamlet, has been murdered by his uncle Claudius. Claudius seizes the throne and marries Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude. The ghost of King Hamlet reveals the truth to his son, who struggles with doubt, moral dilemmas, and indecision in seeking revenge.

Hamlet is famous for its psychological depth, philosophical reflections, and powerful soliloquies like “To be or not to be.” It addresses questions about life and death, human weakness, and the consequences of revenge.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Comprehensive Act-wise Summary

✅ ACT I – Exposition: The Ghost’s Revelation

The play begins at Elsinore Castle, Denmark, with guards Marcellus and Bernardo seeing the Ghost of the dead King Hamlet.
Horatio, Hamlet’s close friend, witnesses the Ghost and decides to inform Prince Hamlet.
Meanwhile, King Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle) has married Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, shortly after King Hamlet’s death.
Prince Hamlet is depressed by his father’s death and his mother’s quick remarriage.
Laertes and Polonius advise Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.
The Ghost appears to Hamlet, revealing that Claudius murdered him by pouring poison into his ear.
The Ghost demands revenge, and Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death but hesitates about how to proceed.

✅ ACT II – Rising Action: Hamlet’s “Antic Disposition”

Hamlet pretends to be mad ("puts on an antic disposition") to confuse Claudius and others while planning his next move.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends, are sent by Claudius to spy on him.
Hamlet becomes suspicious of everyone, including Polonius, who believes Hamlet’s madness is caused by Ophelia’s rejection.
A group of players (actors) arrives at Elsinore. Hamlet plans to use them to stage a play that mimics King Hamlet’s murder, to trap Claudius and confirm his guilt.

✅ ACT III – Climax: The Play within the Play

Hamlet delivers his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, contemplating life and death.
The players perform “The Murder of Gonzago”, which mirrors King Hamlet’s murder. Claudius reacts with guilt and fear, confirming the Ghost’s story.
Hamlet confronts Gertrude in her chamber and accidentally kills Polonius, mistaking him for Claudius hiding behind a curtain.
Claudius now sees Hamlet as a real threat and plots to send him to England, with secret orders for Hamlet to be killed there.

✅ ACT IV – Falling Action: Revenge Plans and Chaos

Claudius sends Hamlet to England, accompanied by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (with orders for Hamlet’s execution).
Hamlet escapes and returns to Denmark.
Ophelia goes mad with grief over her father’s death and eventually drowns, either by accident or suicide.
Laertes returns from France, angry over Polonius’s and Ophelia’s deaths.
Claudius and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet using a poisoned sword during a duel, and a poisoned cup of wine as a backup.

✅ ACT V – Catastrophe: The Duel and Death

In a graveyard, Hamlet speaks to the gravedigger and reflects on death and mortality ("Alas, poor Yorick!").
Ophelia’s funeral takes place. Hamlet confronts Laertes at the graveside, expressing his grief and love for Ophelia.
The duel between Hamlet and Laertes takes place.
Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup and dies.
Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword, but Hamlet wounds Laertes in return.
Laertes confesses Claudius’s plot before dying.
Hamlet kills Claudius by stabbing him and forcing him to drink the poisoned wine.
Hamlet, dying, gives his final speech and names Fortinbras as the next King of Denmark.
Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story as Fortinbras arrives.

✅ Summary of Key Points (Act-wise Recap):

ACT I:

Introduction of characters, Ghost’s revelation, Hamlet’s vow for revenge.

ACT II:

Hamlet’s madness, spying, plan for the play.

ACT III:

“To be or not to be”, the play within a play, Polonius killed.

ACT IV:

Ophelia’s madness and death, Hamlet returns, Laertes’s alliance with Claudius.

ACT V:

Graveyard scene, duel, multiple deaths (Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet), Fortinbras’s arrival.

Hamlet

✅ Scene-wise Analysis

ACT I – Scene-wise Analysis

Scene 1: The Ghost Appears

Setting: The battlements of Elsinore Castle, Denmark.
Plot:

Guards Bernardo and Marcellus and Hamlet’s friend Horatio see the Ghost resembling the late King Hamlet.
They decide to inform Prince Hamlet.

Significance:

Introduces supernatural element.
Hints at corruption in Denmark.
Raises suspense about the Ghost’s purpose.

Scene 2: Claudius’s Speech; Hamlet’s Grief

Setting: Court of Denmark.
Plot:

Claudius announces his marriage to Gertrude and addresses political concerns about Fortinbras.
Hamlet expresses his grief and disgust over his mother’s remarriage in his first soliloquy (“O, that this too too solid flesh would melt”).

Significance:

Introduces Claudius as king and political intrigue.
Hamlet’s deep sorrow and moral conflict emerge.

Scene 3: Laertes and Polonius Advise Ophelia

Setting: Polonius’s house.
Plot:

Laertes warns Ophelia to avoid Hamlet’s love.
Polonius echoes the warning and forbids her from seeing Hamlet.

Significance:

Shows Ophelia’s obedience.
Introduces male control over female characters.

Scene 4: Hamlet Meets the Ghost

Setting: The battlements at night.
Plot:

The Ghost appears and beckons Hamlet.

Significance:

Builds tension as Hamlet follows the Ghost.
Sets the stage for the revelation of murder.

Scene 5: The Ghost’s Revelation

Setting: A remote part of the battlements.
Plot:

The Ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him.
Hamlet swears revenge but cautions himself not to harm Gertrude.

Significance:

Starts the revenge plot.
Hamlet’s internal struggle begins.

ACT II – Scene-wise Analysis

Scene 1: Polonius Spies on Laertes

Plot:

Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes.
Ophelia reports Hamlet’s strange behavior to Polonius.

Significance:

Introduces the theme of surveillance.
Polonius misinterprets Hamlet’s feigned madness.

Scene 2: Claudius Sends Spies; The Players Arrive

Plot:

Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet.
Hamlet greets traveling actors and plans the Mousetrap Play.

Significance:

Hamlet’s intellectual cunning.
Key theme: Appearance vs. Reality.

ACT III – Scene-wise Analysis

Scene 1: “To be or not to be”

Plot:

Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet.
Hamlet delivers his “To be or not to be” soliloquy.
Hamlet confronts Ophelia, cruelly rejecting her.

Significance:

Explores existential questions.
Highlights Hamlet’s emotional turmoil.

Scene 2: The Play Within a Play (Mousetrap)

Plot:

Hamlet advises the players.
Claudius reacts guiltily to the play.

Significance:

Hamlet confirms Claudius’s guilt.
Reinforces the theme of guilt and conscience.

Scene 3: Claudius’s Prayer

Plot:

Claudius tries to pray for forgiveness.
Hamlet hesitates to kill him during prayer.

Significance:

Hamlet’s indecision continues.
Shows Claudius’s inner conflict.

Scene 4: Polonius Killed; Hamlet Confronts Gertrude

Plot:

Hamlet confronts Gertrude.
Polonius hides behind the arras; Hamlet kills him, thinking he is Claudius.

Significance:

Escalates conflict.
Hamlet’s violence contrasts his previous inaction.

ACT IV – Scene-wise Analysis

Scene 1-4: Hamlet Sent to England

Plot:

Claudius orders Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Significance:

Claudius’s fear of Hamlet intensifies.

Scene 5: Ophelia’s Madness

Plot:

Ophelia goes mad after her father’s death.

Significance:

Tragic consequence of Polonius’s death and Hamlet’s actions.

Scene 6: Hamlet’s Return

Plot:

Hamlet returns to Denmark after escaping Claudius’s plot.

Significance:

Sets up the final confrontation.

Scene 7: Laertes and Claudius Plot Revenge

Plot:

Laertes conspires with Claudius to kill Hamlet using a poisoned sword and poisoned wine.

Significance:

Laertes becomes Claudius’s pawn.

ACT V – Scene-wise Analysis

Scene 1: Graveyard Scene

Plot:

Hamlet reflects on death and mortality (“Alas, poor Yorick”).
Ophelia’s funeral.

Significance:

Explores the theme of death as the great equalizer.

Scene 2: The Duel and Deaths

Plot:

Hamlet duels Laertes.
Gertrude drinks poisoned wine.
Laertes wounds Hamlet; Hamlet wounds Laertes.
Hamlet kills Claudius.
Hamlet dies.

Significance:

Tragic resolution.
Fortinbras restores order.

✅ Themes Illustrated through the Acts:

Revenge (Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras)
Corruption and Decay (Moral rot in Denmark)
Madness (Feigned and real, Hamlet and Ophelia)
Mortality and the Meaning of Life (Graveyard scene, “To be or not to be”)
Appearance vs. Reality (Claudius’s deceit, Hamlet’s madness)

✅ Important Quotations (Act-wise):

Act I:

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” – Marcellus
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” – Ghost

Act II:

“Brevity is the soul of wit.” – Polonius
“The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” – Hamlet

Act III:

“To be, or not to be: that is the question.” – Hamlet
“Give me that man that is not passion’s slave.” – Hamlet
“O, my offense is rank. It smells to heaven.” – Claudius

Act IV:

“When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.” – Claudius
“Alas, poor Ophelia!” – Laertes

Act V:

“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” – Hamlet
“Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” – Horatio

✅ Main Characters and Analysis:

1. Hamlet:

Prince of Denmark, intellectual and philosophical.
Torn between action and inaction, struggles with moral questions.
Famous for his soliloquies.

2. Claudius:

Hamlet’s uncle, murderer of King Hamlet.
Cunning, ambitious, politically skilled.

3. Gertrude:

Hamlet’s mother, Queen of Denmark.
Marries Claudius soon after King Hamlet’s death.
Complex figure—loyal yet morally weak.

4. Ophelia:

Daughter of Polonius, Hamlet’s love interest.
Becomes insane and dies tragically.

5. Polonius:

Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court.
Long-winded and meddling. Killed by Hamlet.

6. Laertes:

Polonius’s son. Seeks revenge for his father’s and sister’s deaths.

7. The Ghost:

Spirit of King Hamlet. Demands revenge on Claudius.

✅ Major Themes:

1. Revenge and Justice:

Hamlet’s struggle to avenge his father’s murder.

2. Appearance vs. Reality:

Deception is widespread. Hamlet’s madness is fake; Claudius hides guilt.

3. Madness (Real and Feigned):

Hamlet’s “antic disposition” and Ophelia’s real madness.

4. Corruption and Decay:

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

5. Mortality and Death:

Hamlet’s obsession with death (“To be or not to be”).
Graveyard scene shows human mortality.

📝 2-Mark Questions (Answer in 50 words):

1. Who kills King Hamlet?

Answer:
King Hamlet is murdered by his brother, Claudius, who pours poison into his ear while he is sleeping.

2. What is Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia?

Answer:
Ophelia is Hamlet’s love interest. However, their relationship becomes strained due to Hamlet’s quest for revenge and Ophelia’s loyalty to her father, Polonius.

3. What is the play within the play in Hamlet?

Answer:
The Murder of Gonzago, also called The Mousetrap, is staged by Hamlet to confirm Claudius’s guilt.

4. How does Ophelia die?

Answer:
Ophelia drowns in a stream. It is unclear whether it was an accident or suicide.

5. What is Hamlet’s tragic flaw?

Answer:
Hamlet’s indecision and overthinking delay his revenge and ultimately lead to his downfall.

📝 3-Mark Questions (Answer in 75 words):

1. Explain the theme of Revenge in Hamlet.

Answer:
Revenge drives the plot of Hamlet. The Ghost urges Hamlet to avenge his murder. Hamlet delays action due to moral and philosophical conflicts. Laertes also seeks revenge for Polonius’s death. The pursuit of revenge leads to destruction and death for almost all major characters, showing the destructive nature of vengeance.

2. What is the role of the Ghost in Hamlet?

Answer:
The Ghost reveals Claudius’s crime and sets the plot in motion. It represents the call for revenge, moral uncertainty, and the supernatural. The Ghost’s appearance raises questions about truth, justice, and the afterlife.

3. Describe Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy.

Answer:
In this soliloquy, Hamlet reflects on life and death, questioning whether to end his suffering through suicide. He debates the fear of the unknown after death, which makes people endure life’s struggles.

📝 6-Mark Questions (150 words with Side Headings):

1. Discuss Hamlet’s Character in the play.

1. Introduction:

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark, intellectual, and reflective.

2. Moral and Philosophical Nature:

He is deeply philosophical, thinking about life, death, and human weakness.

3. Conflict Between Action and Inaction:

Hamlet struggles with revenge, delaying it due to doubts and overthinking.

4. Feigned Madness:

He pretends to be mad to hide his plans but loses control of events.

5. Tragic Flaw (Hamartia):

His indecision leads to the deaths of Ophelia, Polonius, and himself.

6. Conclusion:

Hamlet is a complex tragic hero, caught between duty and morality.

2. Examine Hamlet as a Tragic Hero.

(Approx. 150-180 words)

Introduction:

Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is the quintessential tragic hero as defined by Aristotle.

Hamartia (Tragic Flaw):

His indecisiveness and overthinking delay his revenge and lead to tragic consequences.

Struggle with Moral Conflicts:

Hamlet is torn between duty and conscience, particularly in deciding whether to avenge his father’s murder.

Inner Conflict and Soliloquies:

His famous soliloquies, especially “To be or not to be”, reveal his existential doubts.

Catharsis:

Hamlet’s downfall evokes pity and fear, achieving catharsis for the audience.

Conclusion:

Hamlet’s tragic end results from his own flaw, making him a tragic hero who reflects the human struggle with truth and justice.

3. Explain the Role of Women in Hamlet: Gertrude and Ophelia.

1. Introduction:

Women are secondary but significant in Hamlet.

2. Gertrude:

Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother.
Marries Claudius soon after her husband’s death.
Seen as morally weak, but also loving toward Hamlet.

3. Ophelia:

Daughter of Polonius, Hamlet’s love.
Obedient and submissive; caught between Hamlet and her father.
Her madness and death reflect the oppression of women.

4. Conclusion:

Both women represent loyalty, betrayal, and the vulnerability of women in a male-dominated society.

4. Analyze the Role of the Supernatural in Hamlet.

(Approx. 150 words)

Introduction:

The Ghost of King Hamlet is the key supernatural element.

Revelation of the Murder:

The Ghost exposes Claudius’s crime, setting the plot in motion.

Moral Uncertainty:

Hamlet questions whether the Ghost is from heaven or hell, leading to his hesitation.

Symbol of Revenge and Fate:

The Ghost represents revenge, justice, and the restless dead seeking closure.

Conclusion:

The supernatural provides motivation for Hamlet’s actions, enhances suspense, and deepens the play’s themes of doubt and faith.

5. Discuss the Theme of Appearance vs. Reality in Hamlet.

(Approx. 150 words)

Introduction:

Hamlet is a play rich with deception and disguise.

Hamlet’s Feigned Madness:

Hamlet pretends to be mad to hide his plans.

Claudius’s Hypocrisy:

Claudius appears kind and just, but he is a murderer.

Polonius and Spying:

Polonius spies on his son and Hamlet, creating layers of deception.

The Play within the Play:

The Mousetrap exposes the difference between appearance and truth.

Conclusion:

Shakespeare shows how appearances often hide reality, and only through uncovering the truth can justice be served.

Important Quotations – Act-wise with Context and Explanation

ACT I:

1. “Frailty, thy name is woman!”

Speaker: Hamlet
To: Himself (Soliloquy)
Context: Hamlet condemns his mother Gertrude’s quick remarriage to Claudius.
Explanation: He expresses his disappointment in women’s weakness and inconstancy.

2. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

Speaker: Marcellus
To: Horatio
Context: After the ghost’s appearance.
Explanation: Suggests corruption and moral decay in Denmark.

3. “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.”

Speaker: Ghost
To: Hamlet
Context: Ghost demands Hamlet to avenge his death.
Explanation: Sets the central conflict in motion.

ACT II:

1. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Speaker: Polonius
To: Gertrude and Claudius
Context: Discussing Hamlet’s madness.
Explanation: Ironically spoken by verbose Polonius; means being brief is wise.

2. “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”

Speaker: Hamlet
To: Himself (Soliloquy)
Context: After hearing about the players' arrival.
Explanation: Hamlet plans to confirm Claudius’s guilt through a play.

ACT III:

1. “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

Speaker: Hamlet
To: Himself (Soliloquy)
Context: Reflecting on life and suicide.
Explanation: Hamlet debates whether to endure suffering or end his life.

2. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Speaker: Gertrude
To: Hamlet
Context: Watching the play.
Explanation: Gertrude comments that the Player Queen’s excessive vows seem insincere.

3. “Give me some light! Away!”

Speaker: Claudius
To: Everyone at the play
Context: After watching The Mousetrap.
Explanation: He feels exposed and guilty and abruptly leaves.

ACT IV:

1. “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”

Speaker: Claudius
To: Gertrude
Context: After learning about Polonius’s death and Ophelia’s madness.
Explanation: Bad events tend to follow one after another.

2. “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.”

Speaker: Hamlet
To: Horatio
Context: In the graveyard, holding Yorick’s skull.
Explanation: Reflects on death, mortality, and the inevitability of decay.

ACT V:

1. “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Speaker: Horatio
To: Hamlet (dead body)
Context: Hamlet’s death.
Explanation: Farewell to Hamlet, wishing him peace in death.

2. “Now cracks a noble heart.”

Speaker: Horatio
To: Himself (on Hamlet’s death)
Context: Hamlet has just died.
Explanation: Expresses sorrow over the death of an honorable man.

3. “The rest is silence.”

Speaker: Hamlet
To: Horatio (final words)
Context: Hamlet’s dying words.
Explanation: Acceptance of death; silence of the afterlife.

📝 Objective Type Questions (Multiple Choice):

1. Who is the Prince of Norway in Hamlet?

a) Fortinbras ✅
b) Rosencrantz
c) Laertes
d) Polonius

2. What is the name of Hamlet’s best friend?

a) Laertes
b) Horatio ✅
c) Fortinbras
d) Guildenstern

3. How is Claudius related to Hamlet before he becomes king?

a) Cousin
b) Uncle ✅
c) Father
d) Brother

4. Who says, "Frailty, thy name is woman"?

a) Hamlet ✅
b) Claudius
c) Polonius
d) Horatio

5. What does Hamlet call the play he stages to catch Claudius?

a) The Mousetrap ✅
b) The Murder of Gonzago
c) The Revenge Play
d) The King’s Fall

6. What is Ophelia doing when she drowns?

a) Sleeping
b) Hanging garlands of flowers ✅
c) Bathing
d) Running from Laertes

7. How does Claudius kill King Hamlet?

a) Dagger
b) Poison in ear ✅
c) Sword fight
d) Poisoned wine

8. Who says, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be”?

a) Hamlet
b) Polonius ✅
c) Laertes
d) Horatio

9. Who carries out Claudius’s orders to spy on Hamlet?

a) Horatio
b) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ✅
c) Laertes
d) Ophelia

10. Where is Hamlet sent by Claudius?

a) England ✅
b) France
c) Norway
d) Italy

11. Who said: “Give me some light! Away!”

a) Claudius ✅
b) Hamlet
c) Laertes
d) Polonius

12. What weapon is used to wound Hamlet fatally?

a) Poisoned sword ✅
b) Dagger
c) Arrow
d) Spear

13. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do at the end?

a) Die with him
b) Live and tell his story ✅
c) Kill Fortinbras
d) Marry Ophelia

14. Who first sees the ghost?

a) Hamlet
b) Horatio ✅
c) Marcellus
d) Bernardo

15. Who says, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”?

a) Hamlet
b) Marcellus ✅
c) Horatio
d) Claudius

16. Which country’s army does Fortinbras command?

a) Denmark
b) France
c) Norway ✅
d) Sweden

17. Who dies drinking poisoned wine?

a) Hamlet
b) Gertrude ✅
c) Claudius
d) Laertes

18. How does Polonius die?

a) Hamlet stabs him behind a curtain ✅
b) Claudius poisons him
c) Laertes kills him
d) He falls from a tower

19. Who says, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I”?

a) Laertes
b) Hamlet ✅
c) Claudius
d) Horatio

20. What does the Ghost ask Hamlet to do regarding Gertrude?

a) Punish her
b) Leave her to heaven ✅
c) Kill her
d) Forgive her

21. Where is the Ghost seen first?

a) In Gertrude’s chamber
b) On the battlements ✅
c) In the graveyard
d) In Claudius’s chamber

22. Who warns Ophelia about Hamlet’s love?

a) Claudius
b) Laertes ✅
c) Horatio
d) Rosencrantz

23. Who calls death "The undiscovered country"?

a) Hamlet ✅
b) Claudius
c) Horatio
d) Polonius

24. Who becomes King of Denmark after Hamlet’s death?

a) Laertes
b) Fortinbras ✅
c) Horatio
d) Claudius

25. Who says “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”?

a) Hamlet
b) Gertrude ✅
c) Ophelia
d) Claudius

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Dr. Noojilla Srinivas

Lecturer in English, Government College (Autonomous),

Rajahmundry, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Phone: +091 7981862200

Tuesday, 20 January 2026