Hamlet

1. Hamlet By William Shakespeare

2. Shakespeare Background • Born 1564 • Educated at Stratford Grammar School • Parents John, a glove maker, and Mary (Arden) • Married Ann Hathaway when he was 18 and she 26 • Three children: Susanna, Judith and Hamnet

3. Shakespeare BackgroundContinued… • Moved to London to be come an actor and playwright • During plague outbreaks, he wrote poetry. • In 1599 he built and became a partner in the Globe Theater. • He wrote 37 plays and 154 Sonnets • Member of the Lord Chamberlin’s men which became the King’s men when Elizabeth the first died, and James the I took the throne. • Shakespeare died April 23, 1616 at the age of 52

4. Shakespeare’s Family Tree

5. Shakespeare’s Coat of Arms The motto reads “Not without Reason”

6. The Historical Hamlet The Historical Hamlet was the son of a Danish "King of the Jutes", who lived during the Dark Ages. The warlord was assassinated and his crown usurped by his brother. This was a coup, not a secret murder. According to current superstition, anyone who killed a crazy person risked acquiring the same disease from the victim's spirit. Therefore, the murdered warlord's son pretended to be crazy, acquiring the nickname "Amlothi", crazy person. Eventually he killed his uncle and became "King of the Jutes" in turn. He ruled successfully, and the nickname stuck. The Geneologies record "Amleth, King of Denmark." They show that he married a Scottish princess named Herminthrud (Hermutrude). He was eventually killed in battle. He is buried in Denmark in a field called "Ammelhede" ("Hamlet's Heath") to this day. In a strange twist of fate, Herminthrud married one Viglek, also "King of Denmark", the man whose army defeated and killed Hamlet

7. Hamlet Facts and Information • Based on Saxo Grammaticus "Historia Danica", written around 1200, presents a highly-fictionalized (actually silly) version of the story; Belleforest's "Histories Tragiques" was a book of stories in French from 1576. Belleforest adapted Saxo's historical fiction, and The older "Hamlet" play... ("Ur-Hamlet") probably written by Thomas Kyd. • Written by Shakespeare between 1600-1602 in London • First performed 1602 • It is a revenge tragedy with a conscience

8. Key Elements of Hamlet • Genre:  Tragedy, revenge tragedy • Protagonist:  Hamlet • Antagonist: Claudius • Major conflict: Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do. • Rising action:  · The ghost appears to Hamlet and tells Hamlet to revenge his murder; Hamlet feigns madness to his intentions; Hamlet stages the mousetrap play; Hamlet passes up the opportunity to kill Claudius while he is praying. • Climax: Well I’m not going to tell you that! It would ruin the surprise! • Setting (time and place)  · The late medieval period, Denmark

9. Key Elements Continued… • Tone: Dark, ironic, melancholy, passionate, contemplative, desperate, violent • Themes:  The impossibility of certainty; revenge ; the mystery of death; the nation as a diseased body • Motifs: ears and hearing; death and suicide; darkness and the supernatural • Symbols: The ghost (the spiritual consequences of death); Yorick’s skull (the physical consequences of death)

10. Types of Conflict: • Man versus Man • Man versus Nature • Man versus Self

11. Characters • Hamlet:Son of the late King Hamlet of Denmark, and nephew/stepson to the present King. People question his sanity. • Horatio:Friend to Hamlet and the one person Hamlet truly trusts. • Claudius:The present King of Denmark, King Claudius married his brother’s wife, Queen Gertrude, whom he loves as HIS queen and wife, much to the consternation of Hamlet who believes hismother has betrayed him and his father's memory by doing so. • Gertrude:Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet, Queen Gertrude is resented deeply by Hamlet for marrying King Claudius within two months of his father, KingHamlet's death.

12. Characters Continued… • Polonius: Lord Chamberlain. The father of Laertes and Ophelia, LordChamberlain Polonius dutifully serves King Claudius. Very clever and sneaky. • Laertes:Polonius' son, Laertes is held in high esteem for his fencing skills. (Laertes is the “Foil” for Hamlet) Foil-foil character is either one who is opposite to the main character or nearly the same as the main character. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast, and perhaps by setting up situations in which the protagonist can show his or her character traits. A foil is a secondary character who contrasts with a major character but, in so doing, highlights various facets of the main character's personality. • Ophelia: The daughter to Polonius, Ophelia is loved by Hamlet. She ignores Hamlet's romantic overtures when instructed to ignore them by her father Polonius.

13. Characters Continued… • Fortinbras: Prince of Norway. The son of King Fortinbras, who was defeated by King Hamlet, Young Fortinbras has raised an army to reclaim the lands lost by his father to King Hamlet and Denmark. Parallels Hamlet's character in that like Hamlet his father was a ruler (King of Norway) and that both are now nephews to the current rulers of their lands. • Rosencrantz, Guildenstern: Courtiers to King Claudius, both these men grew up with Hamlet. As a result King Claudius recruits them to spy on Hamlet for him. Neither man has a problem trading in their friendship to betray Hamlet; they serve the King. • Various other minor characters.

14. Academic Vocabulary • Soliloquy- a speech delivered by an actor when he is alone onstage and speaking his thoughts or feelings. • Monologue- a speech delivered by an actor while there are other characters onstage. • Stage directions-an instruction in the text of a play, esp. one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting.

15. Academic Vocabulary Flourish- to make dramatic, sweeping gestures, a showy gesture Exit/exeunt- Exit is one character leaving a scene/stage. Exeunt is two or more leaving the scene/stage. Pun-a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

16. Academic Vocabulary • Aside- is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly (in character or out) or represent an unspoken thought. • Allusion –an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.