English HL Hamlet Study Notes

Key Features
Full Title: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Written: Between 1599 – 1601
Published: 1603 (First Quarto), 1604 (Second Quarto).
Lit Period: The Renaissance (1500 - 1660)
Genre: Tragic drama; Revenge tragedy
Denmark during the late middle ages (circa 1200), though characters in the
Setting: play occasionally reference things or events from the Elizabethan Age (circa
1500).
Protagonist: Hamlet
Antagonist: The Ghost’s demand for vengeance which Hamlet accepted

The Plotline

A ghost resembling the recently deceased King of Denmark stalks the battlements of
Elsinore, the royal castle. Discovered first by a pair of watchmen, then by the scholar Horatio,
a decision is made to tell Hamlet, the dead King's son. Hamlet is the nephew of the present
King, Claudius, who assumed his dead brother's crown and married his widow, Gertrude.
Claudius seems an able king, easily handling the threat of the Norwegian Prince Fortinbras.
Hamlet is angered by Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. He meets the ghost, which claims to
be the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius, and quickly accepts the ghost's demand for
revenge.

Hamlet, who is contemplative and thoughtful by nature, delays the revenge wanting to
ascertain the truth of the ghost’s revelation and decides to act mad as a ruse. He enters into a
deep melancholy and becomes furious at all women. Claudius and Gertrude employ a pair of
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Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find the cause of his erratic behaviour.
When Polonius, the pompous Lord Chamberlain, suggests that Hamlet may be mad with love
for his daughter, Ophelia, Claudius agrees to spy on Hamlet in conversation with her.
Meanwhile, Hamlet develops a plot to test his uncle’s guilt: a troupe of actors will put on a
play resembling Claudius's alleged murder of King Hamlet.

Polonius and Claudius spy on the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet, during which Hamlet
flies into a rage against women and marriage. Claudius concludes Hamlet neither loves
Ophelia nor is mad. Seeing Hamlet as a threat, he decides to send him away. At the play that
night, Claudius runs from the room during the murder scene, proving his guilt. Frightened of
Hamlet’s madness and fearing for his own safety, Claudius orders that Hamlet be sent to
England at once. Hamlet gets his chance for revenge when, on his way to see Gertrude, he
comes upon Claudius, alone and praying. However, he delays as he believes that if Claudius
is praying as he dies then his soul might go to heaven. In Gertrude's room, Hamlet
aggressively berates his mother for marrying Claudius and she fears he might kill her.
Polonius, who is spying on the meeting from behind a tapestry, calls for help. Hamlet thinks it
is Claudius, and kills Polonius.

Claiming that he wants to protect Hamlet from punishment for killing Polonius, Claudius sends
Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But Claudius’s plan for Hamlet
includes more than banishment: he has given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed orders
for the King of England demanding that Hamlet immediately be executed. Meanwhile,
Polonius’s son, Laertes, returns to Denmark in a rage to get revenge for his father's death.
Claudius convinces Laertes the death is Hamlet's fault. When a pirate attack allows Hamlet to
escape back to Denmark, Claudius concocts a plan to use Laertes’s desire for revenge to
secure Hamlet’s death: a supposedly friendly duel between Hamlet and Laertes will actually
be a trap, because Laertes's blade will be poisoned. As a backup, Claudius will also poison
some wine that he'll give to Hamlet if he wins.

Meanwhile, grief drives Ophelia insane, and she drowns in what seems to be a suicide.
Hamlet arrives just as the funeral is taking place. He claims to have loved Ophelia and
scuffles with Laertes. Back at the castle, Hamlet tells Horatio he switched the letter sent to
England: now Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be executed. He also says he is ready to
die, and agrees to participate in the fencing match.

During the match, Gertrude drinks to Hamlet's success from the poisoned glass of wine
before Claudius can stop her. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned blade, but in the
scuffle they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes. Gertrude falls, saying the wine
was poisoned, and dies. Laertes reveals Claudius's treachery. Hamlet kills Claudius, and
exchanges forgiveness with Laertes. Laertes dies. As Hamlet dies, he hears the drums of
Fortinbras's army marching through Denmark after a battle with the Polish, and says
Fortinbras should be the next King of Denmark. Fortinbras enters with the Ambassadors from
England, who announce that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Horatio tells Hamlet's
story as Hamlet's body is taken offstage with the honours due a soldier.

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CHARACTERS
HAMLET, Prince of Denmark
Hamlet is a deep thinker, focusing on impossible-to-
answer questions about religion, death, truth, reality,
and the motivations of others. He even contemplates the
fact that he obsessively contemplates. He loves Ophelia
and his mother, but his mother's marriage to Claudius
makes him mistrust and even hate all women. He
detests all forms of deception, yet plots and pretends to
be insane. At times he even seems to be insane.
Despite his obsessive thinking, he can act impulsively,
as when he kills Polonius. Hamlet is an enigma, a man
so complex even he doesn't completely know himself. In
other words, he seems like a real person.
CLAUDIUS, King
of Denmark
Power-hungry and lustful, Claudius murders his brother in
order to take the throne of Denmark and marry his wife.
Claudius is a great talker and schemer. He easily charms
the royal court into accepting his hasty marriage to his
brother's widow, and comes up with plot after plot to
protect his ill-gained power. He is the perfect politician, yet
his hold on power is slightly fragile. At various times he
does show guilt for killing his brother, and his love of
Gertrude seems genuine. As with all the supporting
characters in Hamlet, Claudius is not developed to his full
potential. His primary role in the play is to spawn Hamlet's
confusion and anger, and his subsequent search for truth
and life's meaning.
GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark
Gertrude quickly marries Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. Though
she is a good woman and loving mother, she is weak-willed
and unable to control her personal passions. Whether
because of lust, love, or a desire to maintain her status as
queen, she marries Claudius, though this is clearly a breach
of proper morals. Though some critics have argued that
Gertrude might have been involved in Claudius's plot to kill
Old Hamlet, evidence in the text suggests that she is
unaware of and uninvolved in the plot. Gertrude is the
opposite of her son. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher,
searching for life's most elusive answers. He cares nothing
for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man has become

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slave. Gertrude is shallow, and like a child she longs to be delighted, and it is her search for
pleasure that turns Hamlet so violently against her.
THE GHOST, former King of Denmark
The spirit that claims to be Hamlet's dead father, is forced to endure the fires of
Purgatory because he was murdered by Claudius in his sleep without being able to
ask forgiveness for his sins. The Ghost orders Hamlet to get revenge against
Claudius, but spare Gertrude. Evidence in the play suggests that the Ghost really is
the spirit of Hamlet's father, though Hamlet himself wonders at times if the Ghost
might be a demon in disguise.
HORATIO, a scholar
Horatio went to university with Hamlet at Wittenburg, and
remains his loyal best friend. Horatio's role in the play is minor
and most critics agree that he is not developed beyond a
character foil for the great Prince. However, Horatio serves
two purposes central to the drama: he is our harbinger of
truth. It is through Horatio that the actions taken by Hamlet
and other characters gain credibility. He is the outside
observer to the madness. Horatio's second purpose is to be
Hamlet's one true confidant. Apart from Hamlet's soliloquies,
his conversations with Horatio are the only insight the
audience have into what the Prince is really thinking and
feeling. Horatio is presented as a studious, sceptical
young man, perhaps more serious and less ingenious
than Hamlet but more than capable of trading witticisms
with his good friend.
POLONIUS, advisor to Claudius
The elderly Lord Chamberlain is the father of Ophelia
and Laertes, and the chief counsellor to the throne of
Denmark. Polonius is a tedious, pedantic, interfering,
suspicious, silly old man, a "rash, intruding fool," in
Hamlet's phrase. Polonius is forever provoking intrigue
and hiding behind tapestries to spy. He is very aware of
his position and role, and is always careful to be on the
good side of power.

LAERTES
Laertes is Polonius' son and Ophelia's brother who lives
primarily in Paris, France where he studies. He is a hot-
headed and passionate young man who deeply loves his
family. As a man prone to action rather than thought who also
seeks to revenge the death of his father, he serves as a
"double" to Hamlet, providing numerous points of comparison:
neither of them wants to stay in Denmark; both lost their
fathers due to murder; both seek revenge for their fathers’
deaths; and experience a change in conscience.

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OPHELIA
Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and beloved of
Hamlet. As a woman, Ophelia must obey the men around
her and is forced by her father first to stop speaking to
Hamlet and then to help spy on him. Ophelia's loyalty to
her father and resulting estrangement from Hamlet
ultimately causes her to lose her mind. Though Laertes
and Fortinbras are the characters usually seen as
Hamlet's "doubles," Ophelia functions as a kind of female
double of Hamlet—mirroring Hamlet's half-madness with
her own full-blown insanity, and takes his obsession with
suicide a step further and actually commits it. Of all the
pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static
and one-dimensional. She has the potential to become a
tragic heroine – to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her – but she instead crumbles into
insanity, becoming merely tragic. It appears that Ophelia herself is not as important as her
representation of the dual nature of women in the play. The extent to which Hamlet feels
betrayed by Gertrude is far more apparent because of
Ophelia's presence.
FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway
A prince of Norway, whose father, Old Fortinbras, died in
battle with Old Hamlet and lost lands to Denmark.
Fortinbras is bound to avenge his father's death by the
Danes' hands. In many ways his story is parallel to
Hamlet's: he too has lost his father by violence; he too is
hindered from ascending the throne by an interfering uncle.
But despite their biographical similarities, Fortinbras and
Hamlet are constitutional opposites. Where Hamlet is
pensive and mercurial, Fortinbras is all action. He leads an
army through Denmark in order to attack disputed territory
in Poland. At the end of the play, and with Hamlet's dying
assent, Fortinbras assumes the crown of Denmark.
ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN, friends of Hamlet's in Wittenberg
Claudius invites them to court in order to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet sees that the
two are, essentially, spying on him, and turns on them. Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are often treated as comic relief; they are sycophantic, vaguely
absurd fellows. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern aren't the smartest fellows, but
they do seem to mean well, and the announcement of their deaths at the end of
the play helps to drive home the absurd and bloody lengths to which vengeance can extend
once it is unleashed.
REYNALDO
A servant of Polonius who receives absurdly detailed instructions in espionage from
Polonius and is sent to Paris to observe and report on Laertes's conduct.

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THE PLAYERS, group of (presumably English) actors who arrive in
Denmark.
Hamlet knows this company and uses the players to stage an adaptation of
"The Death of Gonzago" which he calls "The Mousetrap" (a play that
repeats almost perfectly the account of Old Hamlet's death as told by the
ghost) in order to be sure of Claudius' guilt.
FRANCISCO, BARNARDO and MARCELLUS
Danish officers on guard at the castle of Elsinore. They are among the first to
see the ghost of Old Hamlet.
Osric
An impressionable courtier who plays a minor role as the King's messenger. He
comes across as a ludicrous, flowery, senseless courtier who invites Hamlet to fence
with Laertes, then serves as referee during the contest.
Voltimand and Cornelius
Danish courtiers sent by Claudius as ambassadors to the Court of Norway to
persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking.
Two Gravediggers
They figure only in Act 5 Scene 1 yet never fail to make a big impression on
readers and audience members. The primary gravedigger is a very witty man,
macabre and intelligent, who is the only character in the play capable of trading
barbs with Hamlet. They are the only speaking representatives of the lower
classes in the play and their perspective is a remarkable contrast to that of the nobles.
A Priest
Charged with performing the rites at Ophelia's funeral. Because of the doubtful
circumstances of Ophelia's death, the priest refuses to do more than the bare
minimum as she is interred.

Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
APPEARANCE VS. REALITY / IMPOSSIBILITY OF CERTAINTY
Hamlet differs from other revenge plays in that the expected action, particularly from Hamlet
himself, is continually postponed while Hamlet tries to obtain more certain knowledge about
what he is doing. This play poses many questions that other plays would simply take for
granted:
I Can we have certain knowledge about ghosts?
I Is the ghost what it appears to be, or is it a misleading fiend?
I Does the ghost have reliable knowledge about its own death, or is the ghost itself
deluded?
I How can we know for certain the facts about a crime that has no witnesses?
I Can Hamlet know the state of Claudius’s soul by watching his behaviour? If so, can he
know the facts of what Claudius did by observing the state of his soul?
I Can Claudius (or the audience) know the state of Hamlet’s mind by observing his
behaviour and listening to his speech?
I Can we know whether our actions will have the consequences we want them to have?
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I Can we know anything about the afterlife?

Every character is constantly trying to figure out what the other characters think, as opposed
to what those characters are pretending to think. The characters try to figure each other out
by using deception of their own, such as spying and plotting. But Hamlet takes it a step
further. He not only investigates other people, he also peers into his own soul and asks
philosophical and religious questions about life and death. Hamlet's obsession with what's
real has three main effects: 1) he becomes so caught up in the search for reality that he
ceases to be able to act; 2) in order to prove what's real and what isn't Hamlet himself must
hide his "reality" behind an appearance of madness; 3) the more closely Hamlet looks, the
less real and coherent everything seems to be.

Many analyses of Hamlet focus only on the first effect, Hamlet's indecisiveness. But the
second two effects are just as important. The second shows that the relationship between
appearance and reality is indistinct. The third suggests that the world is founded on
fundamental inconsistencies that most people overlook, and that it is this failure to recognize
inconsistencies that allows them to act. Hamlet's fatal flaw isn't that he's wrong to see
uncertainty in everything, but that he's right.

Hamlet’s grief and misery is such that he frequently longs for death to end his suffering, but
he fears that if he commits suicide, he will be consigned to eternal suffering in hell because of
the Christian religion’s prohibition of suicide. In his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy (III.i),
Hamlet philosophically concludes that no one would choose to endure the pain of life if he or
she were not afraid of what will come after death, and that it is this fear which causes complex
moral considerations to interfere with the capacity for action.

Many people have seen Hamlet as a play about indecisiveness, and thus about Hamlet’s
failure to act appropriately. It might be more interesting to consider that the play shows us
how many uncertainties our lives are built upon, how many unknown quantities are taken for
granted when people act or when they evaluate one another’s actions.

ACTION AND INACTION

Hamlet turns the traditional revenge play on its head in an ingenious way: the man seeking
revenge, can't actually bring himself to take revenge. For reason after reason, some clear to
the audience, some not, Hamlet delays. In Hamlet, the question of how to act is affected not
only by rational considerations, such as the need for certainty, but also by emotional, ethical,
and psychological factors.

Hamlet himself appears to distrust the idea that it’s even possible to act in a controlled,
purposeful way. When he does act, he prefers to do it blindly, recklessly, and violently. The
other characters obviously think much less about “action” in the abstract that Hamlet does,
and are therefore less troubled about the possibility of acting effectively. They simply act as
they feel is appropriate. But in some sense they prove that Hamlet is right, because all of their
actions miscarry.

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Claudius possesses himself of queen and crown through bold action, but his conscience
torments him, and he is plagued by threats to his authority (and, of course, he dies). Laertes
resolves that nothing will distract him from acting out his revenge, but he is easily influenced
and manipulated into serving Claudius’s ends, and his poisoned rapier is turned back upon
himself.

In the end, Hamlet does not provide a conclusion about the merits of action versus inaction.
Instead, the play makes the deeply cynical suggestion that there is only one result of both
action and inaction: death.

POISON, CORRUPTION, DEATH

In medieval times people believed that the health of a nation was connected to
the legitimacy of its king, thus the health of a nation is connected to the welfare
of the royal family. Throughout the play, Denmark is often described as a
physical body made ill by the moral corruption of Claudius and Gertrude, and many interpret
the presence of the ghost as a supernatural omen indicating that “[s]omething is rotten in the
state of Denmark” (I.iv). It is as if the poison Claudius poured into Old Hamlet's ear has
spread through Denmark itself. The dead King Hamlet is portrayed as a strong, forthright ruler
under whose guard the state was in good health, while Claudius, a wicked politician, has
corrupted and compromised Denmark to satisfy his own appetites. At the end of the play, the
rise to power of the upright Fortinbras suggests that Denmark will be strengthened once
again.

Hamlet also speaks in terms of rot and corruption, describing the world as an "unweeded
garden" and constantly referring to decomposing bodies. But Hamlet does not limit himself to
Denmark; he talks about all of life in these images. In fact, Hamlet only seems comfortable
with things that are dead: he respects his father, claims to love Ophelia once she's dead, and
handles Yorick's skull with tender care. What disgusts him is life: his mother's sexuality,
women wearing makeup to hide their age, worms feeding on a corpse, people lying to get
their way. By the end of the play, Hamlet argues that death is the one true reality, and he
seems to view all of life as "appearance" doing everything it can (from seeking power, to lying,
to committing murder, to engaging in passionate and illegitimate sex) to hide from that reality.

RELIGION, HONOUR, AND REVENGE

Every society is defined by its codes of conduct. There are many scenes in Hamlet when one
person tells another how to act:
ð Claudius lectures Hamlet on the proper show of grief;
ð Polonius advises Laertes on practical rules for getting by at university in France;
ð Hamlet constantly lectures himself on what he should be doing.
In Hamlet, the codes of conduct are largely defined by religion and an aristocratic code that
demands honour and revenge if honour has been soiled.

But as Hamlet actually begins to pursue revenge against Claudius, he discovers that the
codes of conduct themselves don't fit together. Religion actually opposes revenge, which
would mean that taking revenge could endanger Hamlet's own soul. In other words, Hamlet

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discovers that the codes of conduct on which society is founded are contradictory. In such a
world, Hamlet suggests, the reasons for revenge become muddy, and the idea of justice
confused.

MADNESS
Hamlet originally acts mad to fool people into thinking he is harmless while
investigating his father's death and Claudius's involvement. Early on, the
bumbling Polonius says "[t]hough this be madness, yet there is method in't"
(II.ii). Polonius's assertion is ironic because he is right and wrong. Polonius
falsely believes Hamlet's madness stems from Hamlet's love of Ophelia. But as
the play progresses, Hamlet's behaviour becomes more erratic. His acting mad seems to
cause Hamlet to lose his grip on reality. The circumstances he has to manage emotionally are
difficult, to say the least. Succumbing to physical violence when under extreme stress shows
that Hamlet has deeper-set issues than merely acting mad. In reflection, Hamlet's choices
and impulses beg the question, what gives him the right to act as such without
consequences?

WOMEN
There are two important issues regarding women in Hamlet: how Hamlet sees
women and women's social position. Hamlet's view of women is decidedly dark. In
fact, the few times that Hamlet's pretend madness seems to veer into actual
madness occur when he gets furious at women. Gertrude's marriage to Claudius has
convinced Hamlet that women are untrustworthy, that their beauty is a cover for deceit and
sexual desire.

As for women's social position, its defining characteristic is powerlessness. Gertrude's quick
marriage to Claudius, though immoral, is also her only way to maintain her status. Ophelia
has even fewer options. While Hamlet waits to seek revenge for his father's death, Ophelia,
as a woman, cannot act. All she can do is wait for Laertes to return and take his revenge.
Ophelia's predicament is symbolic of women's position in general in Hamlet: they are
completely dependent on men. The presence of only two named female characters says
something about the role of women within Hamlet. The death of both women also indicates a
social commentary.

Hamlet is at his most agitated state when talking to either female character. Although he
cares for both, he is suspicious, as well. In the case of his mother, Hamlet feels she remarried
too quickly and that her remarriage means she did not love her first husband all that much.
The idea deeply perplexes Hamlet. Then there's Ophelia. From the way the characters talk,
we know Hamlet has been wooing Ophelia for some time. But after Hamlet starts to act mad,
it doesn't take long for him to assume that Ophelia is in cahoots with Gertrude, Claudius, and
Polonius. In reality, Ophelia obeyed her father and her monarch.

In both cases, Hamlet feels as if each woman has let him down. He's critical and quick to
point out flaws though puns and backhanded comments. Ophelia is usually viewed as a true
victim, while Gertrude's role is interpreted with more flexibility.

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Symbolism
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
YORICK’S SKULL
Throughout the play, Hamlet muses on and toys with the idea of death. His
famous soliloquy's opening line, "To be, or not to be" shows Hamlet thinking
about suicide. His turning point of realisation comes in the graveyard scene.
Hamlet looks at the skull and remembers the man he was fond of, the court
jester Yorick. In his musings, Hamlet realises that death eliminates the
differences between people. The hierarchical structure of society is illusory and
ultimately crumbles into dust, just like the bones of those long gone. Yorick's skull serves as a
symbol of death in all its entirety but more so as a physical relic left by the deceased as an
omen of what’s to come. When Hamlet takes the skull and stares directly at the sight, he is
symbolically staring into death itself and contemplates its connotations. He speaks to the skull
about being Old King Hamlet’s former jester, and by remembering Yorick in life, he comes to
realise the inevitability of death and inescapable disintegration of one’s body.

THE GHOST
What is the ghost? What does it want? Where has it come from? Is it a "spirit
of health or goblin damned" (I.i)? We just don't know for sure. But here's what
the spirit claims:
(1) The ghost says he's Hamlet's father;
(2) The ghost also says that he was murdered by his brother, who happens to be Hamlet's
uncle Claudius, the guy who's now married to Gertrude and sitting on the throne of Denmark;
(3) The ghost also claims he's "doomed" to suffer in "sulph'rous and tormenting flames" until
the "foul crimes done in [his] days of nature / Are burnt and purged away" (I.i) This sounds a
lot like Purgatory, where sins had to be "purged" before a soul could make it to heaven.

FLOWERS
In Act 4, Scene 5, Ophelia has gone mad because of her father, Polonius’ death. She enters
the scene, carrying many different types of flowers, and begins to give different flowers to
different people. Each of the flowers represents something, and there is a reason behind why
Ophelia gives certain flowers to certain people.

First, she gives the rosemary to Laertes, which is a symbol of remembrance. She also gives
pansies to Laertes, as they represent a symbol of thoughts – particularly thoughts of love.
Although she gives both to Laertes, Ophelia most likely has Hamlet in mind when she says,
“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you, love, remember; and there is pansies,
that’s for thoughts." (IV.v).

She then gives fennel and columbines to Gertrude. Fennel represents flattery, and
columbines represent infidelity. This highlights her incestuous marriage and betrayal. Rue is
given to King Claudius, which represents repentance and it highlights his guilt in both killing
his brother and marrying his widow. Next, Ophelia gives daisies to both King Claudius and
Queen Gertrude, which represent deceit and lies, because they both lied to the public and
betrayed King Hamlet.
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Finally, Ophelia says, “I would give you some violets, but they wither’d all when my father
died.” (IV.v) Violets are a symbol of faith and fidelity and it is therefore fitting that there are no
violets to hand out as there are so few characters representing these qualities. The fact that
she mentions that they have “wither’d all when my father died” further highlights the corruption
and decaying morale present on the play.
MOTIFS
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s
major themes.
INCEST AND INCESTUOUS DESIRE
The motif of incest runs throughout the play and is frequently alluded to by Hamlet and the
ghost, most obviously in conversations about Gertrude and Claudius, the former brother-in-
law and sister-in-law who are now married. A subtle motif of incestuous desire can be found
in the relationship of Laertes and Ophelia, as Laertes sometimes speaks to his sister in
suggestively sexual terms and, at her funeral, leaps into her grave to hold her in his arms.
However, the strongest overtones of incestuous desire arise in the relationship of Hamlet and
Gertrude, in Hamlet’s fixation on Gertrude’s sex life with Claudius and his preoccupation with
her in general.

MISOGYNY
Shattered by his mother’s decision to marry Claudius so soon after her husband’s death,
Hamlet becomes cynical about women in general, showing a particular obsession with what
he perceives to be a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. This motif of
misogyny, or hatred of women, occurs sporadically throughout the play, but it is an important
inhibiting factor in Hamlet’s relationships with Ophelia and Gertrude. He urges Ophelia to go
to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude,
“Frailty, thy name is woman” (I.ii).

EARS AND HEARING

One facet of Hamlet’s exploration of the difficulty of attaining true knowledge is slipperiness of
language. Words are used to communicate ideas, but they can also be used to distort the
truth, manipulate other people, and serve as tools in corrupt quests for power. Claudius, the
shrewd politician, is the most obvious example of a man who manipulates words to enhance
his own power. The sinister uses of words are represented by images of ears and hearing,
from Claudius’s murder of the king by pouring poison into his ear to Hamlet’s claim to Horatio
that “I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb” (IV.vi). The poison poured in the
king’s ear by Claudius is used by the ghost to symbolize the corrosive effect of Claudius’s
dishonesty on the health of Denmark. Declaring that the story that he was killed by a snake is
a lie, he says that “the whole ear of Denmark” is “Rankly abused. . . .” (I.v).

Significance of the Play within Play

Hamlet has been entrusted with the duty of avenging his father's death by his father's Ghost.
He learns that his father has been murdered by Claudius. But he hesitates to execute the
command of the Ghost. He has doubts about the authenticity of the Ghost and Claudius's sin.

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He wishes to have strong proof before taking revenge and allows time to lapse until the arrival
of the players. Their arrival inspires him with a sudden idea of enacting a play to catch the
conscience of Claudius.

Hamlet receives the players with enthusiasm and plans with them to stage a play called The
Murder of Gonzago with some modification in the speeches. On the day of staging the play
Hamlet prepares the players well in advance to make the play a great success. He advises
them to "suit the action to the word, the word to the action" so that they would not "overstep
the modesty of nature", for the aim of a play is to hold the mirror up to nature. He then seeks
the help of Horatio, to whom he has already revealed the secret of the Ghost's revelation, to
watch the King's feelings while the play is staged. Thus he prepares the players, Horatio and
himself to 'catch the conscience of the King'. The play is to be the driving force for further
action. The King, the Queen and the courtier are invited to see the play.

The pantomime is the prelude to the actual staging of the play. Hamlet chooses to sit at
Ophelia's feet rather than next to the Queen, partly to encourage the idea that his madness is
caused by disappointed love, but mainly because he could not watch the King's face if he sat
next to the royal pair. Hamlet plays the part of the commentator too. The pantomime is the
first part of the King's ordeal: it represents very closely the crime of Claudius. Yet it is
surprising that he does not betray his feelings. Some critics feel that Claudius, being lost in
his conversation with the Queen, missed the pantomime. Certain other critics feel that
Claudius does see the show, but he hopes that it is only an unlucky coincidence that The
Murder of Gonzago resembles his own crime or he naturally suspects that the choice of the
play is deliberate and knows that Hamlet is watching his reactions. As the remarks about
second marriages, which he has heard, are grossly offensive, he pretends not to have noticed
them. The dramatic importance of staging this pantomime is that as the play is stopped before
the end, Shakespeare, in order to inform the audience of the full plot, uses the pantomime for
the purpose.

The pantomime is followed by the actual play, The Murder of Gonzago with its deliberately
artificial style, full of repetitions and indirectness enabling us to concentrate on the real drama
which is being enacted, with Hamlet's eyes riveted on his uncle's face with the King trying
hard not to reveal his feeling. However, Claudius's guilt is confirmed. After the exit of the
Player Queen, Claudius appears to be frightened. Hamlet's declaration that the play is titled
The Mousetrap is a veiled threat of which the King is perfectly aware, especially as 'mouse' is
his term of endearment for Gertrude. When Lucianus enters, Hamlet's comment that he is
'nephew to the King' is taken as another threat, and Claudius suspects that Lucianus's lines
are written by Hamlet himself Claudius watches for the second time the re-enactment of his
crime and is about to reveal himself, and when Hamlet gives a last twist to the knife by
explaining, 'You shall see anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife,' the King
rises, terrified with false fire. The Ghost's story is confirmed.

By enacting the play Hamlet has confirmed the Ghost's story, but at the expense of revealing
his own knowledge to the King. His own fate is sealed unless he follows up his victory. The
victory is imperfect, in any case, because Hamlet's behaviour during the performance, as well
as the apparent gross lack of taste in his choosing a play with such a theme can allow the

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 English HL Hamlet Study Notes
King to cover up his guilt with a show of anger. On the other hand, Hamlet is extremely happy
at having discovered the truth. Now he gives more weight to the words of the Ghost. Thus,
the situation leads to the turning point of the play. Hamlet has to act now. But when he gets
the opportunity to carry out his work, he fails to act as he finds Claudius at prayer. In his
soliloquy he justifies his lack of action by saying that if he kills Claudius, who is at prayer, his
soul would enjoy the pleasures of heaven, instead of suffering the tortures of hell.

The Murder of Gonzago play puts both Claudius and the Ghost on trial, the former for
fratricide and the latter for its honesty. Hamlet's doubts are removed. Still, he hesitates to act.
Hence this play emphasises Hamlet's procrastinating nature. Hamlet is inspired by the play
with greater desire to act, but it fails to have the effect to make him act. It only shows him as a
'pigeon-livered' man who shrinks from action on moral grounds. It allows Hamlet and Claudius
to know exactly what the other feels. It is a climax and a crisis, and the pivot of the action in
Hamlet. Now, Hamlet has no excuse for delay, Claudius will set forth his own manoeuvres to
destroy Hamlet, and with the unseen hand of fate, Hamlet will grow to self-realisation.

This play-within-the-play further helps the dramatist to reveal his own theories of playacting.
Hamlet acts as a mouthpiece for Shakespeare, through whom he expresses his ideas of
playacting and shows his contempt for the contemporary actors. To Shakespeare, the aim of
drama is to hold the mirror up to nature, with the actors not indulging in extravagant passions.
They should "suit the action to the word, the word to the action”, and should not "overstep the
modesty of nature". This piece of advice given by Shakespeare through Hamlet shows
Hamlet at his best. He is playing the part of Deputy Providence, plotting, arranging, baiting the
trap, etc. His making fun of Ophelia, his darting sarcasm at his mother and playing the part of
a Chorus, his mocking the King, all shows his versatile genius.

The play-within-the-play serves to emphasise that Hamlet is not the traditional revenge play.
The hero, after the Ghost's words have been confirmed, he yet spares Claudius' life because
the King is praying. The problem is that Hamlet sees himself as one who is to ensure the
victim’s punishment in the next world also. He is overestimating his role, and it is only towards
the end that he will truly understand that man must accept certain conditions and act within
them readily. However, it would be wrong to consider the scene the central act and the crisis
of the play. It is important as far as bringing Claudius and Hamlet to a full awareness of one
another's true nature.

Sources:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/hamlet
https://goodticklebrain.com/
https://shannonlouisemckee.wordpress.com/
http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/h/hamlet/
http://www.bachelorandmaster.com/globaldrama/significance-of-the-play-within-
play/

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 English HL Hamlet Study Notes

Contextual questions
ACT ONE Scene 1
1.1 Comment on the atmosphere created in the opening scene. (2)
1.2 Comment on the significance of the Ghost's physical appearance (what he (3)
looks like) in this scene (p8).
1.3 Evaluate how lines 48 – 53 (“It is offended … think you on’t?”) add to the (3)
tension in this scene. Pay attention to the line arrangement and style in your
response.
1.4 Refer to p 9 – 10. Discuss what is learned about the state of Denmark. (2)
1.5 Explain Horatio’s initial response to the reports of the apparition, and how it (3)
changes during scene 1.
1.6 Identify the two prevalent themes in this scene. Validate your answer. (4)
ACT ONE Scene 2
1.1 Refer to Claudius’s opening speech. Outline what we learn about his (4)
character.
1.2 Refer to Hamlet’s first words in this drama: “A little more than kin, and less (3)
than kind.” (p15, line 65). Discuss what this line reveals to the audience.
1.3 Refer to Hamlet’s soliloquy on p18. If you were the director of this play, fully (4)
explain how you would instruct the actor playing Hamlet to perform this scene.
Refer to BOTH body language and tone of voice. Validate your answer.
1.4 Discuss how Hamlet feels about his mother’s marriage to Claudius. (2)
1.5 Give a brief character sketch of Hamlet and Horatio at this stage in the play. (6)
ACT ONE Scene 3
1.1 Why does Laertes tell his sister, Ophelia, to be cautious of Hamlet? (3)
1.2 Refer to Ophelia’s response (lines 45 – 51) to her brother’s advice. (3)
What does Ophelia’s response reveal about her character?
What does this suggest about her brother’s general behaviour?
1.3 Discuss how Polonius makes use of complicated language when speaking to (3)
Ophelia (p 27 – 29). What does this reveal about his character?
ACT ONE Scene 4
1.1 Describe what Claudius is doing in the background of this scene and state (3)
what Hamlet thinks of this custom. Quote a line that reveals Hamlet’s thoughts.
1.2 According to Horatio and Marcellus, what could happen to Hamlet should he (2)
follow the ghost?
1.3 Quote the famous line by Marcellus which indicates all is not well in Denmark. (1)
1.4 Discuss how the ghost of the late King Hamlet relates to the theme of (2)
appearance versus reality.
ACT ONE Scene 5
1.1 Where does the Ghost reveal he must soon depart to? What is his punishment (3)
now?
1.2 What cause of death is publicly known, for the murdered King? (1)
1.3 Discuss how the late king of Denmark was murdered and how it led to him (4)
becoming a ghost.
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1.4 The ghost does not want Hamlet to harm Gertrude. What reason does he give? (1)
1.5 In line 173 (p40) Hamlet talks of putting on “an antic disposition”. Explain what (2)
he means by this and why this will be necessary.
ACT TWO Scene 1
1.1 Discuss briefly what Polonius requests of Reynaldo. What does this request (3)
imply about the father-son relationship?
1.2.1 By what trick is Reynaldo supposed to get information about Laertes? (1)
1.2.2 What does this reveal about Polonius's character? (1)
1.3 Refer to line 61: “Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth.” Identify the (3)
figure of speech and comment on its effectiveness.
1.4 How does Ophelia describe Hamlet's appearance to her father (p51)? (3)
1.5 In line 106 Polonius interrupts himself to question Ophelia. How would you (4)
instruct the actor playing Polonius to voice his question to Ophelia? Refer to
tone of voice and body language. Fully validate your answer.
ACT TWO Scene 2
1.1 Explain what Claudius and Gertrude expect of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (1)
1.2 Polonius delays giving his reasons regarding Hamlet’s madness to Claudius (2)
and Gertrude (line 51). Why does he do this?
1.3. Comment on the irony in Polonius’s remark that “brevity is the soul of wit” (1)
(line 91).
1.4 Refer to lines 160 – 168. Describe the plan that is formed to test Polonius's (2)
hypothesis that Hamlet is mad from rejected love.
1.5 Refer to p 61. Quote the famous line Polonius uses to express his thoughts of (2)
Hamlet’s madness. Explain what he means.
1.6 Clarify why Hamlet calls Polonius "Jephthah" in line 410. (2)
1.7 Refer to Hamlet’s soliloquy starting on p73.
1.7.1 How long has it been since Hamlet first saw the ghost of his father? (1)
1.7.2 What causes Hamlet to exclaim, "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!"? (2)
1.7.3 How does Hamlet’s passionate outburst, “Remorseless, treacherous, (3)
lecherous, kindless villain” (line 581), aptly summarise the qualities of
Claudius?
1.7.4 Lay out Hamlet’s plan to ascertain Claudius’s guilt. (3)
1.7.5 Why does Hamlet feel he must have evidence of Claudius's guilt? (2)
1.7.6 The soliloquy moves through three stages. Identify the lines and summarise (9)
the gist of each stage.

ACT THREE Scene 1

1.1 In your opinion, do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have any luck discovering (3)
what is bothering Hamlet, and do they report the whole truth? Substantiate
your answer.
1.2 Refer to Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy on p84/85.
1.2.1 Discuss what Hamlet is deliberating in this famous soliloquy. (2)
1.2.2 What is the relation between death and sleep in context of the soliloquy? (2)

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1.2.3 Refer to line 90: ‘And lose the name of action’. Clarify Hamlet’s greatest (1)
frustration at this stage in the play.
1.2.4 This soliloquy can be used to prove that Hamlet is not mad. Critically evaluate (3)
the validity of this statement.
1.3.1 Describe Hamlet's tone when he speaks to Ophelia on p 85 to 88. (1)
1.3.2 Find evidence in the text that explains his reaction to Ophelia is a reflection of (3)
his negative attitude towards women because of his mother’s behaviour.
1.4 Read Ophelia’s soliloquy on p88.
1.4.1 What is the function of Ophelia’s speech, with relevance to Hamlet’s character (2)
in the text?
1.4.2 Considering the Renaissance belief in the Chain of Being, why is she (2)
particularly horrified?
1.5 What does Claudius conclude about Hamlet after overhearing the conversation (3)
with Ophelia? What does he decide to do?
ACT THREE Scene 2
1.1 Discuss why Hamlet asks Horatio to watch Claudius’s reaction throughout the (2)
play.
1.2 Hamlet chooses to sit by Ophelia, instead of with Gertrude and Claudius. (1)
Why?
1.3 Summarise the plotline of ‘The Mousetrap’ and state Claudius’s reaction. (4)
ACT THREE Scene 3
1.1 How does Claudius plan to get rid of Hamlet? (1)
1.2 Explain why Polonius insists on eavesdropping on Gertrude and Hamlet’s (1)
conversation.
1.3 Summarise Claudius’s soliloquy (p107/108) in three points. (3)
1.4 Discuss why Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius when Claudius is at prayer. (3)
1.5 Refer to Hamlet’s aside on p109. If you were the director of this play, fully (4)
explain how you would instruct the actor playing Hamlet to perform this scene.
Refer to BOTH body language and tone of voice. Validate your answer.
1.6 Clarify Claudius’s closing lines of this scene. (2)
ACT THREE Scene 4
1.1 Clarify Hamlet’s words to his mother: “Come, come … part of you.” (p111) (1)
1.2 Whom does Hamlet think he is stabbing when he strikes through the curtain? (1)
1.3 What is the significance of the following quote: “How now, a rat? Dead! For a (2)
ducat, dead!” (line 23)?
1.4 Refer to Hamlet’s speech on p113. Claudius is described as mildewed and (4)
Old Hamlet as wholesome. Explain carefully, with specific reference to the
words in bold, what these words mean in Hamlet's comparison and description
of Claudius and King Hamlet.
1.5 Excluding the example in 1.4, find two examples of imagery that features (2)
disease or corruption in scene 4. Write down the quotes and explain their
significance.
ACT FOUR Scene 1
1.1 What bothers Claudius when Gertrude tells him that Hamlet murdered (2)
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Polonius?
1.2 Claudius makes use of a disease imagery in 20. Explain what he is saying. (3)
1.3 Gertrude keeps her promise to Hamlet to not let Claudius know that Hamlet is (3)
not really mad. Do you think Gertrude believes Hamlet’s claim to sanity in Act 3
scene 4? Validate your answer.
ACT FOUR Scene 2
1.1 What does Hamlet mean when he says: “Safely stowed.” In line 1? What is the (2)
implication of his words?
1.2 Hamlet calls Rosencrantz a “sponge” (line 11). Explain what this implies. (2)
1.3 Clarify Hamlet’s witty remark: “The body is with the King, but the King is not / (2)
with the body.”
ACT FOUR Scene 3
1.1 Refer to Claudius’s opening soliloquy. If you were the director of this play, fully (4)
explain how you would instruct the actor playing Claudius to perform this
scene. Refer to BOTH body language and tone of voice. Validate your answer.
1.2 Why must Claudius "not put the strong arm on" Hamlet (line 3)? (2)
1.3 When asked where Polonius’s body is, Hamlet replies: “If your messenger / (3)
find him not there, seek him i’th’ other place yourself.” (lines 35 – 36)
Discuss why this statement can be viewed as defiant. Also mention the
implication of this statement.
ACT FOUR Scene 4
1.1 What is the dramatic role of this scene? (2)
ACT FOUR Scene 5
1.1 What do we learn about Ophelia in the opening lines of this scene? (2)
1.2 Shakespeare makes use of song with both Hamlet (Act 3 scene 2, p101) and (2)
Ophelia but for different reasons. Evaluate this statement.
1.3 Account for Laertes’s anger with his return to Denmark. (2)
1.4 Explain the irony of Claudius’s concluding lines. (2)
ACT FOUR Scene 6
1.1 Describe the content of Hamlet's letter to Horatio. (3)
1.2 Explain why this action is relayed in a letter instead of on board the ship. (2)
ACT FOUR Scene 7
1.1 Discuss Claudius’ reasoning for not wanting to kill Hamlet as stated in lines 9 (3)
to 24.
1.2 Describe how Claudius manipulates Laertes into killing Hamlet. (2)
1.3 List the three steps in Claudius’ and Laertes’ plan for Hamlet. (3)
ACT FIVE Scene 1
1.1 Why do you think Shakespeare has chosen to include the scene with the (3)
gravediggers at this stage of the play? How does it affect the tone of the play?
1.2 Why is it controversial for Ophelia to be given some form of Christian burial? (1)
1.3 How does Hamlet’s verbal sparring with the 1st Gravedigger reveal his sanity? (1)
1.4 Why does Hamlet comment on Alexander the Great (p165) when he is looking (2)
at all the skulls in the ground?
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 English HL Hamlet Study Notes
1.5 In what ways do Hamlet’s reactions to the skulls in the graveyard seem to (2)
suggest a change in his outlook?
1.6 What does the King say to Laertes to console him after Laertes and Hamlet (2)
are separated?
ACT FIVE Scene 2
1.1 Discuss how the conversation between Hamlet and Horatio ties up some loose (2)
ends.
1.2 What news does Osric bring Hamlet? (1)
1.3 Explain why Shakespeare included the character of Osric. (2)
1.4 Why does Horatio say that Hamlet “will lose this wager” (line 155)? (1)
1.5 Why does Hamlet believe he stands a chance to win the wager? (1)
1.6 How does Shakespeare raise suspense during the fencing match? (2)
1.7 Claudius has a chance to stop Gertrude from drinking the poisoned wine. Why (2)
do you think, does he not stop her?
1.8 As Gertrude dies, Hamlet exclaims: “O villainy! Ho! Let the door be locked! / (3)
Treachery, seek it out!” (p180). What is Hamlet’s state of mind? Substantiate
your answer with reference to the punctuation and diction.
1.9 After Hamlet kills Claudius, the courtiers all cry out: “Treason, treason!” Why? (2)
1.10 Why is it fitting that Horatio is the one who will recount the truth? (3)
1.11 Refer to Horatio’s lines after Hamlet dies (lines 313 – 315, p182). If you were (4)
the director of this play, fully explain how you would instruct the actor playing
Horatio to perform this scene. Refer to BOTH body language and tone of
voice. Validate your answer.
1.12 What does the arrival of young Fontinbras signal at the end of the play? (2)

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ACT ONE Scene 1

1.1 A tense atmosphere is created, filled with uncertainty. It creates the idea that (2)
something is amiss.
1.2 The Ghost is that of King Hamlet dressed fully in his armoured, bearing a (3)
weapon. He is dressed for battle, to remind the readers of his achievements
and his courage. He is not at ease and haunts the castle in search of revenge.
1.3 The lines are staggered which indicate that the characters speak (3)
simultaneously. They are fearful. This is evident in the short sentences and
questions. The atmosphere is fraught with unease, sinister suspicion and
anxiety amongst the guards.
1.4 Denmark is preparing for war, as the army of young Fontinbras is likely to (2)
invade. Young Fontinbras wishes to regain the lands his father lost in single
combat to King Hamlet.
1.5 At the start Horatio does not believe the guards – as a learned man he does (3)
not believe in ghosts. When he is confronted with the ghost, he appears to be
unsure and frightened. He ends the scene, making a decision that Hamlet must
be told of the ghost.
1.6 Appearance vs Reality – is the ghost truly old Hamlet? The guards involve (4)
Horatio in this as he is seen as a trustworthy and learned man.
Revenge – Fortinbras is on a quest to avenge his father’s death, as told by
Horatio.

ACT ONE Scene 2

1.1 Claudius knows how to manipulate an audience – this is evident in the first (4)
part of his speech. He cleverly balances the need for mourning with the joy of
his marriage. In the second half his excellent strategical thinking is revealed
when he cleverly devises a plan to deal with Fortinbras’ imminent invasion.
This plan also reveals his manipulative nature.
1.2 It is clear that Hamlet strongly dislikes Claudius as he interrupts him with a (3)
sardonic reminder that he is now more than Claudius’ cousin, but that there is
no affection between them. It also reveals that hamlet is quite witty as his first
words are a pun.
1.3 POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The actor must throw his arms into the air and look (4)
around erratically, this suits Hamlet’s distraught state of mind. The actor must
speak loudly, then softly, interrupting himself upon the hyphens to show that
Hamlet was distressed in this extract.
FOR FULL MARKS: Learners must refer to ONE direction concerning body
language, with an explanation of why they chose it and ONE direction
concerning tone, with an explanation of why they chose it.
1.4 Hamlet is disgusted in Gertrude’s hasty marriage to Claudius and deeply (2)
angered by it. He feels that she is weak and disrespectful to his father.
1.5 Hamlet: university student, loved and respected his father, in deep distress (6)
with grief and frustrated regarding the sudden marriage of his mother with a
man he does not respect, depressed
Horatio: university student and knowledgeable about Denmark’s history,

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Hamlet’s closest friend, level-headed and rational, diplomatic, able to pacify

Hamlet’s emotional outbursts.

ACT ONE Scene 3

1.1 He believes Hamlet only has a passing interest in Ophelia and all he is (3)
interested in is a sexual relationship. He states that Hamlet will not have a
choice in who he marries. Should Ophelia lose her virginity to him, her
reputation will be ruined.
1.2 Ophelia is strong-willed and clever. Her response reveals that Laertes is not (3)
very well-behaved and possibly has had numerous relationships.
1.3 His language is full of elaborate metaphors and moral proverbs that it often (3)
sounds more like a sermon than advice. He seems to be short and to the point
of rudeness when speaking to her and is dismissive of her and her opinions. It
reveals that he is more concerned about how Ophelia’s actions will affect his
reputation. The audience gets the impression that he cares more for Laertes
than Ophelia.

ACT ONE Scene 4

1.1 Claudius is getting drunk and dancing, carousing all night. Hamlet thinks the (3)
custom of drinking is deplorable and makes the Danish people look bad.
“… it is a custom / More honoured in the breach than the observance.”
1.2 They are scared the ghost will lead Hamlet into the ocean to drown or onto a (2)
cliff overlooking the ocean where it will turn into a beast and drive Hamlet mad
and to commit suicide.
1.3 “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” (1)
1.4 The ghost itself can be good or evil. Its intentions are not clear – is it truly King (2)
Hamlet or an evil spirit who wants to damn young Hamlet?

ACT ONE Scene 5

1.1 To Purgatory. He walks the earth at night and is confined in flames during the (3)
day. He has to remain in Purgatory until his last sins have been purged.
1.2 A snake bit King Hamlet while he was sleeping in his orchard. (1)
1.3 While sleeping in the orchard, as the late king did every afternoon, Claudius (4)
snuck up and poured a vial of henbane poison into his ear. That poison spread
quickly through the veins and curdles the blood. The late king broke instantly
into a rash that covered his body with a revolting crust. The late king died in his
sleep and could not repent his sins or receive last rites therefore he is in
Purgatory in order to purify his soul.
1.4 The Ghost believes that her guilty conscience will be enough punishment. (1)
1.5 An antic disposition refers to the act of pretending madness. Antic= opposite, (2)
disposition = behaviour
He is going to put it on because that will give him time to formulate a plan to
avenge the death of the king. The madness will give him a disguise to his
behaviour and motives.

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ACT TWO Scene 1

1.1 Polonius wants Reynaldo to spy on Laertes to find out how Laertes is behaving (3)
while in Paris. This implies that Polonius does not truly trust his son, which
means that they do not have a close relationship.
1.2.1 Reynaldo should make as if he knows of Laertes and then besmirch his (1)
character to learn what others think/know of him.
1.2.2 He is unscrupulous and does not trust his children. (1)
1.3 Metaphor – it means that Reynaldo will try to catch the truth from his listeners (3)
by baiting them with lies about Laertes.
1.4 His shirt was unbuttoned, he was wearing not hat, and his sock were down to (3)
his ankles.
1.5 POSSIBLE RESPONSE: Polonius should sharply look at Ophelia, perhaps (4)
pointing a finger at her and speak in a stern and accusatory tone of voice,
questioning her loyalty to him.
He needs to bring across the idea that he thinks Ophelia spoke to Hamlet after
he forbade her to.
FOR FULL MARKS: Learners must refer to ONE direction concerning body
language, with an explanation of why they chose it and ONE direction
concerning tone, with an explanation of why they chose it.

ACT TWO Scene 2

1.1 Claudius and Gertrude expect Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on (1)
Hamlet to learn why Hamlet is mad.
1.2 Polonius knows that the ambassadors have good news, which will make (2)
Claudius happy. Polonius believes that Ophelia’s rejection of Hamlet is the
cause of Hamlet’s madness and he is to blame for her rejection. He is thus
manipulating the situation to suit him – he wants Claudius to be in a good
mood.
1.3. Polonius says that getting to the point is the essence of intelligence yet is (1)
anything but brief.
1.4 Polonius will arrange a “chance” meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet. (2)
Polonius and Claudius will then hide behind an arras and listen to the
conversation.
1.5 “Though this be madness, yet there is / method in’t.” (2)
He states that even though Hamlet’s behaviour seems mad, there appears to
be some sense behind it.
1.6 Jephthah sacrificed his daughter after asking the Lord for a victory. It seems (2)
as if Hamlet knows that Polonius ordered Ophelia to reject him.
1.7.1 Two months. (1)
1.7.2 He is angry and frustrated as he has not acted upon the Ghost’s command in (2)
two months. This makes him feel unworthy of the vengeance that he pledged
towards his dead father.
1.7.3 His description is accurate – it deals with each of his crimes. He feels no (3)
regret for the murder, his lust for Gertrude or his betrayal of his family bonds.

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1.7.4 Hamlet will have “The Murder of Gonzago” altered to reflect what the Ghost (3)
told him of how Claudius murdered him. He will closely examine Claudius’
reaction to this scene.
1.7.5 He is not yet certain if the Ghost is evil or not. Hamlet will damn his soul when (2)
he murders Claudius and he wants to do it for the right reasons.
1.7.6 Lines 550-571: Hamlet feels ashamed that an actor can show real passion for (9)
something imagined when he himself has a true cause – avenge the murder
of his father.
Lines 572-588: Hamlet feels he is a coward as he has not yet avenged his
father.
Lines 589-605:Hamlet comes up with a plan to ascertain Claudius’ guilt. He
will ask the payers to perform an adapted version of “The Murder of
Gonzago” to depict the murder as the ghost relayed.

ACT THREE Scene 1

1.1 No, they do not learn the truth. They relay that Hamlet admits that he is (3)
distracted but that he would not tell them why. They omit telling the King and
Queen that Hamlet knows that they were sent to spy on him.
1.2.1 Hamlet is deliberating whether a miserable life is better than the unknown of (2)
death. He reasons that fear of the unknown prevents people from committing
suicide.
1.2.2 Hamlet compares death to sleep/dreaming. Sleeping allows us to escape our (2)
troubles but we do not wake up from death.
1.2.3 He is frustrated as he has not yet avenged his father. His inability to act makes (1)
him feel worthless and cowardly.
1.2.4 Hamlet shows clear reasoning ability when he tries to figure out why people do (3)
not commit suicide when their lives are miserable. He can deliberate on
existential issues.
1.3.1 Hamlet is excessively rude and aggressive. (1)
1.3.2 He question’s Ophelia’s honesty and chastity – a reflection of his disgust with (3)
his mother’s hasty marriage. He believes Gertrude got married so soon
because of sexual desires. He feels that women hide their looks with make-up,
making them dishonest.
1.4.1 Ophelia’s soliloquy reminds the audience of Hamlet’s true character – he is (3)
described as brave, intelligent, and courteous. The audience might have lost
track of this due to his madness ruse, which makes his behaviour appalling at
times, especially in this scene.
1.4.2 Ophelia is particularly horrified as Hamlet is heir to the throne of Denmark and (2)
should represent the embodiment of the state, “th’ expectancy and rose of the
fair state”. If he is mad, then this means chaos and disorder for Denmark.
1.5 Claudius believes that Hamlet’s behaviour is not due to rejected love. He (3)
believes there is something very dangerous to Hamlet’s melancholy and that
Hamlet is a threat to him. He decides to send him away to England as soon as
possible.

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ACT THREE Scene 2

1.1 Hamlet trusts Horatio and wants to use Horatio’s impartial observation as a (2)
“second opinion”. Hamlet knows that he desperately wants Claudius to be
guilty, therefore his opinion could be biased.
Horatio’s trustworthiness and intelligence have been established earlier in the
play, therefore the audience knows they can trust his opinion.
1.2 It gives him a vantage point to observe Claudius. (1)
1.3 “The Mousetrap”, mirrors the murder of King Hamlet by Claudius. The old king (4)
is asleep and the would-be murderer creeps in and pours a fast-acting poison
in his ear. After the old king is buried, the murderer promptly marries the
widowed queen and becomes king. Claudius is clearly upset by this retelling of
his crime, abruptly interrupting the performance and leaving, obviously
flustered.

ACT THREE Scene 3

1.1 Claudius will send Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as (1)
he sees Hamlet as a threat and fears for his own safety.
1.2 Polonius feels that Gertrude’s instinct will be to believe her son and can thus (1)
not be trusted.
1.3 Claudius agonises over his guilty conscience. (3)
He cannot ask forgiveness as he is not prepared to mend his ways.
He does not want to give up his power and he realises this damns him.
1.4 Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer the same fate as his father – not being (3)
allowed to enter heaven. As Claudius is repenting his sins he will be able to
enter heaven. This, according to Hamlet, makes him a hired murderer and he
will not avenge his father’s death.
1.5 POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The actor will stand behind Claudius with a raised (4)
sword, speaking in a hushed tone. When he changes his mind about killing
Claudius, he should lower his sword and speak louder with a growing sense of
frustration. He could pace the stage around Claudius, with the spotlight
following him. To emphasise points, he could point the sword at Claudius and
speak in a condescending tone when he mentions him. His pace should be
slow and deliberate to show that he is analysing his decision.
FOR FULL MARKS: Learners must refer to ONE direction concerning body
language, with an explanation of why they chose it and ONE direction
concerning tone, with an explanation of why they chose it.
1.6 Claudius realises that his prayers will not be answered if he does not truly (2)
repent his sins.

ACT THREE Scene 4

1.1 Hamlet wants to force his mother to look into her soul to realise her guilt. (1)
1.2 Claudius (1)
1.3 Polonius is the equivalent of a rat: always sneaking around. Many people have (2)
no remorse for killing rodents, just like Hamlet does not feel bad for killing the

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rat.
1.4 Using “mildewed” to describe Claudius hints at infection – Hamlet feels that (4)
Claudius is corrupting Denmark.
Using “wholesome” to describe King Hamlet reveals that he was a good king
and that Denmark would have prospered under his reign.
These contrasting descriptions highlight Hamlet’s extreme disgust and dislike
of Claudius.
1.5 Hyperion is the Greek god of the sun, considered to be wise and thoughtful – (2)
King Hamlet was noble and worthy of worship.
1.6 “From the fair forehead of an innocent love/ And sets a blister there” (2)
Hamlet describes his mother’s actions in marrying his uncle as contamination
of the innocent love his father had for her.
“Nay, but to live / In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, / Stewed in
corruption, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty.”
Hamlet describes the marriage bed of Claudius and Gertrude as a place of
vice and contagion, likening them to the base animal of a pig that lives in a
“nasty sty”.

ACT FOUR Scene 1

1.1 Claudius realises that it could easily have been him that was killed. He fears (2)
that Hamlet’s lunacy is aimed at him. He is worried about the political backlash
he will face as news of Polonius’s murder spreads.
1.2 Claudius uses an example of how, when someone tries to hide an infection, (3)
the infection tends to get worse. He is implying that his overseeing of Hamlet’s
madness has made it spiral out of control.
1.3 Yes – Gertrude genuinely feels remorse for her actions in marrying Claudius (3)
and wants to do the right thing. Thus, she keeps Hamlet’s secret.
No – she is scared of Hamlet and what he can do: she has seen him kill
Polonius without remorse. She keeps Hamlet’s secret out of self-preservation.

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ACT FOUR Scene 2

1.1 Hamlet means that he has safely hidden Polonius’ body. His flippant remark (2)
shows a lack of remorse.
1.2 He thinks that Rosencrantz enjoys soaking up the King’s rewards and favours. (2)
And now, Rosencrantz is attempting to soak up all of Hamlet’s secrets in order
to be rung out by the King.
1.3 “The body is with the King,” – Polonius’ body is in the vicinity of Claudius. (2)
“but the King is not / with the body.” – Hamlet’s father is not with his own body,
he is a Ghost.

ACT FOUR Scene 3

1.1 POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The actor could be seated, appearing to be deep in (4)
thought, perhaps drumming his fingers on an armrest. His tone starts out
contemplative when speculating about how to deal with Hamlet but end in a
bitter tone with “diseases desperate grown…” to show contempt. He could also
ball his fists with the last lines.
FOR FULL MARKS: Learners must refer to ONE direction concerning body
language, with an explanation of why they chose it and ONE direction
concerning tone, with an explanation of why they chose it.
1.2 Hamlet's mother truly loves him and would want no harm to come to him. (2)
The people of Denmark love Hamlet and would be uneasy if something would
happen to him.
1.3 Hamlet is giving Claudius orders instead of answering him, as instructed. (3)
Hamlet says that if Polonius is in hell, then Claudius will have to look for him,
implying that Claudius will end up in hell.

ACT FOUR Scene 4

1.1 It acts as a filler scene and reminds the audience of Fortinbras. He was last (2)
mentioned in Act 2 scene 2. Considering that he will become the next king of
Denmark, a subtle reminder of his whereabouts is necessary.

ACT FOUR Scene 5

1.1 Ophelia has become mad in response to the murder of her father and the (2)
abandonment by Hamlet
1.2 Ophelia’s singing demonstrates a deep sadness and is a manifestation of her (2)
real madness.
Hamlet’s singing reveals his spontaneous joy, anything but madness.
1.3 Laertes is angry as his father has been murdered and buried without the (2)
proper decorum. He probably suspects Claudius.
1.4 Claudius is indirectly guilty of Polonius’ death, therefore it is ironic that he
stakes his own life on what Laertes might learn of the death of Polonius.

ACT FOUR Scene 6

1.1 He explains that he escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern onto a pirate (3)
ship. He is a prisoner but is being treated well because the pirates want

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favours from him. He wants Horatio to give letters he has written to the King
and Queen and then to come to see him as quickly as possible.
1.2 It gives the audience a chance to see how much Hamlet trusts Horatio. (2)
It is also much quicker and easier to summarise Hamlet’s ordeals in a letter
than trying to act out a pirate attack at sea on a stage.

ACT FOUR Scene 7

1.1 Claudius says that he loves Gertrude too much thus he could not have her son (3)
killed. He also states that the people of Denmark love Hamlet and he is very
popular with them thus having him killed may have the people turn against
Claudius.
1.2 Claudius reminds Laertes of Polonius’ murder and plays on Laertes’ love for (3)
his father, asking if Laertes’ sorrow is just a show. He plays on Laertes’ sense
of honour.
1.3 1. Hamlet and Laertes will duel. Claudius will ensure that their swords are (3)
sharp,
not blunted as is the practice.
2. Laertes will poison the tip of his sword.
3. Claudius will trick Hamlet into drinking a cup of poisoned wine during the
duel.

ACT FIVE Scene 1

1.1 Shakespeare often employs scenes with common people such as peasants, (3)
porters and gravediggers in his play to lighten the tone through comedy at a
specific point in his play, as well as offering an alternative viewpoint on events
in the play.
This scene occurs after the tragic death of Ophelia, and the two anonymous
gravediggers are laughing and joking while they clear a new grave of old
bones. This not only eases the tension but also shows that life carries on, no
matter what.
1.2 It is suspected that Ophelia committed suicide, which would make her ineligible (1)
for a Christian burial.
1.3 Hamlet being able to make many witty puns reveals a quick-thinking and (1)
cognitive ability.
1.4 Looking at the skulls, Hamlet realises that all men are equal in death and (2)
speculates that the dust of Alexander the Great might now be used in the clay
that stops up beer barrels.
1.5 Hamlet comes to grips with the inevitability of death and that death is the grand (2)
leveller – we are all the same once we are dead as we are reduced to bone.
1.6 Claudius tells Laertes not to worry as he will soon have the appropriate time (2)
and place to kill Hamlet, and that one way or another, Hamlet will die.

ACT FIVE Scene 2

1.1 The audience are given further details of what exactly is the fate of (2)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It reveals Claudius’ intention to have Hamlet

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executed. All loose details are being tied up before the play comes to a
dramatic end.
1.2 He tells Hamlet of the wager the King has made on Hamlet's behalf in a (1)
contest between Laertes and Hamlet.
1.3 Osric represents everything Hamlet hates of a corrupt court – polite, (2)
sycophantic behaviour. Shakespeare uses this character to remind the
audience of the corruption in Denmark.
1.4 Horatio believes that Laertes is a better swordsman. (1)
1.5 Hamlet has been practicing his fencing skills since Laertes left for France. (1)
1.6 The lines are short. Hit points are referred to Osric. Claudius’ asides reveals (2)
his mounting tension. Claudius offers the poisoned wine to Hamlet, which he
refuses. Gertrude then picks up the poisoned cup and Claudius is presented
with an opportunity to save her life. The fact that the audience knows the wine
is poisoned increases the tension.
1.7 Claudius will have to explain how he knows it is poisoned. At this stage, he is (2)
too involved in the murder plot to admit otherwise.
1.8 Hamlet is shocked, angry and possibly confused. (3)
He yells out short instructions and the many exclamation marks suggest that
his emotions are uncontrolled.
1.9 The people think that a mad Hamlet has killed the king. The courtiers are not (2)
aware of Claudius’ treachery of killing King Hamlet and plotting the murder of
Prince Hamlet.
1.10 Horatio is Hamlet’s trusted friend. He is known as a rational and (3)
knowledgeable person who stands for truth and goodness. Horatio will be
trusted to speak the truth.
1.11 POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The actor could be kneeling by Hamlet’s body, even (4)
cradle the body in his arms. His should speak as one on the verge of tears to
express his deep grief over the unjust loss of his best friend. The actor should
address the body with “Good night, sweet prince,” and then perhaps lookup
when he says “flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” The stage could be
dimmed with a soft light only on Horatio and the body.
FOR FULL MARKS: Learners must refer to ONE direction concerning body
language, with an explanation of why they chose it and ONE direction
concerning tone, with an explanation of why they chose it.
1.12 The arrival of young Fortinbras signals the return of order to Denmark as (2)
Hamlet has declared him heir to the throne. The outside world enters this very
intimate scene of loss and all

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