Shakespeare’s Biography/ Hamlet Background

Early Life Was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. Came from a large, wealthy family Left formal education when he was 14 years old.

Married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. William was 18 and Anne was 26- and pregnant! Scandalous! The couple had three children; Susanna, Hamnet & Judith. Hamnet died when he was 11 years old. Shakespeare left his family to find work in London.

In London, Shakespeare became an actor and playwright for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. When he retired, Shakespeare had written 37 plays. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616.

BANK! If Shakespeare’s material had been copyrighted (can’t copy without paying a fee to the author), his heirs would be making $15,000,000 a year. Many believe Hamlet to be Shakespeare’s most successful play. Over 300 adaptations dating from as early as the 1930s have been recorded as being adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.

Shakespeare-created phrases Shakespeare created many words that we now use commonly, in some cases creating them outright and in others, combining words in new combinations (such as “bedroom”). Break the ice Eating me out of house and home Heart of gold In a pickle Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Laughing stock Love it blind Not slept one wink Own flesh and blood A sorry sight Wear my heart on my sleeve

The Globe

Opened in 1599; Shakespeare’s company regularly performed there. Polygonal shape with as many as twenty sides.

The “hell” at the bottom was a space for devils and others to emerge. The roof or covering was called “the heavens”.

Plays in The Globe were performed during the day. A banner would fly to tell the people what play was being performed. There were few props on stage. The stage was set by the audience’s imagination.

Much like today, wealthy theater goers would sit in the more expensive seats. The cheapest area of The Globe was the pit. This was located right in front of the stage without seats or a roof. The people that stood in these crowded areas were called “groundlings”. Acting was not considered respectable in Elizabethan times so all women’s parts were played by males.

Hamlet Full title: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Author: William Shakespeare Genre: Drama; Tragedy Time & Place Written: London, England 1600-1602

Hamlet Basics Protagonist: Hamlet Conflict: Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well-protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do. Setting: The late medieval period; Denmark

Hamlet The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist. About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is bitter and full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s remarriage.

Gertrude The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than goodness or truth.

Claudius The antagonist of the play and the new king of Denmark. Claudius is the “smiling, damned villain” of the piece, a devious, lustful, and corrupt politician and master manipulator of people and circumstances. Despite the darkness in his soul, his seemingly genuine love for Gertrude and his pangs of conscience over his crimes add a more sympathetic dimension to his personality.

The Ghost The Ghost -  The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him.

Polonius The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court (chief advisor), a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia.

Ophelia Ophelia -  Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl, who obeys her father and her brother, Laertes.

Laertes Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is clearly a foil for the reflective Hamlet.

Fortinbras The young Prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet.

Horatio Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Two slightly bumbling messengers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior.

Literary Elements in Hamlet Act A major unit of a drama, or play. Hamlet has five acts. Scene A subdivision of an act in a play. Each scene usually takes place in a specific setting and time. Stage Directions Instructions written by a playwright that describes the appearance and actions of characters as well as the sets, props, costumes, sound effects, and lighting for a play

Drama A story written to be performed by actors before an audience.

Protagonist The central character in a literary work about whom the main conflict revolves. Hamlet is the protagonist.

Antagonist A person or a force in society or nature that opposes the protagonist. The reader is generally not meant to sympathize with the antagonist.

Aside In a play, a comment that a character makes to the audience, which other characters on stage do not hear. Asides usually reveal what the character is thinking or feeling.

Soliloquy A dramatic device in which a character alone on stage reveals his or her private thoughts and feelings as if thinking aloud.

Character An individual in a literary work. Main characters are central to the story and are typically fully developed. Minor characters display few personality traits and are used to help develop the story.

Character types A character who shows varied and sometimes contradictory traits is a round character. A character who reveals only one personality trait is a flat character. A dynamic character changes during the story. A static character remains the same throughout the story.

Irony A contrast between expectations and reality, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Situational irony occurs when the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected. Verbal irony happens when a person says one thing but means another. When the audience knows more than one of the characters, dramatic irony is being used.

Theme The main idea or message of a story that expresses a general statement about life. Theme cannot be summed up in one word.

Themes in Hamlet The impossibility of certainty How do we know for sure? The complexity of action How is it possible to take reasonable, effective, purposeful action? The mystery of death What is out there after we die? The nation as a diseased body How do the lives of the royalty effect a nation?