HAMLET

Act I, Scene 1: Hamlet’s friend Horatio joins Marcellus and Bernardo to confirm reports of an apparition resembling the late King Hamlet who has recently died. The ghost won’t speak to them and disappears at cockcrow. Horatio convinces the others to inform the king’s son Hamlet about the apparition.

Act I, Scene 2: Claudius thanks his subjects for their support during the funeral of the late king and his marriage to the king’s wife Gertrude. He sends ambassadors to the king of Norway urging him to control Fortinbras, the son of King Fortinbras whom was defeated by King Hamlet in a single combat battle over land. Young Fortinbras is agitating to get the land returned to him. Laertes, the son of Claudius’s chief counselor and the brother of Ophelia, petitions Claudius to return to France for his studies.Hamlet is introduced and is brooding over the hasty marriage of his mother to Claudius and his low opinion of Claudius. Hamlet agrees to watch for the ghost that night on the battlements.

ActI, Scene3: Laertes bids farewell to Ophelia and warns her that a relationship with Hamlet is a mistake since he is royalty. Polonius walks in and gives Laertes a sereies of perscriptions about how he should behave.He also forbids Ophelia to see Hamlet. Ophelia reluctantly agrees.

Act I, Scene 4: Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus keep their vigil. The ghost appears and leads Hamlet away from his friends. They fear the ghost is an evil spirit and urge Hamlet not to go.

Act I, Scene5: The ghost tells Hamlet he is the spirit of his father and that he was killed by Claudius while he slept. He commands him to avenge his murder but to spare Gertrude.Hamlet has his friends swear on a sword never to reveal what they have seen and decides to put on an “antic disposition” (pretend to be mad).

Act II, Scene 1: Polonius directs one of his attendants to go and spy on Laertes in France to see if he’s leading the wild life. Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet is acting mad. Polonius is convinced it is because Ophelia has rejected him and goes to tell Claudius.

Act II, Scene 2: Claudius and Gertrude have summoned two friends of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to observe Hamlet and find out the cause of his “antic disposition.” The ambassadors from Norway return, successfully, they think.Polonius pesents his theoery that Hamlet is mad because of Ophelia’s rejection.Claudius and Polonius devise a plan to observe Hamlet and Ophelia together to see if Polonius is right.Hamlet welcomes Rosencrantz and Guilderstern and immediately suspects them of coming to spy on him.

A group of players arrives at the castle and Hamlet devises a plan to have them perform a play, “The Murder of Gonzago” and insert some lines reenacting his father’s murder.Alone, he expresses self contempt for not yet avenging his father’s death. He needs to decide if the ghost was real or a hallucination brought on by his grief. He will use the play to test the king’s conscience.

Act III, Scene 1: Rozenkrantz and Guildenstern report to the king with no information other than Hamlet’s order that a play be performed that night.Polonius orders Ophelia to walk, so she will encounter Hamlet while he and the king observe them. Hamlet greets her tenderly but when she returns his gifts, he loses his temper, railing against women. Hamlet seems to know they are being spied upon as he insults Polnius, threatens the king and tells Ophelia to enter a nunnery.This scene convinces Claudius that Hamlet is no depressed, jilted lover but dangerous and someone who must die. Polonius, convinced his theory is correct, suggests that the queen probe Hamlet’s mind later after the play.

Act III, Scene2: Hamlet instructs the players and privately sets Horatio to watch the king’s reaction to the play. As the play begins, he sits by Ophelia making crude taunts to her while carrying on a running commentary about the play.The players act out the scene designed to mimic Claudius’s murder of his brother. Claudius is obviously disturbed by the reenactment and storms off, followed by the rest of the court. Rosencrantz and Guilderstern return to announce the king’s anger and Gertrude’s wish to speak to Hamlet in her chamber.Hamlet vows to kill the king.

Act III, Scene 3: Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guilderstern to accompany Hamlet to England where the king plans on sending him. Polonius goes off to hide himself in Gertrude’s chamber to eavesdrop on her and Hamlet.While at prayer, Claudius confesses to the murder but Hamlet, overhearing, refuses to kill him because he is afraid that by killing Claudius in prayer he might send him to heaven.

Act III, Scene 4: Hamlet meets his mother in her chamber and begins berating her. Her outcry alarms the hidden Polonius. Hamlet hears the noise and thinking it’s the king stabs Polonius through the arras and kills him.Hamlet continues to chastise Gertrude when the ghost returns to remind Hamlet to revenge him. Gertrude, unable to see or hear the ghost, is even more convinced of Hamlet’s madness. Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius’s body. His parting words suggest that he suspects Claudius of evil intent by wanting to send him to England and that he will turn the tables on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Act IV, Scene 1 and 2: Gertrude reports of Hamlet’s killing of Claudius and Rosencrantz and Guilderstern pursue Hamlet to discover where he has hidden the body.

Act IV, Scene 3: Hamlet’s killing of Polonius is Claudius’s pretext to send Hamlet to England, Alone, Claudius indicates that his intention is to have Hamlet killed when he arrives in England to protect his own safety.

ActIV, Scene 4: Hamlet and his escorts observe Fortinbras and his army passing by to fight in Poland. Hamlet comments on Fortinbras’s resoluteness to avenge his dead father, compared to his own failures to act, and resolves again to perform the deed.

Act IV, Scene 5: The queen hears of Ophelia’s mental problems after the death of her father and agrees to see her.All are shocked by her conduct.The king discloses that Laertes, hearing of his father’s death, has returned from France, intent on revenge.

Accompanied by a mob of supporters, Laertes forces his way into the throne room. The king manages to calm down Laertes and suggests that he make inquiries in to the death of his father.

Act IV, Scene 6: Horatio receives a message sent by Hamlet that he has been captured by pirates and left alone back in Denmark. Horatio leaves with the pirates to find Hamlet.

Act IV, Scene 7: Claudius while meeting with Laertes receives a letter from Hamlet telling of his return. Claudius devises a plot with Laertes to kill Hamlet during a fencing exhibition by poisoning a blade and, if that fails, to have a poisoned cup for him to drink between rounds. Gertrude comes in to inform them that Ophelia has drowned herself.

Act V, Scene 1: The act opens with two gravediggers drinking and joking about mortality. Hamlet and Horatio observe them and Hamlet gets in to a battle of wits with one of the gravediggers. A funeral party comes in which includes Claudius, Gertrude and Laertes. Hamlet discovers it is Ophelia’s funeral and winds up coming to blows with Laertes because Hamlet feels Laertes is overstating his grief. Hamlet makes a hearfelt declaration of his feelings about Ophelia. The king reminds Laertes that his revenge will come soon.

Act V, Scene 2: Hamlet relates how he esaped from the death sentence the king had written and how he set Rosencrantz and Guilderstern off to their deaths instead.A courtier named Osiric comes in to summon Hamlet to the fencing exhibition which Claudius has organized. Osiric tells Hamlet that the king has placed a wager on the fencing match. After he leaves Hamlet speaks of his fatalism over what is to come, and Horatio fails to get him to postpone the contest.

After an introduction and exchange of courtesies, the contest begins. Ater two hits by Hamlet, Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup intended for Hamlet. A panicked Laertes catches Hamlet off guard and stabs Hamlet with the poisoned rapier. A furious Hamlet winds up with the poisoned rapier and stabs Laertes. The Queen dies and a dying Laertes confesses his treachery. Hamlet realizing the king’s part stabs him and makes sure of his death by forcing him to drink the dregs of the poisoned cup. Hamlet insists that Horatio tell the truth of the story before he dies. Fortinbras’ invading army is heard in the distance. Fortinbras enters and witnessing the results of the carnage orders that Hamlet be borne off in honor and announces his intentions.

Source: The Folger Library’s Hamlet