Summary
The play begins with a ghost that is found by two watchmen and then later a scholar named Horatio. The ghost resembles the recently deceased King Hamlet, his brother Claudius has inherited the throne and has married his widow. Horatio and the watchmen take Prince Hamlet to the ghost; he confirms that he is indeed the deceased King Hamlet and that he was murdered by his brother Claudisu. King Hamlet orders his son to seek revenge on Claudius.
Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his father’s death, he however does not act rash and instead appears to be insane. Claudius and Gertrude are worried about the Prince’s behaviour, two of Hamlet’s friends are employed to watch over him.
Travelling actors enter the town of Elsinore and Hamlet seizes the opportunity to tests Claudius’ guilt. He will let the actors perform a play in which the actors re-enact how King Hamlet was murdered to which Claudius willsurely react. Claudius does indeed react; he jumps up and leaves the room. Hamlet and Horatio believe that this proves Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet decides to kill Claudius but finds him praying and believes that if Cladius is killed he will go to heaven and instead decides to wait. Claudius starts fearing for his safety and orders Hamlet to be sent to England at once.
Hamlet confronts his mother but kills Polonius after mistaking him for Claudius, Hamlet is sent to England for this crime but Claudius sends sealed orders to the King of England demanding the death of Hamlet. Ophelia goes mad with grief over her father’s death and drowns in the river. Polonius’s son , Leartes, returns to Denmark from France and is poisoned by Claudius that Hamlet is to blame for his father’s death. Claudius decides to use Laertes’s revenge as a means to secure Hamlet’s death, Laertes and Hamlet will fence in innocent sport but Claudius will poison Laertes’s sword so that if he draws blood, Hamlet will die. As a backup plan Claudius decides to poison a goblet so that if Hamlet draws first he will still be poisoned. Hamlet arrives back at Elsinore in time for Ophelia’s funeral and attacks Laertes in grief saying that he has always loved Ophelia.
A fencing match is arranged and Hamlet does indeed draw first but refuses to drink from the goblet, instead it is Gertrude that take the a drink from the Goblet and dies immediately. Laertes strikes Hamlet but he does not die immediately Laertes however is cut by his own blade first, Laertes reveals to Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queen’s death, Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the rest f the poisoned wine, Claudius dies and Hamlet shortly after achieving his revenge.
A Norwegian Prince names Fortinbras arrives with ambassadors from England and is shocked by the gruesome sight of the entire royal family laying dead on the floor. He moves to take power of the Kingdom. Horatio fulfils Hamlet’s last request and tells him Hamlet’s tragic story. The Norwegian Prince orders that Hamlet be carried away in a manner that befits a fallen soldier.