Overview:
1.1: the ghost must be a warning for Denmark, and it will not speak to them
1.2: meet Hamlet for the first time and we see him battle with his grief
1.3: Laertes and Polonius convince Ophelia to ignore Hamlet
1.4: the ghost enters and Hamlet follows it
1.5: the ghost declares what Hamlet must do to avenge his death
2.1: Ophelia reveals that Hamlet came to her, appearing mad
2.2: Claudius asks R&G to spy on Hamlet, and they obey him obsequiously, Polonius lacks conciseness, Hamlet acts mad. Hamlet asks the playmakers to put on
a special play in order to reveal Claudius’ guilt
3.1: Claudius wants Hamlet further investigated, “to be or not to be”, Hamlet’s uncertainty about murdering Claudius. “Get thee to a nunnery”
3.2: Hamlet puts on the play within a play: “catch the conscience of the king”, bawdy and bitter comments to Ophelia
3.3: Claudius feels remorseful and guilty and attempts to pray, but he wouldn’t give up his role as king. Hamlet thinks Claudius is praying so doesn’t kill him,
not realising that Claudius isn’t sincere.
3.4: Hamlet and Gertrude closet scene, makes her feel guilty for her actions as she vows to do what Hamlet wants her to do
4.1: Claudius and Gertrude discuss Hamlet’s madness
4.2: Hamlet refuses to tell
4.3: Hamlet reveals where Polonius’ body is, Hamlet leaves for England
4.4: Hamlet encounter’s Fortinbras’ army who are preparing to attack Poland, Hamlet reflects on his lack of motivation to kill Claudius
4.5: Ophelia’s madness: release of voice and emotion, Laertes wants to kill Polonius’ murderer
4.6: Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet left Denmark without being punished for Polonius’ murder because the Danish people love him
4.7: Claudius couldn’t kill Hamlet openly because of the effect it would have on Gertrude, so him and Laertes agree to kill him secretly, Ophelia’s death is
revealed
5.1: Hamlet’s interaction with the gravedigger, Hamlet’s realisation that all men will become dust. Once Hamlet realises that it is Ophelia that’s being buried
he suddenly declares his love for her
5.2: the duel, Claudius and Laertes attempt to kill Hamlet with a poisoned drink or an unbaited and poisoned sword. Gertrude drinks the wine, Laertes is killed
with the poisoned sword accidentally and Hamlet is stabbed with the sword, Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the poison,
,HAMLET REVENGE
GHOST MANIPULATION
CLAUDIUS AUTHORITY
GERTRUDE CORRUPTION
OPHELIA MORTALITY
POLONIOUS APPEARANCE VS REALITY
LAERTES DISORDER
HORATIO FEMALE OPPRESSION
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERNSTERN GUILT
GRAVEDIGGER HONOUR
FORTINBRAS SUPERNATURAL
Act 1:
Scene Quote Analysis Critic link Themes/other
characters
1: p.177, “who’s there?” Identity and questioning, EMW Tillyard: ‘Hamlet is one of DISORDER
p.185 “I am sick at heart” foreshadowing of chaos and the most medieval as well as one
“this bodes some strange eruption to our uncertainty of the most acutely modern of
state” Sick: political instability Shakespeare’s plays’.
2: p.195 “our late dear brother’s death” Juxtaposition between the hope Clare Gunns: Gertrude “might seek AUTHORITY- trying
“our sometime sister, now our Queen” and mourn in Denmark, double to stabilise her precarious political to assert power,
“with mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage” syntax of his speech: between position through marriage to control and
“auspicious and dropping eye” Claudius’ character: difference Claudius the new king” dominance
“delight and dole” between thoughts and words. DUALITY: grief is a
“our state to be disjoint and out of frame: reflection of the uncertainty of formality, an
how to react to such a marriage. appearance
Discrepancy in his thoughts and CORRUPTION:
words juxtaposition and
Royal we: authority by speaking reversal of order:
on behalf of the people, part of disruption of GCoB
the people
2: Hamlet “a little more than kin, and less than kind” Hamlet’s unclear and confusing Hamlet seems to be the only one DISORDER
, and “my cousin Hamlet, and my son” relationship with Claudius, of Shakespeare's tragic CORRUPTION
Claudius “Not so much my lord, I am too much in the Claudius’s lack of sympathy and protagonists who possesses - and APPEARANCE VS
p.200 ‘son’” care towards Hamlet: focused demonstrates - a sense of humour.' REALITY
“cast thy knighted colour off…seek for thy on power and control over Anne Barton
noble father in the dust” Denmark
“all that lives must die”
Double syntax: not pleasant and
“for they are actions that a man might play, not of the same blood
But I have that within which passes show”
“’Tis sweet and commendable in your Gender expectation of
nature” manliness: Hamlet can’t
understand how to display his
“‘tis unmanly grief, it shows a will most grief as he has no examples
incorrect to heaven, a heart fortified or mind
impatient”
“our chiefest courtier, cousin and our son”
“I shall in all my best obey you, madam”
2: Hamlet “your poor servant ever”//”sir, my good The lack of separation and G Wilson Knight: he is not a CORRUPTION:
and Horatio friend, I’ll change that name with you” differentiation between criminal but a good and gentle king Hamlet’s mourning
“seems, madam! Nay, it is. I know not seems” mourning and celebrating, is lost due to the
p.210 Hamlet’s anger and annoyance need for celebration,
“how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem Comparison of Hamlet snr and shows the
to me all the uses of this world!” Claudius corruption of the
“frailty, thy name is woman” court
Hamlet snr: “Hyperion” to Claudius “saytr” DISORDER
“father’s funeral”//”mother’s wedding”
“incestuous sheets”
“the funeral baked meats did coldly furnish
forth the marriage tables”
“the king my father”
“all is not well; I doubt some foul play”
3: Laertes “hold it a fashion and a toy in blood” Value of chastity and purity in Sandra K. Fischer: Ophelia’s FEMALE
trying to “forward, not permanent, sweet, not society- keen and careful to utterances are never allowed free, OPPRESSION
1.1: the ghost must be a warning for Denmark, and it will not speak to them
1.2: meet Hamlet for the first time and we see him battle with his grief
1.3: Laertes and Polonius convince Ophelia to ignore Hamlet
1.4: the ghost enters and Hamlet follows it
1.5: the ghost declares what Hamlet must do to avenge his death
2.1: Ophelia reveals that Hamlet came to her, appearing mad
2.2: Claudius asks R&G to spy on Hamlet, and they obey him obsequiously, Polonius lacks conciseness, Hamlet acts mad. Hamlet asks the playmakers to put on
a special play in order to reveal Claudius’ guilt
3.1: Claudius wants Hamlet further investigated, “to be or not to be”, Hamlet’s uncertainty about murdering Claudius. “Get thee to a nunnery”
3.2: Hamlet puts on the play within a play: “catch the conscience of the king”, bawdy and bitter comments to Ophelia
3.3: Claudius feels remorseful and guilty and attempts to pray, but he wouldn’t give up his role as king. Hamlet thinks Claudius is praying so doesn’t kill him,
not realising that Claudius isn’t sincere.
3.4: Hamlet and Gertrude closet scene, makes her feel guilty for her actions as she vows to do what Hamlet wants her to do
4.1: Claudius and Gertrude discuss Hamlet’s madness
4.2: Hamlet refuses to tell
4.3: Hamlet reveals where Polonius’ body is, Hamlet leaves for England
4.4: Hamlet encounter’s Fortinbras’ army who are preparing to attack Poland, Hamlet reflects on his lack of motivation to kill Claudius
4.5: Ophelia’s madness: release of voice and emotion, Laertes wants to kill Polonius’ murderer
4.6: Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet left Denmark without being punished for Polonius’ murder because the Danish people love him
4.7: Claudius couldn’t kill Hamlet openly because of the effect it would have on Gertrude, so him and Laertes agree to kill him secretly, Ophelia’s death is
revealed
5.1: Hamlet’s interaction with the gravedigger, Hamlet’s realisation that all men will become dust. Once Hamlet realises that it is Ophelia that’s being buried
he suddenly declares his love for her
5.2: the duel, Claudius and Laertes attempt to kill Hamlet with a poisoned drink or an unbaited and poisoned sword. Gertrude drinks the wine, Laertes is killed
with the poisoned sword accidentally and Hamlet is stabbed with the sword, Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the poison,
,HAMLET REVENGE
GHOST MANIPULATION
CLAUDIUS AUTHORITY
GERTRUDE CORRUPTION
OPHELIA MORTALITY
POLONIOUS APPEARANCE VS REALITY
LAERTES DISORDER
HORATIO FEMALE OPPRESSION
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERNSTERN GUILT
GRAVEDIGGER HONOUR
FORTINBRAS SUPERNATURAL
Act 1:
Scene Quote Analysis Critic link Themes/other
characters
1: p.177, “who’s there?” Identity and questioning, EMW Tillyard: ‘Hamlet is one of DISORDER
p.185 “I am sick at heart” foreshadowing of chaos and the most medieval as well as one
“this bodes some strange eruption to our uncertainty of the most acutely modern of
state” Sick: political instability Shakespeare’s plays’.
2: p.195 “our late dear brother’s death” Juxtaposition between the hope Clare Gunns: Gertrude “might seek AUTHORITY- trying
“our sometime sister, now our Queen” and mourn in Denmark, double to stabilise her precarious political to assert power,
“with mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage” syntax of his speech: between position through marriage to control and
“auspicious and dropping eye” Claudius’ character: difference Claudius the new king” dominance
“delight and dole” between thoughts and words. DUALITY: grief is a
“our state to be disjoint and out of frame: reflection of the uncertainty of formality, an
how to react to such a marriage. appearance
Discrepancy in his thoughts and CORRUPTION:
words juxtaposition and
Royal we: authority by speaking reversal of order:
on behalf of the people, part of disruption of GCoB
the people
2: Hamlet “a little more than kin, and less than kind” Hamlet’s unclear and confusing Hamlet seems to be the only one DISORDER
, and “my cousin Hamlet, and my son” relationship with Claudius, of Shakespeare's tragic CORRUPTION
Claudius “Not so much my lord, I am too much in the Claudius’s lack of sympathy and protagonists who possesses - and APPEARANCE VS
p.200 ‘son’” care towards Hamlet: focused demonstrates - a sense of humour.' REALITY
“cast thy knighted colour off…seek for thy on power and control over Anne Barton
noble father in the dust” Denmark
“all that lives must die”
Double syntax: not pleasant and
“for they are actions that a man might play, not of the same blood
But I have that within which passes show”
“’Tis sweet and commendable in your Gender expectation of
nature” manliness: Hamlet can’t
understand how to display his
“‘tis unmanly grief, it shows a will most grief as he has no examples
incorrect to heaven, a heart fortified or mind
impatient”
“our chiefest courtier, cousin and our son”
“I shall in all my best obey you, madam”
2: Hamlet “your poor servant ever”//”sir, my good The lack of separation and G Wilson Knight: he is not a CORRUPTION:
and Horatio friend, I’ll change that name with you” differentiation between criminal but a good and gentle king Hamlet’s mourning
“seems, madam! Nay, it is. I know not seems” mourning and celebrating, is lost due to the
p.210 Hamlet’s anger and annoyance need for celebration,
“how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem Comparison of Hamlet snr and shows the
to me all the uses of this world!” Claudius corruption of the
“frailty, thy name is woman” court
Hamlet snr: “Hyperion” to Claudius “saytr” DISORDER
“father’s funeral”//”mother’s wedding”
“incestuous sheets”
“the funeral baked meats did coldly furnish
forth the marriage tables”
“the king my father”
“all is not well; I doubt some foul play”
3: Laertes “hold it a fashion and a toy in blood” Value of chastity and purity in Sandra K. Fischer: Ophelia’s FEMALE
trying to “forward, not permanent, sweet, not society- keen and careful to utterances are never allowed free, OPPRESSION
