Hamlet spark notea
Hamlet behaves extremely cruelly toward Ophelia. In Act Three, Ophelia approaches Hamlet when they are apparently alone Claudius and Polonius hide behind a tapestry and observe. We realize that Hamlet plans to put on a play that depicts the death of his father, to see whether Claudius is really guilty, and the ghost is really to be trusted. Hamlet asks the player's whether they could play a slightly modified version of a tragedy. Hamlet's only consolation appears to be the coming of a troupe of players from England. He arranges to test his theory by setting Ophelia on Hamlet when they are apparently alone and then observing the proceedings with Claudius. Meanwhile, Polonius hatches a theory of his own: he thinks that Hamlet is insane due to Ophelia's rejection of his love. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's attempts to discover the reason for Hamlet's madness are met with evasion and witticism. Claudius summons two of Hamlet's school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in order to discover the meaning of this strange behavior. Hamlet has been behaving in a most erratic and alarming way. He has Horatio and the guards swear not to reveal what they have seen.Īct Two finds us some indefinite time in the future. The ghost makes Hamlet promise to take revenge on Claudius. When they are alone, the ghost reveals that Claudius murdered him in order to steal his crown and his wife. Hamlet questions the ghost, who beckons Hamlet away from the others. That night, Hamlet accompanies the watch. They tell her to avoid Hamlet and reject his amorous advances, emphasizing the importance of protecting her chastity. Ophelia admits that Hamlet has been wooing her. Laertes and Polonius both question Ophelia (sister and daughter, respectively) about her relationship with Hamlet. Meanwhile, the court adviser, Polonius, sends his son, Laertes, back to Paris, where he is living. Horatio tells Hamlet of the appearance of the ghost and Hamlet determines to visit the spirit himself. He is disgusted by his mother's decision to marry Claudius so soon after his father's demise. Hamlet is in attendance at this wedding celebration he is hardly in joyous spirits, however. We watch their marriage celebration and hear about a threat from the Prince of Norway, Fortinbras, which Claudius manages to avoid by diplomacy. Claudius has taken Old Hamlet's widow, Gertrude, as his wife. Meanwhile, a new king of Denmark has been crowned: Claudius, Old Hamlet's brother. Though skeptical at first, Horatio sees the ghost and decides to report its appearance to Hamlet. The guards bring Horatio, a learned scholar and friend of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, to witness this apparition. Quotes by Character: Quotes organized by the play’s main characters, along with interpretations of their meaning.Something is amiss in Denmark - for two successive nights, the midnight guard has witnessed the appearance of the ghost of Old Hamlet, the former King of Denmark who has recently died. Quotes by Theme: Quotes organized by Shakespeare’s main themes, such as love, death, tyranny, honor, and fate. Study Questions: Questions that guide students as they study for a test or write a paper. Plot Analysis: What is the play about? How is the story told, and what are the main themes? Why do the characters behave as they do? What Does the Ending Mean?: Is the ending sad, celebratory, ironic. And now it features expanded literature guide sections that help students study smarter.įive Key Questions: Five frequently asked questions about major moments and characters in the play. Why fear Shakespeare? By placing the words of the original play next to line-by-line translations in plain English, this popular guide makes Shakespeare accessible to everyone. Shakespeare everyone can understand-now in this new EXPANDED edition of HAMLET!