1. Hamlet Plot Development

2. Exposition
Setting:
Denmark
At the castle, Elsinore
Graveyard
Polonius’s house (still in Elsinore)
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, Son of Ghost and Gertrude, nephew/stepson of Claudius
Ghost: past king of Denmark
Gertrude: mother of Hamlet and Queen of Denmark
Claudius: King of Denmark, brother to ghost, husband of Gertrude
Polonius: advisor (Lord Chamberlain) to Claudius, father to Ophelia and Laertes
Ophelia: daughter of Polonius, Laertes sister, Hamlet’s girlfriend
Laertes: son to Polonius, brother of Ophelia
Horatio: friend of Hamlet’s from school (Wittenberg), only one Hamlet trusts
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern: Hamlet’s childhood friends, spies on Hamlet for Claudius and Gertrude (to see what’s wrong with Hamlet)
Fortinbras: Prince of Norway
War between Norway and Denmark: Old Hamlet slay Old Fortinbras and acquires land. Now Young Fortinbras wants to get revenge and take the land back.

3. Rising Action
Ghost wants Hamlet to get revenge for his death: Should he get revenge or not? Does he even believe the ghost is his father?
Anger towards Gertrude
Impending war (current) Young Fortinbras attempting to wage war against Denmark to recover the land that was lost.
Hamlet’s feeling towards Ophelia: Does he genuinely love her or not?

4. Climax
When Hamlet asks the players to perform The Death of Gonzago (which he calls “The Mousetrap”) and he adds a portion of the play to assess Claudius’ guilt. And Claudius reacts and shows his guilt.
Hamlet tells Ophelia that he doesn’t want be with her, she gives him back his letters and gifts, and he tells her to swear off men and go to a nunnery.
Claudius receives word from King of Norway that he was not aware of Young Fortinbras’ plans to wage war against Denmark and that he thought he was waging war against Poland. King of Norway asks for safe passage through Denmark so that they can invade Poland.

5. Falling Action Hamlet kills Polonius
Claudius sends Hamlet to England to get killed
Hamlet switches letters and has Rosencrantz and Guilderstern killed instead
Laertes comes back for revenge
Laertes and Claudius set up duel, conspire to kill Hamlet by poison on sword or in the drink
Ophelia goes crazy and dies (maybe suicide)
Fortinbras shows up in Denmark with his troops heading to Poland and his general tells Hamlet what is going on

6. Resolution
Duel:
Gertrude drinks the poison
Laertes slashes Hamlet with poison tipped sword
Hamlet stabs Laertes with the poison tipped sword
Laertes confesses about conspiracy with King
Hamlet stabs Claudius and makes him drink the poison
Hamlet tells Horatio to tell what happened
Fortinbras is now the king of Denmark
Hamlet and Laertes fight inside of Ophelia’s grave (Hamlet professes love and says no one loved her more than he)