1. Hamlet
An Introduction

2. Renaissance Period
Derived from the French word meaning “REBIRTH”

3. Renaissance Period
At what point in history does the Renaissance emerge and how is this important when studying Shakespeare?
It was an era of tremendous growth and change because it followed the Medieval Dark Ages and thus became a time for cultural and intellectual revolution.
It was a time of adventure – this was the time when Christopher Columbus sailed the world in search of the passageway to the East.

4. Hamlet: A history Written around 1600 by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s most famous, most written-about and complex play
Elizabethan thought…
“Chain of Being” 1. God
2. Angels
3. Spiritual Temporal
4. Man
5. Pope and King
6. Cardinals and Nobles
7. Bishops and Merchants/Craftsmen
8. Priests and Peasants
9. Faithful
10. Animals
11. Plants
12. Inanimate

5. Shakespearean Tragedy
Tragedy is one fundamental way Western man attempts to explain his position in the universe, especially in relation to supernatural powers.
Man sees the terrible incompatibility of man vs. fate or man vs. nature.
A Shakespearean tragedy is story of human action producing exceptional calamity leading to the death of a man high esteem.
Poetic language is important to convey the noble character of the hero.

6. Characteristics of the hero
He is an exceptional being (is considered “great”)
He has a tragic flaw (hamartia) in character which brings him to ruin. The tragic flaw is not necessarily evil, it may, in fact, be an admirable trait.

7. Structure of a Tragedy
Act I: Introduction/Exposition (establishment of main plot and subplots)
Act II: Rising Action (complications or developments)
Act III: Crises (turning point of the conflict)
Act IV: Falling Action/Denouement
Act V: Catastrophe (the destruction or failure of the protagonist)

8. Shakespeare’s Style
He manipulated the style of the time to suit his purpose, which was to enthral and to illuminate unusual, previously “unthought-of” connections among objects, ideas and people.
He used a combination of verse and prose to allow for a greater variety of character and to better delineate atmosphere.

9. Blank Verse A poetic form which produces an elevated style of speech
Also used when Shakespeare expresses philosophically significant ideas
The rhythm of the structured verse creates the complementary sounds
This rhythm/beat pattern is called iambic pentameter (each line has one foot, each foot has an unstressed and stressed syllable)
When read aloud iambic pentameter will sound like this: daDA/daDA/daDA/daDA/daDA For example, can you hear the rhythm in this example from the play? “But, woe is me, you are so sick of late, So far from cheer and from your former state, That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust, Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must.”

10. Prose
Provides a strong contrast with the elevated style of blank verse
Used in scenes involving servants and other members of the lower class, in scenes involving madness, scenes that offer comedic relief, and scenes that move rapidly or give basic information
The gravedigger scene, in particular, is a good example of Shakespearean prose.

11. Rhyme
Marks the close of scenes or when important information is provided
Provides the cue for the entrance of another actor of some off-stage business
Points to change of mood/atmosphere or thought
Provides a forceful opening
Conveys excitement or passion or sentimentality

12. Devices that Add Interest
Suspense (the ghost, uncertainty of whether Hamlet will kill Claudius)
Surprise (Hamlet’s return to Denmark after being banished to England)
Coincidence (the arrival of the players right when Hamlet can make most use of them)
Contrast (Hamlet and Laertes)
Parallelism (characters finding themselves in similar situations)
Nemesis (Claudius)
Foreshadowing
Irony (Laertes and his sword in the final act)
Dramatic Irony (the effect produced when a speech or situation has one meaning for the actor and an inner or opposite one for the audience)
Pathos (that which excites pity for a character such as Ophelia or Gertrude)
Supernatural (forces outside of nature – the ghost)
Humour (word play)

14. The story begins at night…
Unrest and tension is in the air as it approaches midnight. Guards at the Danish court at Elsinore castle are on duty.
20 years earlier, the Kingdom of Denmark was at its height of glory. It was a kingdom of medium power and had just won a great victory over Norway.
Hamlet Sr. (the ghost) defeated the army of Fortinbras (King of Norway) and Denmark gained new territory from this victory. Hamlet Sr. returns home to his wife, Gertrude, and his son, Hamlet.
Now, 20 years later Denmark has changed drastically. The king, Hamlet Sr., is dead (just a few weeks before the action of the play begins.
We might expect that Hamlet (next in bloodline) would ascend the throne. However, Claudius, Hamlet Sr.’s brother, was chosen by the senior politicians in Elsinore.

15. The Problem…
20 years after its glory days, Denmark is in decline. Within Elsinore, appearances do not always reflect that which is reality, and now there is an external threat on the horizon.
The Prince of Norway (Fortinbras Jr.) is a mindless, romantic militarist whose primary interest is his conquests in the name of glory. He wishes to gain a little piece of territory that his father lost in battle.
Fortinbras, however, is encouraged by his uncle (who is now the king of Norway…sound familiar?) not to attack Denmark, but to simply pass through it to regain land in Poland.

16. Another Problem Emerges…
Additionally, the guards have been sighting a ghost walking among them.
Barnardo, Francisco, Marcellus are the Danish soldiers on watch on particularly cold night when the play opens. They have asked their university-educated friend, Horatio, to join them in case this ghost appears again to help confirm their suspicions.
They suspect that this ghost may be that of their friend’s father, the old king Hamlet Sr. However, they do not wish to upset their friend as he is still grieving the loss of his father.

17. Major Characters
Hamlet (son of the late king, and nephew to the present king)
Claudius (current king of Denmark)
Gertrude (queen of Denmark, widowed wife of the late king, current wife of Claudius, mother of Hamlet)
Polonius (a nobleman and advisor to the king)
Laertes (son of Polonius)
Ophelia (daughter of Polonius)
Horatio (young scholar and Hamlet’s good friend)
Fortinbras (prince of Norway)
Rosencrantz (friend of Hamlet, servant to the king)
Guildenstern (friend of Hamlet, servant to the king)
Osric (courtier)
Marcellus, Bernardo, Francisco (soldiers)
Players (actors)
Gravediggers (two clowns)
Ghost

18. Major Conflicts Man vs. Man – Hamlet vs. Claudius
This conflict is the driving force behind Hamlet’s actions throughout the play. He wishes to avenge his father’s death by killing his murderer.
There are problems with this revenge plot, though. There are no authorities for Hamlet to appeal to about his father’s murder, because the original criminal is too powerful (he’s king) and those in a position to act don’t know or believe in the criminality of the villain.

19. Major Conflicts
Thus, the central character has to act on his own, if any justice is to occur.
Man vs. himself – Hamlet’s inner struggle
Hamlet vows to take revenge as soon as he hears the news of his father’s murder in Act 1 and repeatedly urges himself to do the deed (kill Claudius).
It takes him weeks to reach any progression in his plan, and this poses another question for this play: Why the delay of revenge?

20. Major Conflict Man vs. Man – Hamlet vs. Laertes
This conflict does not arise until later in the play, but is equally important as it contributes to the major crisis.
To avoid spoiling more of the plot of this great play, know that after Act 3 Laertes sets out to seek his own revenge against Hamlet.

21. Essential Questions
These questions are the questions you will want to consider as we complete our study of Hamlet. Reflecting on these questions will help you to better understand the play ad will help you prepare for the final exam.
How does Hamlet change throughout the course of the play?
What motivations lie behind Hamlet’s actions?
What values does the play promote?
What are the significant themes of this play?
To what extent is each character a victim or a victimizer?
To what extent does each character contribute to the tragic outcome of the play?
To what extent is each character responsible for his/her own outcome?
Does Hamlet really love Ophelia?
Is Hamlet crazy?
What does justice look like?
Can you identify recurring motifs in the imagery Shakespeare used?
What purpose does the imagery use by Shakespeare serve?