Hamlet William Shakespeare

Publication Written 1600 or 1601 Written 1600 or 1601 Probably first performed in July 1602 Probably first performed in July 1602 First published in printed form in 1603 First published in printed form in 1603 Larger print edition in Larger print edition in 1604.

Johann Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (c – February 3, 1468) Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (c – February 3, 1468)1398February February German goldsmith and inventor German goldsmith and inventor Germaninventor Germaninventor Invented movable type printing in Europe (ca. 1450). Invented movable type printing in Europe (ca. 1450).movable typeprintingEurope1450movable typeprintingEurope1450 The Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line bible, high aesthetic and technical quality. The Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line bible, high aesthetic and technical quality.Gutenberg BibleGutenberg Bible

Setting Denmark in the late medieval period. Denmark in the late medieval period.

The Story Danish prince Danish prince Uncle murders the prince's father, Uncle murders the prince's father, marries his mother, marries his mother, and claims the throne. and claims the throne.

Hamlet The Prince of Denmark, The Prince of Denmark, the protagonist. the protagonist. the son of Queen Gertrude the son of Queen Gertrude And the late King Hamlet And the late King Hamlet the nephew of the present king, Claudius. the nephew of the present king, Claudius.

Hamlet continued melancholy, bitter, and cynical, melancholy, bitter, and cynical, disgust for his mother's sexuality. disgust for his mother's sexuality. reflective and thoughtful reflective and thoughtful indecisive and hesitant indecisive and hesitant prone to rash and impulsive acts prone to rash and impulsive acts studied at the University of Wittenberg studied at the University of Wittenberg

Claudius The King of Denmark The King of Denmark Hamlet's uncle Hamlet's uncle the play's antagonist. the play's antagonist. calculating, ambitious calculating, ambitious sexual appetites and lust for power sexual appetites and lust for power but shows signs of guilt and human feeling but shows signs of guilt and human feeling love for Gertrude seems sincere. love for Gertrude seems sincere.

Gertrude The Queen of Denmark The Queen of Denmark Hamlet's mother Hamlet's mother recently married to Claudius. recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply she is a shallow, weak woman she is a shallow, weak woman seeks affection and status seeks affection and status more than moral rectitude or truth. more than moral rectitude or truth.

Ham. O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead!--nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this, Ham. O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead!--nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month,-- Let me not think on't,--Frailty, thy name is woman!-- A little month; or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body Like Niobe, all tears;--why she, even she,-- Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month,-- Let me not think on't,--Frailty, thy name is woman!-- A little month; or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body Like Niobe, all tears;--why she, even she,--

O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer,--married with mine uncle, My father's brother; but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married:-- O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good; But break my heart,--for I must hold my tongue! O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer,--married with mine uncle, My father's brother; but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married:-- O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good; But break my heart,--for I must hold my tongue!

Polonius The Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain a pompous, conniving old man. a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia.

Horatio Hamlet's close friend Hamlet's close friend Students at University of Wittenberg. Students at University of Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal. Horatio is loyal. Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet's story. Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet's story.

Ophelia Polonius's daughter Polonius's daughter beautiful young woman beautiful young woman in love with Hamlet. in love with Hamlet. Ophelia is a sweet, innocent young girl Ophelia is a sweet, innocent young girl obeys her father and her brother, Laertes. obeys her father and her brother, Laertes. Maidenly unitl death, singing songs about flowers. Maidenly unitl death, singing songs about flowers.

Laertes Polonius's son Polonius's son Ophelia's brother Ophelia's brother Most of the play in France. Most of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action Passionate and quick to action Laertes is a foil for the reflective Hamlet. Laertes is a foil for the reflective Hamlet.

Fortinbras The young Prince of Norway The young Prince of Norway father the king (also named Fortinbras) father the king (also named Fortinbras) killed by Hamlet's father (also named Hamlet). killed by Hamlet's father (also named Hamlet). Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father's honor Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father's honor another foil for Prince Hamlet. another foil for Prince Hamlet.

The Ghost The specter of Hamlet's recently deceased father. The specter of Hamlet's recently deceased father. The ghost, claims to have been murdered by Claudius, The ghost, claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. Angel or devil Angel or devil never definitively resolved. never definitively resolved.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bumbling courtiers bumbling courtiers former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg summoned by Claudius to discover Hamlet's strange behavior. summoned by Claudius to discover Hamlet's strange behavior. Look for type of characterization: static, flat, etc. Look for type of characterization: static, flat, etc.

Themes Themes: Themes: Fundamental Fundamental often universal ideas often universal ideas

Theme of Certainty/Uncertainty Unique to Hamlet Unique to Hamlet the action continually postponed the action continually postponed a misleading fiend? a misleading fiend? reliable knowledge about its own death reliable knowledge about its own death or is the ghost itself deluded? or is the ghost itself deluded?

More Questions Guilty by watching? Guilty by watching? the afterlife? the afterlife? uncertainties our lives are built upon uncertainties our lives are built upon evaluate one another's actions. evaluate one another's actions.

Theme of Action Related to the theme of certainty. Related to the theme of certainty. need for certainty need for certainty emotional, ethical, and psychological factors. emotional, ethical, and psychological factors.

Acting Recklessly Possible to act in a controlled, purposeful way. Possible to act in a controlled, purposeful way. Hamlet prefers to do it blindly, recklessly, and violently. Hamlet prefers to do it blindly, recklessly, and violently.

Acting Foolishly Claudius action ends in his conscience being tormented... Dies. Claudius action ends in his conscience being tormented... Dies. Laertes resolves no distraction, but is Claudius’s pawn. Laertes resolves no distraction, but is Claudius’s pawn.

Theme of Death Hamlet obsessed with death Hamlet obsessed with death Considers death from all angles. Considers death from all angles.

Aftermath of Death spiritual aftermath of death--ghost spiritual aftermath of death--ghost the physical remainders of the dead-- Yorick's skull the physical remainders of the dead-- Yorick's skull the themes of spirituality, truth, and uncertainty the themes of spirituality, truth, and uncertainty Death would bring truth in an ambiguous world. Death would bring truth in an ambiguous world.

Revenge to Death Connection of death to revenge Connection of death to revenge

Suicide To be or not to be, whether... To be or not to be, whether... morally legitimate? morally legitimate? longs for death to end suffering longs for death to end suffering fears eternal suffering in hell– Catholic prohibition of suicide. fears eternal suffering in hell– Catholic prohibition of suicide.

“To be or not to be” To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart- ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart- ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd.

To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. - Soft you now! The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd. To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. - Soft you now! The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd.

Motifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes.

Motif of Misogyny Greek misogynia, from misein to hate + gynē woman. Greek misogynia, from misein to hate + gynē woman. cynical, even neurotic, about women cynical, even neurotic, about women connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. connection between female sexuality and moral corruption.

“Frailty, thy name is woman” Ophelia and Gertrude. Ophelia and Gertrude. Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude, "Frailty, thy name is woman" Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude, "Frailty, thy name is woman"

Motif of Ears and Hearing Words for truth or deceit Words for truth or deceit

Use of Words images of ears and hearing, images of ears and hearing, Claudius's murder of the king Claudius's murder of the king Hamlet's claim to Horatio that "I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb". Hamlet's claim to Horatio that "I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb". "the whole ear of Denmark" is "Rankly abused….". "the whole ear of Denmark" is "Rankly abused….".

Symbols Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Regicide Etymology: Etymology: Latin reg-, rex king + English -cide — more at royal Latin reg-, rex king + English -cide — more at royal royal Date: Date: circa 1548 circa 1548

Yorick’s Skull Hamlet discovers in the graveyard in the first scene of Act V. Hamlet discovers in the graveyard in the first scene of Act V.

Different Aspects of Death Inevitability Inevitability disintegration of the body. disintegration of the body. "get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come"—no one can avoid death. "get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come"—no one can avoid death. He also traces the skull's mouth and says, "Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft,“--physical consequences of death. He also traces the skull's mouth and says, "Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft,“--physical consequences of death.

Decay of the Human Body noting that Polonius will be eaten by worms, noting that Polonius will be eaten by worms, that even kings are eaten by worms that even kings are eaten by worms dust from the decayed body of Alexander the Great might be used to stop a hole in a beer barrel. dust from the decayed body of Alexander the Great might be used to stop a hole in a beer barrel.

The End