P L E

A M
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 HAMLET
THE COMPLETE GUIDE
AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

PUBLISHED AND EDITED BY: THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE

ISBN: 978-0-9921947-2-7
COPYRIGHT THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE 2013
Copyright subsists in this work. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this resource may be copied, adapted, reproduced, duplicated
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Please note: encrypted paper has been used in this resource to protect our copyright.
 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD
FOREWORD
About The English Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................................................................... 5

INTRODUCTION TO
Our approach to Shakespeare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................................................................................... 5

SHAKESPEARE
Using this resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................................................................................... 6

INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEAREAN
Meet William Shakespeare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................................................................... 8

LANGUAGE
Shakespeare in context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 12
Shakespeare’s theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 17
Guide to reading Shakespeare’s plays . . . . . . .................................................................................... 20

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
SHAKESPEAREAN LANGUAGE
An introduction to literary terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 24
Shakespeare-related literary terms. . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 25

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
Imagery and Figures of Speech in Hamlet . . ................................................................................... 27

BACKGROUND TO THE PLAY

THE MINI ESSAY

Literary context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................................... 29
To be, or not to be? A short story of Hamlet ................................................................................... 31
Character analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................................... 33
Plot structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................................... 37

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
Themes, motifs and symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 40
Key facts . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................................... 45

SUMMARIES AND ANALYSES

THE PLAY

Using this section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 46

Act One . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 46
Act Two . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 55
ACKNOWLEDGE-

Act Three . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................................... 60

MENTS

Act Four . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 69

Act Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 77

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 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

THE MINI ESSAY

Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......................................................................................... 84
FOREWORD

Planning and structuring your essay.......................................................................................................84

Annotated essay examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......................................................................................... 86
General essay questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......................................................................................... 89
INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE

Examination preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......................................................................................... 90

PERFORATED RUBRICS FOR ENRICHMENT TASKS AND ESSAYS

Act One Rubric: Oral and Visual Task . .......................................................................................... 93
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

Act Two Rubric: Transactional Writing Task .................................................................................... 95

Act Three Rubric: Transactional Writing Task .................................................................................. 97
Act Four Rubric: Mini Essay Task . . . . . . .......................................................................................... 99
BACKGROUND

Act Five Rubric: Score Sheet for a debate ................................................................................... 101

TO THE PLAY

Mini essay rubrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................................................................ 103

THE PLAY
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

A note on the text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................................................................ 109

Annotated Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................................................................ 110

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................................................................ 247

THE MINI ESSAY
PERFORATED
RUBRICS
THE PLAY
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

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FOREWORD

FOREWORD
ABOUT THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE
The English Experience is an independent South African publishing house that specialises in developing

INTRODUCTION TO
high-quality IEB English educational resources for educators and learners. The team of passionate, talented

SHAKESPEARE
experts behind The English Experience works tirelessly to ensure that every resource encourages insight,
growth and debate — enriching and challenging both educators and learners — without losing sight of the
important goal of examination readiness and success.

SHAKESPEAREAN
Focused on bringing the subject to life, every resource The English Experience publishes incorporates a range of

LANGUAGE
features — including content, contextual and essay questions, tear-out rubrics and stimulating enrichment materials —
designed to encourage a critical appreciation of the subject and to inspire the higher order thinking for which examiners
are always looking.

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
The world-class English Experience team includes highly experienced educators, some with over 20 years of classroom
experience, passionate literary experts in various fields, such as historical fiction, poetry and Shakespeare, fanatical
historians and researchers, creative writers, skilled editors, pernickety proofreaders and obsessive fact checkers —
together with spirited university lecturers and enthusiastic young minds who help ensure our approach remains unique

AND ANALYSES
and fresh.

SUMMARIES
While examination readiness and success is a non-negotiable, our aspiration is to inspire a genuine interest in, and love
of, English literature.

Visit www.englishexperience.co.za to learn more about The English Experience and the

THE MINI ESSAY

range of educational resources the company publishes. You can scan this QR code to launch
the site on your phone automatically. Please note, you will need to have the free ‘Tag reader’
app installed, which you can download from http://gettag.mobi

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
OUR APPROACH TO SHAKESPEARE
The toughest challenge with Shakespeare can be overcoming the preconceived ideas many learners have
THE PLAY

about how dull and tedious he is to study. Making sense of the language in which the plays are written can
be hard going for learners so it’s perhaps not surprising that many of them find studying Shakespeare an
alienating experience and consider his plays works through which they have to slog to pass an examination.

This resource has been written with this reality in mind and particular attention has been paid to breathing new life
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

into Shakespeare and his world. Not only have we worked hard to make sure the content in this resource is fresh and
engaging, we have also divided it into accessible, digestible sections and included numerous quirky, interesting and fun
facts.

We have endeavoured to make both the man and his play as accessible and entertaining as possible. We start with the
man, exploring his extraordinary life and achievements, and then put these into context by bringing the dirty, dangerous
and vibrant world of Elizabethan England to life.

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 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

Having armed learners with an understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare’s intentions and world, we tackle the
play. Again, we do so with one goal in mind at every step: to make it as accessible and entertaining as possible for
FOREWORD

modern Matric learners, while remaining academically sound and accurate.

We start by providing learners with a detailed literary background, helping them to understand the genre and conventions
on which the play is based. The play is also presented as a short story to help students grasp the plot, before we tackle
INTRODUCTION TO

the characters, themes and structure in detail.

SHAKESPEARE

We have not only worked very closely with the text of the play, adjusting punctuation and spelling and providing explanatory
annotations to help learners grasp its meaning, we have also incorporated act-based learning into the structure of the
resource as we believe that working through the play act by act ensures that a solid foundation of knowledge is laid.
SHAKESPEAREAN

Learners can then build on this foundation methodically and effectively, only dealing with the whole play once they have
LANGUAGE

worked through it scene by scene.

In the end, we have approached Shakespeare in the same way we approach every author and text: with two, interrelated
goals in mind. The first, non-negotiable, objective is to ensure examination readiness and success, and the second is to
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

inspire a genuine interest in, and appreciation of, the work being studied.

USING THIS RESOURCE

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

This comprehensive resource includes: the full text of the play; an extensive introduction to Shakespeare
and the Elizabethan era; a guide to Shakespearean language; a detailed literary background; accessible
summaries; rich literary analyses; diverse content-related short questions and essay questions (act-
specific and general), together with challenging enrichment tasks. In short, everything needed to study the
THE MINI ESSAY

play intensively and to bring the text to life.

We recommend working through the Introduction to Shakespeare section first (even before watching a live/recorded
performance) so that learners become familiar with the man himself, Elizabethan England and the theatre for which he
wrote.
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

Some learners might have preconceived ideas about Shakespeare and even a block about studying him. This resource
has been written with such students in mind and particular attention has been paid to breathing new life into Shakespeare
and his world.

To complete the introduction to the playwright, work through the Shakespearean language and Background to the
THE PLAY

play sections next. These will deepen learners’ understanding of the play — the characters, themes and plot — before
they tackle the text itself.

By working through the comprehensive introductory section first, learners will be prepared, engaged and able to approach
ACKNOWLEDGE-

the play with the right mindset.

MENTS

Once learners have been introduced to Shakespeare and his play, prepare them for working with the actual text by
arranging for them to watch it being performed. Attending a live performance is often the most effective approach,
though not always possible. If it is not, then watching one of the recent film versions of the play — such as Franco
Zeffirelli’s 1990 interpretation, Michael Almereyda’s contemporary adaptation or Kenneth Branagh’s excellent 1996
version — is a more than adequate substitute.

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With the learners properly prepared and primed, it is time to

read through the play. This can be done either act by act or in KEY TO USING THE BOXES IN THIS RESOURCE:

FOREWORD
its entirety. The version of the play included in this resource also
features relevant annotations to help learners understand the Definition or Glossary
meaning and nuances of the text.
Provides the meanings of words and

INTRODUCTION TO
Once learners have read through the play, work through the act- terms used in the text

SHAKESPEARE
based Summaries and Analyses section. Working through the
play act by act ensures that a solid foundation of knowledge Information

is laid and then built on gradually and effectively. Learners are Provides additional details or facts
not required to deal with the whole play until they have worked about a topic

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
through it scene by scene.
Alert
Each act is broken down into its constituent scenes, each of
Something to which you need to pay
which is summarised and analysed separately. Learners are
attention
required to engage with each scene through scene-specific

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
questions. Quirky Fact

At the end of each act, there are also act-specific essay questions Fun, interesting, extraneous

and a series of enrichment tasks (marking rubrics are provided information

AND ANALYSES
after the Mini Essay section).

SUMMARIES
In the Mini Essay section, there is also a wide selection of
rigorous essay topics, ensuring that students deal with the play in its entirety.

We hope you enjoy using this resource as much as we enjoyed putting it together. If you have any comments, queries or

THE MINI ESSAY

suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
THE PLAY
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

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INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE
FOREWORD

MEET WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Who was William Shakespeare? Sadly, we know very little about the
INTRODUCTION TO

man considered to be one of the best English dramatists ever to have

SHAKESPEARE

lived, which is all the more astonishing given the fame and fortune he
achieved. In this section, we bring him to life by piecing together what
we do know about his life and achievements.
SHAKESPEAREAN

By 1600, the man Voltaire described as ‘a drunken savage, with some imagination’
LANGUAGE

was enjoying the height of his fame and success. He had hit the big time a few
years earlier — as part of the hip group of actors, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men
— and made enough money to buy the second biggest house in his hometown,
but now he was also co-owner of the rowdy, successful Globe Theatre, which was
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

attracting huge audiences of over 1 500 paying customers to each performance.

Chandos Portrait of William Shakespeare
(National Portrait Gallery, London)
Shakespeare was working hard for his success, though; in addition to acting and
directing performances, running the business side of the theatre, commuting between his work in London and his family
AND ANALYSES

in the country, he was churning out a brand new play every few months.
SUMMARIES

Not bad for a high school dropout from a small obscure

town who married a scandalously older woman whom
he had made pregnant as a penniless, lusty 18 year
THE MINI ESSAY

old.

Shakespeare seems to have been hungry for success.

Around the time of his 21st birthday, he left his wife and
three children with his parents and headed to London to seek his fortune.
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

The movies of their time, plays were rapidly growing in popularity and the theatre was a booming industry — the
Hollywood of its day. Whether it was his intention when he left home or not, it’s perhaps not surprising that a young man
like Shakespeare should be attracted to such an exciting, vibrant new industry — where fame could be won and vast
amounts of money could be made.
THE PLAY

It’s likely he spent his first few years in the industry

learning his craft by acting and writing for several
companies of actors, including Lord Strange’s Men
and the Queen’s Men. It didn’t take him long to make
REFERENCES

his mark, though, and he penned the first of his plays

— Henry VI, Part One — a couple of years later
around 1591, when he was in his mid-twenties.

The play was met with huge acclaim and was the
start of a prolific writing career that produced an
incredible 37 plays and 154 sonnets before his
death in 1616.

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While the mystery of Shakespeare’s genius is something we will probably never solve, it seems likely that he must have
been writing poems and stories from a young age. It’s slightly improbable to think he could suddenly write something

FOREWORD
as accomplished and insightful as the three Henry VI plays in his early twenties without years of practice beforehand.

THE EARLY YEARS

INTRODUCTION TO
Despite being one of the most popular and widely

SHAKESPEARE
read English language authors ever to have lived,
Shakespeare remains a man shrouded in mystery.
He achieved tremendous fame and fortune, frequently
performed for both Queen Elizabeth I and James I, and

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
yet we know very little about him and his life.

We don’t know his date of birth, only that he was

baptised at the Holy Trinity Church in the town of Stratford on 26 April 1564. As baptisms usually took place a couple
of days after a birth, many people like to celebrate his birthday on 23 April, which is also the day he died on in 1616.

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
His parents were financially comfortable and lived in a wealthy part of town.
His father, John, was a glove-maker and prominent local businessman who
performed several public offices, including becoming the town’s bailiff (mayor).

AND ANALYSES
His mother, Mary, came from an affluent family of landowners.

SUMMARIES
It’s likely that young William Shakespeare attended the local grammar school
(King’s New School, Stratford), but he might not have been the most devoted
student. His good friend and fellow playwright, Ben Jonson, clearly wasn’t overly

THE MINI ESSAY

impressed with his schooling as he said that he had ‘small Latin and less Greek’.

When he was 14, Shakespeare had to drop out of school and help his father
support the family as John had somehow fallen out of favour and into financial
difficulties.

PERFORATED
Portrait of Benjamin Jonson, a rival and friend

RUBRICS
of Shakespeare’s. Although he mocked and
scoffed at his friend’s work, Jonson praised We don’t know when Shakespeare decided he wanted to be an actor, but it could
Shakespeare when he died, observing that he
was ‘not of an age, but for all time’. (National have been at a young age as the local school put on a classical play at the end of
Portrait Gallery, London)
each term and travelling troupes of actors would have visited Stratford regularly. THE PLAY

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
On 27 November 1582, Shakespeare hastily married
Anne Hathaway, a local woman eight years his
senior. She was 26 at the time and would have been
REFERENCES

considered an ‘old maid’, past her prime. Anne was

three months pregnant on her wedding day and it would
have been difficult times for the newlyweds because
William was a penniless teenager and his family had
fallen on hard times. Some scholars suggest that Shakespeare may have had affairs, but there is no reliable evidence of
these and he remained married to Anne until the day he died, 34 years later.

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TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

Inadvertently, we know that Shakespeare was an established, successful
FOREWORD

playwright by 1592 because a rival, Robert Greene, jealously attacked him in

one of his pamphlets, calling him an ‘upstart crow’. It wasn’t all plain sailing for
the talented Shakespeare, however; an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1592
INTRODUCTION TO

led to the closing of the theatres for two years and this meant that the actors
SHAKESPEARE

had to take on far less profitable and more gruelling tours around the country to
earn money.

Shakespeare would have been terrified of the bubonic plague. Most Elizabethans
SHAKESPEAREAN

lived in fear of the illness also known as ‘the Black Death’. It was a horrible way
LANGUAGE

to die (see p.13) and Shakespeare had lost brothers and sisters, as well as close
Portrait of Anne Hathaway, taken from
friends and fellow actors, to the disease. It broke out again in 1603, killing over Shakespeare A Documentary Life, written by
Nathaniel Curzon, 1708
33 000 people in London alone, and, yet once more, in 1608.
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

His only son, Hamnet, died at the age of 11 in 1596 and the Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613. A cannon was fired
to mark the entrance of the king on stage during a performance of his latest play, Henry VIII, and a stray spark set the
thatch roof alight (see p.20). This would have been even more of a serious financial setback as insurance didn’t exist
in those days.
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

Shakespeare would also have had to put up with regular

copyright theft as there were no laws recognising or
protecting an artist’s rights. Rival theatre companies
would send their members to watch popular plays and
THE MINI ESSAY

secretly take notes, producing unauthorised copies

and performances of them as quickly as possible.

THE LIFE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT

PERFORATED
RUBRICS

The public’s insatiable appetite for plays meant that there was constant demand for new material. As if finding creative
inspiration wasn’t hard enough, the physical act of writing was slow and laborious as well. Playwrights had only quill and
ink, and weak candlelight at night. Working alone, they would be hard pushed to produce more than two plays a year.
As a result, most playwrights worked in teams of up to five writers. Solo artists, like Shakespeare, were the exception.
THE PLAY

The new theatre industry needed a new breed of

playwright and the majority of them wouldn’t fit
our modern image of poets and intellectuals. Like
Shakespeare, most were self-made men from
REFERENCES

modest backgrounds. (There were no professional

female dramatists because few women were educated or allowed to enter such professions in those days (see p.13).)

One of William’s best friends and a successful and

famous dramatist in his own right, Ben Jonson was a
rowdy ex-soldier who killed a fellow actor in a duel and
was notoriously thrown out of the royal court in 1603
for ‘unruly behaviour’.

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Another of Shakespeare’s highly successful contemporaries, Christopher Marlow, was a flamboyant celebrity who had
been a spy before he started writing and was killed in an apparent tavern brawl — although some suggest he was

FOREWORD
assassinated by government agents for his publicly professed atheism and for publishing a pamphlet pointing out
inconsistencies in the Bible.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE
In 1605, Shakespeare made another astute property
investment in his hometown, which doubled in value and
earned him a significant annual income. A few years
later, his career started drawing to a close. His final solo

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
play, The Tempest, was produced in 1611 and, sometime shortly afterwards, he ceased to be a writer for his company.
He retired from the theatre and returned to Stratford, where he enjoyed the last few years of his life as a well-off country
gentleman and one of the town’s leading figures.

William died around the time of his fifty-second

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
birthday, on 23 April 1616. We don’t know the
exact cause of his death, but we know that in the
days leading up to it he suffered from a fever. It is
comforting to know that he spent the last week or

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
so of his life socialising and celebrating with his
good friends Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton (some
argue perhaps a little too hard).

THE MINI ESSAY

In an elegant and neat dénouement of which the great writer himself may have approved, his journey ended where it
began, at the Holy Trinity Church in the small town of Stratford, where he lies buried within the chancel rail.

TIMELINE

PERFORATED
Please note that this timeline is offered only as a rough guide as the dates of many of the events are only

RUBRICS
approximate and speculative.

• 1564 — born in Stratford, England (birthday assumed to be 23 April)

• 1582 — marries Anne Hathaway on 27 November (aged 18)

THE PLAY

• 1583 — first child, Susanna, is born

• 1585 — twins, Judith and Hamnet, are born

• 1587-88 — heads to London (aged 22) and starts his theatrical career
REFERENCES

• 1589-92 — establishes his career and begins to make a name for himself — writes Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, The
Comedy of Errors, Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus

• 1593 — writes Venus and Adonis, and begins writing the Sonnets, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Two Gentlemen of
Verona

• 1594 — founding member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (an acting company)

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• 1596-97 — Hamnet dies; purchases New Place, a large house in Stratford, and writes Merchant of Venice,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II and Romeo and Juliet
FOREWORD

• 1598-99 — writes As You Like It, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Henry V, Julius Caesar, The Merry Wives of Windsor and
Much Ado About Nothing

• 1599 — Globe Theatre is built (Shakespeare is a shareholder); writes Troilus & Cressida and Twelfth Night
INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE

• 1601 — Shakespeare’s father dies; writes Hamlet

• 1602 — writes All’s Well That Ends Well

• 1603 — The Lord Chamberlain’s Men become The King’s Men and perform regularly at court
SHAKESPEAREAN

• 1604 — writes Measure for Measure and Othello

LANGUAGE

• 1606 — writes King Lear, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra

• 1608 — Shakespeare’s mother dies; The King’s Men begin playing at the Blackfriars; writes Coriolanus and Timon
of Athens
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

• 1609 — the Sonnets are published

• 1609-11 — writes Cymbeline, Pericles Prince of Tyre, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest

• 1612 — retires from the theatre (aged 48) and returns to live in Stratford
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

• 1612-16 — works on new plays with his friend, John Fletcher. They write Cardenio, Henry VIII and The Two Noble
Kinsmen

• 1616 — dies on 23 April

THE MINI ESSAY
PERFORATED
RUBRICS
THE PLAY
REFERENCES

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THEMES, MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS

FOREWORD

THEMES AND MOTIFS

The central subject or topic in a work of literature (or art) is referred to as its theme. A sophisticated work
will usually explore several, interrelated themes. A motif is a recurring idea or contrast examined in a work
INTRODUCTION TO

of literature and these will usually relate to the themes being explored. There are several major themes and
SHAKESPEARE

motifs in Hamlet.

ACTION VERSUS INACTION

SHAKESPEAREAN

One of the central themes in Hamlet is action versus inaction. Hamlet is the
LANGUAGE

epitome of inaction in many ways. He is asked to take action (to kill King Claudius)
by the Ghost, but he struggles to do so. He debates his options and hatches a
plan to verify the Ghost’s story first. Once he is certain of the king’s guilt, Hamlet
seems ready to act, but, yet again, opts against doing so when he hesitates to
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

kill the king while the monarch appears to be praying.

Hamlet’s inaction is contrasted with the two other men who have also lost their
fathers: Laertes and Fortinbras. Both of these men are of quick resolve and action.
Laertes immediately wants revenge and only exercises a degree of patience at
AND ANALYSES

Hamlet debates killing King Claudius while

SUMMARIES

he appears to be praying because the prince

Claudius’ urging (and when Hamlet apologises to him for his father’s death). believes doing so will save the king from
his sins and allow his wicked soul to enter
Fortinbras is also eager to avenge his father’s death and has to be dissuaded by heaven. Painting by Eugène Delacroix (1843)
(Published by Gihaut Frères, Paris) (Wikimedia
the King of Norway and offered another fight. Commons)
THE MINI ESSAY

Critics explain Hamlet’s inaction in many ways. Some blame his youth, others the indecisiveness of his personality and
many suggest it is his strong sense of morality that holds him back (he is worried that taking revenge is an immoral act).
Perhaps it is a combination of all three?

There are also occasions when Hamlet is quick to act, lending weight to the argument that his inaction is not a character
PERFORATED

flaw, but a response to the specific task of revenge. Unfortunately, one of those instances is when he murders Polonius
RUBRICS

at the end of Act III, thinking he is killing the king — a mistake that perhaps serves only to heighten his caution and
hesitancy.

MADNESS
THE PLAY

Madness is a key theme in Hamlet. On hearing the Ghost’s story, Hamlet decides to ‘put an antic disposition on’ (Act
1, Scene 5, line 191). His madness begins as a ruse to elude the suspicious king and his prying spies, Polonius,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and to be left free to investigate the truth of the claims made by the Ghost.
ACKNOWLEDGE-

As the play develops, however, and Hamlet remains stuck in his own confusion and inaction, there are times where he
MENTS

appears to stray into genuine madness and doubts arise about the actual soundness of his mind. Certainly, it would not
be unreasonable for his circumstances to make him paranoid and to weaken his mental state. The pressure of feeling
obliged to kill Claudius, in spite of his strong moral and philosophical objections to the act, combined with the fact
that he knows he is surrounded by people he cannot trust and who are constantly plotting against him, would test the
psychological stability of any character.

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In this manner, Shakespeare adds a fresh new dimension to the theme of madness (which was a common theme in
revenge tragedies at the time). He makes Hamlet’s madness ambiguous and keeps the audience guessing to what extent

FOREWORD
it remains a subterfuge or has become real.

The theme of madness also informs the character of Ophelia. Overwhelmed by her grief at her father’s sudden death,
she appears to lose her grip on reality and wanders about, singing songs and handing out flowers. Interestingly, the

INTRODUCTION TO
flowers she chooses to give each person are aptly symbolic, despite her mental instability. Her grief-driven madness

SHAKESPEARE
ends, tragically, in suicide when she drowns in the river. Ophelia’s madness becomes a foil to Hamlet’s. Her madness is
genuine and without ambiguity, whereas his is an ambiguous deception, driven by an ulterior motive.

DISEASE AND DECAY

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
Images of decay and disease are used repeatedly throughout the play. These images relate to the corrupt state of
Denmark as a result of the unnatural death of the old king and unnaturally quick marriage of the queen to her dead
husband’s brother.

This theme is introduced very early on in the play through Francisco’s claim that he is ‘sick at heart’ (Act 1, Scene 1,

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
line 9). This sense of unease or dis-ease intensifies with the appearance of a ghost, prompting Marcellus to exclaim
‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ (Act 1, Scene 4, line 99).

The imagery of rotting and decay is used again and again; for example, when Hamlet uses the imagery of a worm’s
supper in his conversation with the king about Polonius’ dead body (Act 4, Scene 3).

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
There are also references to Denmark descending into a state of decay. Hamlet laments that the country has become
‘… an unweeded garden / That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature’ (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 137-138).

The many references to diseased and contagious bodies — mentions of ulcers and cankers marring the skin, in

THE MINI ESSAY

particular — and to images of decay in nature and even the celestial bodies, all amplify the concept that the state of the
physical world is a reflection of the state of the spiritual realm.

The idea is that the moral fabric of society is rotting because of the dishonest and corrupt behaviour of the leaders of
the nation. The king is a usurper who ‘stole’ the throne dishonestly and this corrupt state of affairs is compounded by

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
the queen’s swift decision to marry her husband’s brother.

This is contrasted with the ascension of young Fortinbras to the throne at the end of the play. The audience is given a
glimpse of a hopeful future in which the country might begin to heal. THE PLAY

APPEARANCE VERSUS REALITY

Closely linked to the theme of madness versus feigned madness is the theme of appearance versus reality. This idea is
introduced in Act One. Queen Gertrude asks Hamlet why he is still so heavily mourning the death of his father, claiming
that he seems to be grieving more than is necessary. He responds to this by saying ‘Seems, madam! nay it is, I know
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

not ‘seems’’ (Act 1, Scene 2, line 78), highlighting the idea that there can be a schism between what things appear to
be and what they really are.

This theme is also reflected in all of the plotting by the characters. Almost all of the schemes are, ultimately, attempts
to uncover what other characters are really thinking and doing since nearly everyone in the play is hiding his or her
true feelings and intentions. The king and Polonius are trying to figure out what might lurk beneath Hamlet’s madness,
for instance, while the prince is feigning the appearance of madness to obscure his secret mission to reveal the king’s
true murderous nature and to kill his deceitful uncle. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also appear to be Hamlet’s old

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friends, but this is merely a ruse to conceal their secret

assignment to spy on the prince. Polonius sends his
FOREWORD

servant, Reynaldo, to spy on his son in France as well,

convinced that Laertes is not the respectable young man
he appears to be, but actually embroiled in activities of a
dubious nature. (Yet, contrary to this, he pretends to be a
INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE

trusting parent when Laertes asks him for advice.)

The Ghost is another investigation of this theme. Is it an

apparition, is it real or is it somehow both? It appears to
be the previous king, but can its appearance be trusted?
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

The sensational claims made by the Ghost appear

The Play Scene in ‘Hamlet’: King Claudius is about to leap to his feet and, in
to contradict reality (the belief that Hamlet’s father doing so, reveal his guilt. Painting by Daniel Maclise (1842) (Tate National
Gallery, London) © Tate, London 2013
was bitten by a poisonous snake and not deliberately
poisoned by Claudius), but the Ghost is, in fact, exposing
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

Hamlet to the real truth.

The ‘play within the play’ is also an exploration of

this theme, and a great example of metafiction. The
very nature of acting is the putting on of an appearance
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

and this is wonderfully illustrated when Hamlet asks

the actors to make the play as realistic as possible. In
this instance, the actors are trying to make a fictional
play (that actually accurately reflects the reality of the
THE MINI ESSAY

previous king’s murder) as realistic as possible.

HONOUR AND REVENGE

As a revenge tragedy, one of the central themes in Hamlet is vengeance. Closely related to revenge is the idea of honour.
PERFORATED

Hamlet’s duty to avenge his father is tied to his honour as a ‘good son’. When speaking to the Ghost, for example, Hamlet
RUBRICS

declares, ‘Speak, I am bound to hear’, to which the Ghost responds: ‘So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear’
(Act 1, Scene 5, lines 10-11). This exchange highlights
the relationship between revenge and honour, and the
accepted duty of a son to take revenge on behalf of
THE PLAY

his father.

This theme is emphasised and expanded through the

inclusion of Laertes and Fortinbras, two other sons who
ACKNOWLEDGE-

feel it is their duty to avenge their fathers’ deaths. The

MENTS

fact that both men are portrayed as highly honourable

and dutiful reinforces how acceptable and established
this duty was considered.

THE SUPERNATURAL
Shakespeare, like many Elizabethan playwrights, often made use of the supernatural in his plays and Hamlet is no
exception. The opening scene takes place at midnight, traditionally ‘the witching hour’ and the time when supernatural
creatures are most likely to appear.

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The appearance of a ghost sets the tone of the play, invoking a sense of foreboding and fear. The same technique is
still used in horror and suspense stories today. When a movie starts with an ominous looking house, at night, against a

FOREWORD
stormy sky, the audience immediately knows something eerie or scary is about to happen.

The presence of a ghost would have conveyed the idea that ‘all is not well’ to Elizabethan audiences and Shakespeare
uses its appearance in Hamlet as the catalyst for the action in the play — revealing the murder of the previous king and

INTRODUCTION TO
inciting Hamlet to take revenge.

SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare establishes that the Ghost is not just an illusion by having several people witness it, including the ever-
rational Horatio. In Elizabethan times, ghosts could be either good or evil spirits and so the audience would have been
intrigued to find out this one’s intentions. The ambivalent nature of ghosts is why it would have been perfectly natural for

SHAKESPEAREAN
Hamlet to question its purpose and to devise a way of confirming that it is telling him the truth.

LANGUAGE
SYMBOLS
Symbols are objects, characters, shapes or colours used to represent something else, usually an abstract

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
idea or quality. Symbols usually represent something else by association, resemblance or convention.
Shakespeare employs symbolism throughout his plays, using physical things to represent intangible or
invisible ideas or qualities in particular.

YORICK’S SKULL

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
The appearance of Yorick’s skull in the final act of the play symbolises death
and its inevitability. Hamlet knew Yorick, the court jester, as a child and his
fond memories of the man lead him to ponder the idea that death serves as
an equaliser among people, whether rich or poor, good or bad, lower class or

THE MINI ESSAY

highborn. He wonders out loud where the remains of Alexander the Great ended
up, concluding that we all share the same fate in the end and return as dust to
the earth.

PERFORATED
During his rumination, Hamlet is, quite literally, staring death (in the form of

RUBRICS
Yorick’s skull) in the face. This is particularly poignant when one considers the
death surrounding the prince: his plans to kill the king, the king and Laertes’ Hamlet contemplates Yorick’s skull and the
nature of death in the graveyard. Painting
plans to kill him, and the funeral about to take place for Ophelia. by Eugène Delacroix (1893) (The Louvre
Museum, Paris)
This symbol of death and its inescapability appears at a critical moment in the
THE PLAY

play: shortly before its catastrophic ending when most of the major characters will meet their deaths.

It should also be noted that the idea of death recurs throughout the play: Hamlet explores the idea in his famous ‘To be,
or not to be’ soliloquy (Act 3, Scene 1); the presence of a ghost; the murder of the previous king; the enacting of murder
ACKNOWLEDGE-

in the play within the play (The Murder of Gonzago),

MENTS

the repeated use of poison and, of course, the many

deaths. The use of a skull at this point in the play is a
way of physically representing this recurring idea of
death.

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OPHELIA’S FLOWERS
The tragic scene during which Ophelia hands out flowers exploits the symbolism of the flowers. The rosemary she gives
FOREWORD

to Laertes represents remembrance and was traditionally worn at weddings and funerals. She also gives her brother
pansies, which represent grief — a very apt gesture considering his circumstances. The fennel and columbines she
gives to Claudius represent flattery, deceit and ingratitude, respectively.
INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
THE MINI ESSAY

Although mentally unstable, Ophelia hands out poignantly symbolic flowers to the other characters. Painting by Henrietta Rae (1890)
(Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool)
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

The rue she hands to the queen — keeping some for herself as well — represents repentance and was often worn in
church in order to gain God’s mercy. Ophelia also says to the queen, ‘There’s a daisy: I would give you / some violets,
but they withered all, when my father / died’ (Act 4, Scene 5, lines 195-197). Daisies represent false appearances and
violets are used to symbolise faithfulness, making it quite apt that these had withered, considering the queen’s lack of
THE PLAY

faithfulness towards her late husband.

Despite the fact that she is so stricken with grief that no one can reason with her, Ophelia’s handing out of flowers is
uncannily appropriate. She gives each person a flower that is most suited to his or her situation. The flowers become a
ACKNOWLEDGE-

way of emphasising the qualities different characters are expressing at that particular moment in the play.
MENTS

The flowers also take on extra meaning shortly after this scene as Ophelia drowns trying to hang her flowers on a tree
and will then be the one who is ‘receiving flowers’ when they are strewn across her grave. As the queen scatters flowers
on Ophelia’s grave, she observes that she had always thought she would be laying flowers on Ophelia and Hamlet’s
wedding bed, rather than on Ophelia's grave.

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THE ‘PLAY WITHIN THE PLAY’

The modified version of The Murder of Gonzago — the play within the play — also serves as a symbol for the actual

FOREWORD
murder of the old King Hamlet by King Claudius. As the ‘play within the play’ is a physical representation of the original
murder, the symbolism is direct and straightforward: the ‘king’ in the play represents the old King Hamlet, the ‘queen’
represents Queen Gertrude, and the ‘poisoner’ represents King Claudius.

INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE
KEY FACTS
FULL TITLE: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

SHAKESPEAREAN
AUTHOR: William Shakespeare

LANGUAGE
TYPE OF WORK: Play

GENRE: Revenge Tragedy

LANGUAGE: English

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
COMPOSED (TIME AND PLACE): England, between 1599 and 1602

PUBLISHED: 1603: condensed version published in the First Quarto. The full-length version was published a year
later in the Second Quarto.

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
TONE: Dark, brooding, contemplative and violent

SETTING: Denmark, during the late middle ages, although precise time is unclear.

PROTAGONIST: Hamlet

THE MINI ESSAY

ANTAGONIST: Claudius

CONFLICT: Hamlet’s duty to kill King Claudius to avenge his father’s murder.

RISING ACTION: Hamlet feigns madness to hide his intentions, while the king and Polonius plot to uncover the cause

PERFORATED
of his madness. Hamlet sets a trap for the king, using a re-enactment of the murder of his father to bait a damning

RUBRICS
reaction from him.

CLIMAX: After successfully confirming the king’s guilt, Hamlet is resolved to take action. He mistakenly kills Polonius
behind the arras, which gives the king a pretext to send him away and prompts the return of Laertes from France.
Laertes’ loathing of Hamlet helps the king to orchestrate the prince’s murder.
THE PLAY

FALLING ACTION: Hamlet is sent away to England, but events allow him to return. He and Laertes have an altercation
at Ophelia’s grave, which leads to a fencing match between them and, ultimately, the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, the
king and the queen.
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

FORESHADOWING: The Ghost and his warnings regarding the state of corruption in Denmark.

THEMES AND MOTIFS: Action and inaction, madness, decay and disease, appearance versus reality, honour and
revenge, and the supernatural.

SYMBOLS: Yorick’s skull, Ophelia’s flowers and the ‘play within the play’.

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SUMMARIES AND ANALYSES

FOREWORD

USING THIS SECTION

Working through the play act by act ensures that solid foundations of knowledge are laid and then gradually
INTRODUCTION TO

and effectively developed. Learners are not required to deal with the whole play until they have worked
SHAKESPEARE

through it step-by-step. In this section, each act is broken down into its constituent scenes, each of which
is summarised and analysed separately. Learners are then required to engage with each scene directly
through scene-specific questions that require them to refer to the text closely.
SHAKESPEAREAN

At the end of each act, learners will find essay questions pertaining to that act, accompanied by a selection of enrichment
LANGUAGE

tasks. At the end of Act Five, there is also a wide selection of rigorous essay topics, ensuring that students also tackle
the play in its entirety. (The marking rubrics for the enrichment tasks and essays can be found on p.93.)

ACT ONE
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

SUMMARY OF ACT ONE

Act One begins on the battlements of Elsinore Castle in Denmark (called ‘a narrow platform in front of the castle’ in the
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

stage directions). The castle guards have already encountered a ghost twice and have brought Horatio with them this
time to confirm the nature of their sightings. Sure enough, the Ghost appears and they realise that it looks just like ‘Old
Hamlet’, the king who has recently died. When it will not speak to them, they decide that the young prince Hamlet needs
to be informed of this event as they are convinced that the Ghost will speak to him because it looks like his father.
THE MINI ESSAY

The second scene provides background on the situation in Denmark. The new king, Claudius, the brother of ‘Old Hamlet’
(the recently deceased king), has just married his brother’s widow. King Claudius gives a speech to justify his quick
marriage. He also establishes himself as a capable leader in the eyes of the public by sending ambassadors to Norway
to deal with the growing threat of Prince Fortinbras. The Norwegian prince is preparing to go to war with Denmark to
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

reclaim the lands lost when his father was defeated. This scene also introduces the king’s chief councillor, Polonius, and
the councillor’s son, Laertes, who is given permission by the king to return to France.

We also meet Prince Hamlet, the protagonist, for the first time. The king, having dealt with everyone else first, reprimands
Hamlet for his ongoing show of grief. It is soon clear that there is a very tense relationship between Hamlet and the king,
THE PLAY

and that Hamlet is deeply upset by his mother’s marriage to his uncle. After a soliloquy in which he denounces both his
uncle and his mother, Hamlet is joined by Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo. They tell him about the Ghost and he decides
he needs to see it for himself.
ACKNOWLEDGE-

The focus shifts to the king’s advisor, Polonius, and his family. Laertes prepares to leave for France, although not before
MENTS

giving his sister, Ophelia, a lecture on how she should behave around Hamlet. After receiving some last minute fatherly
advice from Polonius, Laertes departs, leaving Ophelia to be lectured a second time. This time by her father.

Back on the battlements, Hamlet joins Marcellus and Horatio at midnight to test their story. He is not disappointed as
the Ghost appears again. The Ghost speaks to Hamlet in private. He tells Hamlet that he is his father and that he was
murdered by Claudius, who poured poison in his ear while he was sleeping. He commands Hamlet to take revenge.
Hamlet agrees, swears his friends to secrecy, and alerts Horatio to his plan to feign madness. The stage is now set for
the action of the play.

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SCENE ONE
SUMMARY

FOREWORD
The play opens on a cold night in Denmark as the clock strikes midnight. Francisco is on watch on the battlements of
Elsinore Castle. He is jumpy and on edge. Bernardo arrives and reveals that he, too, is nervous by asking ‘who’s there?’
The reason for their fear is revealed when Marcellus enters, asking whether the Ghost has appeared again. He has

INTRODUCTION TO
brought Horatio with him this time to confirm the sighting of the Ghost. As an educated man and scholar, Horatio brings

SHAKESPEARE
reason to the situation and he can speak Latin, should he need to exorcise the spirit.

As Marcellus and Bernardo start telling a sceptical Horatio about their previous two encounters with the ghost, it appears.
The Ghost marches in, wearing soldier’s armour, and all three men observe that it bears an uncanny resemblance to

SHAKESPEAREAN
the recently deceased king. The guards ask Horatio to speak to it. Try as he might, Horatio is unable to elicit a response

LANGUAGE
from the apparition and it vanishes.

Horatio is visibly shaken and remarks that the apparition not only looked like the dead king, but was also wearing the
armour worn by him when he defeated the King of Norway. He declares that the disturbing appearance of the ghost of

BACKGROUND
the dead king ‘bodes some strange eruption to our state’.

TO THE PLAY
As they debate the reason for the Ghost’s appearance, Marcellus asks Horatio to tell them more about the current state
of affairs in Denmark. The guards have noticed preparations for war being made and are aware that something is afoot.

Horatio explains how, a while ago, the King of Norway challenged the dead king, ‘Old Hamlet’. The Norwegian monarch

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
was defeated in battle and had to cede ownership of some of his lands to ‘Old Hamlet’ as part of the spoils of war.
Now, the defeated King of Norway’s son, Prince Fortinbras, who has an appetite for fighting, is gathering troops in order
to claim these lands back. Consequently, Denmark has to prepare to repel the assault. Horatio wonders whether the
Ghost’s manifestation, dressed and armed for war, is an omen about the pending conflict.

THE MINI ESSAY

As they discuss the potentially ominous nature of the apparition, the Ghost reappears. Horatio again tries to get it to
speak. Aware that ghosts often appear to ask the living to do things to help them pass through to the afterlife, Horatio
asks the Ghost if he can do anything to ease its passage. It looks as if it is about to speak, then a cockerel crows and it
disappears once more.

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
Dawn starts to break over the horizon. They decide that Prince Hamlet should be told about this strange manifestation,
convinced that the spectre will be more likely to talk to his living son. They resolve to speak to Hamlet that morning.

ANALYSIS
THE PLAY

Much like the way a scary movie will start with a scene of a creepy house at midnight, buffeted by rain, thunder and
lightning, the play opens with an eerie setting. The purpose of this is to set the mood and tone for the rest of the play.
The audience knows immediately that something is not right in Denmark.
ACKNOWLEDGE-

This tone of dread and uncertainty is established in the first lines of dialogue, before we even know about the Ghost.
MENTS

Bernardo and Francisco are clearly jumpy and on edge as they call out ‘Who’s there?’ when they hear approaching
footsteps.

This feeling of unease is heightened by the foreboding appearance of a ghost dressed for war and by Horatio’s
confirmation of an impending war with Norway.

The theme of corruption and decay is also introduced into the story. The feeling that something is amiss is backed up by
Horatio’s statement that the Ghost’s appearance ‘bodes some strange eruption to our state’. This imagery of an eruption
evokes the idea of turmoil and of disease.

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The asking of ‘who’s there?’ also introduces the theme of appearance versus reality. The characters seek confirmation
of who is approaching, not trusting who or what will appear. This theme is repeated in the appearance of the Ghost.
FOREWORD

While the apparition seems to take on the form of old King Hamlet, the guards are worried it might actually be a demon
disguising itself as a more benign spirit. Either way, the guards believe this supernatural presence is a bad omen.

This scene also establishes the Norwegian subplot through the discussions regarding the preparations for war. It is also
INTRODUCTION TO

the first indication of the revenge motif as Horatio explains the motives behind Fortinbras’ invasion and how he is seeking
SHAKESPEARE

to avenge his father’s death and loss of lands.

QUESTIONS
1. What is Horatio’s initial response to the reports of the apparition? How does his response change during the
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

scene? (2)

2. According to Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo, why do ghosts usually appear? (3)

3. What do the men fear that the ghost’s appearance might mean? (3)
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

4. What is the significance of the crowing of the cockerel? Compare the explanations given by Horatio and Marcellus. (3)

5. Identify the mood of the play at this point and suggest how this tone (or atmosphere) is created. (4)

[15]
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

SCENE TWO
SUMMARY
The setting shifts to the inside of the castle, where the whole royal family is gathered, along with the king’s advisor,
THE MINI ESSAY

Polonius, and his son and daughter. King Claudius is giving a speech. He starts by paying homage to his dead brother.
Changing his tone, he shifts from a theme of mourning to one of celebration and announces his marriage to his brother’s
wife, Gertrude. He then turns to the matter of war. Confirming Horatio’s observations in the previous scene, he announces
Fortinbras’ desire to reclaim the lands his father lost. He dispatches two ambassadors, Cornelius and Valtemand, to
undertake a diplomatic mission to Norway to convince the Norwegian king to dissuade Fortinbras of his intentions.
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

Once the ambassadors have been dispatched and official business has been completed, the king turns to Laertes, son
of Polonius. The king is aware that Laertes has some matter he wishes to discuss with him. Laertes wishes to return to
France now that the wedding ceremony is over. The king gives him leave to return, after checking that Polonius is happy
for his son to depart, revealing the close relationship between the king and Polonius.
THE PLAY

After addressing these matters, the king turns, at last, to Hamlet, addressing him as ‘cousin’ and ‘son’. The king and
queen express their concern that Hamlet is still so gloomy. Hamlet tells them that he is still genuinely grieving his late
father. The king brushes this off, telling Hamlet that all sons lose their fathers eventually. The king argues that to show
ACKNOWLEDGE-

his grief makes Hamlet a dutiful son, but to continue to grieve for so long is merely to be stubborn. He then asks Hamlet
MENTS

not to go back to university in Wittenberg, but to stay in Denmark. The queen supports this request, begging her son
not to leave her. Hamlet agrees to stay. He pointedly remarks that he will obey her, implying that he is not obeying the
king, but complying with his mother’s wishes. Happy with this result, the king calls for a celebratory feast and everyone
leaves, except for Hamlet.

Left alone, Hamlet launches into his first soliloquy

of the play. His speech is dark, with yearnings that he
could simply evaporate into thin air, as well as laments

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about God’s rule against suicide. He brings up the idea that there is something very rotten in the garden that is Denmark,
with his mother’s quick marriage to her brother-in-law. In his speech, he suggests that the king is to his father what

FOREWORD
a satyr is to Hyperion, the sun god, clearly showing his disdain for his uncle, turned stepfather. He reveals his anger
towards his mother as well, crying out angrily against her incestuous behaviour.

As Hamlet broods over his mother’s behaviour, Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo arrive. Hamlet welcomes Horatio like an

INTRODUCTION TO
old friend and it becomes clear that Horatio also studies at Wittenberg. Horatio tells him that he came back for the late

SHAKESPEARE
King Hamlet’s funeral. Hamlet points out bitterly that it was probably for the wedding as well, given how closely it followed,
and makes an offhand remark about seeing his father. Horatio seizes this opportunity to tell him about the appearance
of the ghost of his father. Hamlet is shocked and wants to hear more. Horatio recounts in detail his encounter with
the armour-wearing ghost and the previous encounters

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
of the guards. Hamlet asks Horatio details about the
ghost’s appearance, to assess whether the apparition
does indeed look like his father. He resolves to join the
guards on their watch that night to see for himself. He

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
ends the scene with the observation that ‘all is not well’.

ANALYSIS
Scene Two introduces the audience to the Danish Court.

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
King Claudius is introduced and information is shared
about what he has done since his brother’s death.
The subplot of the unrest in Norway and Fortinbras’
plans for revenge are explained further, indicating their

THE MINI ESSAY

importance in the play.

This scene reveals a fair amount about the new king as a

character. The first thing he does is to justify his marriage
to Gertrude so soon after the death of his brother. He

PERFORATED
chooses his words carefully to smooth over his actions

RUBRICS
and he balances his emotions between happiness,
satisfying those who are in a mood to celebrate the
marriage, and sadness, remaining sensitive to those
Two Satyrs by Peter Paul Rubens (1619) (Alte Pinakothek, Munich)
who are still grieving over the dead king. He is clearly
THE PLAY

a ‘smooth talker’ and knows how to work an audience.

By dealing openly with the problem of Fortinbras, the king also establishes himself as a strong and capable leader in the
eyes of the public. His close relationship with Polonius is also revealed through the attention he pays to Laertes’ plans
ACKNOWLEDGE-

and movements. (It is also worth noting the lecture

MENTS

Claudius gives Hamlet on expected natural behaviour

for a son at this point. Consider the irony of his speech
as you read further in the play.)

The theme of appearance versus reality is also

introduced. Hamlet speaks of his ‘inky cloak’; in
other words, his outward appearance of grief.

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He points out that there is a significant difference between what something ‘is’ and what it ‘seems’. He tells his
mother that his grief is not just an act, but something that he is truly feeling. The speech by the king also suggests that
FOREWORD

everything is in order in Denmark, with a happy royal wedding and a plan to address Fortinbras, but Hamlet reveals the
more sinister reality present in Denmark as soon as the king has left.

This scene is our first introduction to Hamlet as a character. His first soliloquy is important and fundamental to our
INTRODUCTION TO

understanding of his personality and to the development of certain themes. Hamlet is presented as a brooding young
SHAKESPEARE

man, deep in mourning for his father, despite the objections of the king and queen. He is outwardly obedient to his
mother, although his soliloquy reveals his deep anger and disgust at her recent behaviour. He has little regard for his
uncle, shown in his behaviour towards him and in his unfavourable comparison of him with his father.
SHAKESPEAREAN

Hamlet’s speech also develops the theme of corruption and decay. He draws on the image of an ‘unweeded garden’
LANGUAGE

that is ‘rank’ and ‘gross’. This enhances the imagery of an eruption in the state of Denmark that was introduced by
Horatio in the previous scene. Hamlet places the blame for Denmark’s decay on the actions of his uncle and mother. He
describes Claudius in animal terms, comparing him to a satyr. He also suggests that his mother is a slave to her more
animal needs, namely, lust. He projects the idea of decay and disease on to his mother when he talks of the ‘flushing of
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

her gallèd eyes’. The implication in all of this is that the king and queen’s corrupt behaviour is infecting the moral fabric
of the Danish state. (It is worth paying close attention to the continued use of images to develop this theme of decay as
you read further in the play.)
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

QUESTIONS
1. At this point in the play, what has been revealed about the conflict with Norway and how has the king responded to
this threat? (4)

2. How does King Claudius feel about Hamlet’s mourning? Why does the king feel this way and what tactics does he
THE MINI ESSAY

use to try to change Hamlet’s behaviour? (4)

3. Identify the comparison Hamlet offers when describing and contrasting his father and the king. What does this
comparison reveal about each man? (4)
PERFORATED

4. Identify the imagery in Hamlet’s soliloquy that relates to the theme of corruption and decay. (5)
RUBRICS

5. How does Hamlet respond to the news that his father has appeared as a ghost? Offer sound reasoning for his
response to this news. (3)

[20]
THE PLAY

SCENE THREE
SUMMARY
ACKNOWLEDGE-

This scene focuses on the family of Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia. Laertes is about to leave for France and is talking
MENTS

to his sister. He decides to give her some last minute advice regarding Hamlet. He warns Ophelia that she should not
mistake Hamlet’s careless attention and lust for anything more.

Laertes reminds Ophelia of Hamlet’s position as a prince and the obligation he will have to marry someone of a certain
rank. He warns her not to do anything foolish and not to give in to her heart or lust. Ophelia thanks him for his concern
and, in return, tells him not to preach one thing to her and practise something else in his own life.

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The Ghost then disappears and Hamlet falls to his knees in shock. He curses his mother and resolves to forget everything
else, all books and knowledge, and to fill his brain with only the knowledge of this murder and with his plans for revenge.

FOREWORD
He quickly writes the Ghost’s description down and swears to his revenge.

Horatio and Marcellus enter, finding him at prayer. They are relieved to see him alive and want to know what has
happened. Hamlet is reluctant to tell them because he is worried that they won’t be able to keep the knowledge to

INTRODUCTION TO
themselves. He hints that there is a villain in Denmark. Horatio retorts that he did not need a ghost to tell him that.

SHAKESPEARE
Hamlet is not willing to impart the Ghost’s tale, but reassures Horatio that the Ghost is an honest creature and not a
demon. He then asks Horatio and Marcellus never to speak of this night to anyone. Not satisfied with simply their word,
he gets out his sword and makes them swear an oath to it. Once they have sworn their oaths to secrecy, Hamlet tells

SHAKESPEAREAN
Horatio that he is going to assume an ‘antic disposition’ and feign madness. He makes Horatio swear that he will play

LANGUAGE
along and pretend that Hamlet really is mad. With that, Hamlet thanks his friends for their loyalty and they leave together.

ANALYSIS
This scene is the catalyst for the action of the play. The reason for the Ghost’s appearance is revealed at last. The

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
audience is made aware of the cause of the ‘corruption’ in Denmark and the theme of appearance versus reality is
developed further. In revealing the truth behind Old Hamlet’s death, the Ghost also exposes the real motivation for King
Claudius’ smooth-talking, PR performance: that it is an attempt to obscure the reality of his foul deeds.

The Ghost’s tale of old King Hamlet’s murder and his direct command to Hamlet to seek revenge is what drives the rest

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
of the action in the play. He tells Hamlet that to hear his story and not to act would be the height of laziness. At this point
in the play, Hamlet is so enraged by this revelation that he seems to be utterly resolved to carry out the act of revenge.

This scene is also crucial in establishing Hamlet as a revenge play. The Ghost requires Hamlet to agree to seek revenge

THE MINI ESSAY

before he has told him the reason. This also reinforces the commonly held belief at the time that a son has an honour-
bound duty to avenge his father, especially if the father has been wronged. Perhaps helped by his dislike for the king,
Hamlet seems extremely willing and motivated to carry out his father’s wishes.

QUESTIONS

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
1. At this point in the play, would you characterise Hamlet as a man of action or inaction? Offer reasons for your
response by referring to the text closely. (3)

2. What do we learn about old King Hamlet’s death in this scene? (2)
THE PLAY

3. At this point, what can we tell about Hamlet’s future plans? Consider his decision to assume an ‘antic disposition’
and suggest why he decides to do this. (3)

[8]
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

ESSAY QUESTIONS ON ACT ONE

1. What is rotten in the state of Denmark? Discuss the theme of decay and corruption as it is introduced in Act One.

2. Discuss what has been revealed about the character of Hamlet thus far in the play. Pay particular attention to his
soliloquy in Scene Two in your response.

3. Do you think Hamlet will be successful in carrying out the revenge commanded by the ghost of his father? Refer to
his relationships with his mother and his uncle and consider the evidence of his action and/or inaction.

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ENRICHMENT TASK FOR ACT ONE

This task is an oral and visual presentation. Your presentation should be a speech of 4-5 minutes in length,
FOREWORD

to be delivered in front of the class. You should make liberal use of visual materials, such as DVD footage
(movie clips), Power Point Presentations, posters and diagrams, to make points clearer to your audience.
You may work singly or in pairs. Remember to refer to the accompanying rubric on page 93 to ensure that
INTRODUCTION TO

you are familiar with the marking criteria. Choose from one of the tasks below:
SHAKESPEARE

OPTION 1: HAMLET REMIXED

There have been many film adaptations of Hamlet. More recent ones include: Franco Zeffirelli’s 1990 production,
featuring action hero Mel Gibson; Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 film, which is four hours in length and includes every word
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

and scene of the original; and Michael Almereyda’s 2000 production set in contemporary New York.

Each of these directors chose to introduce the story in a different way. In your speech, compare and contrast the opening
scenes in any two of the above productions.
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

Your focus should be on how the tone of the film is set in each one and how the opening scenes differ from each other.
Consider how effective (or not) they are as introductions to this tale of ‘murder most foul’ and also how closely they relate
to the atmosphere created in Scene One of the play (set on the battlements of Elsinore Castle in Denmark).

Consider the following aspects: camera angles and shots, editing, lighting, setting, mise-en-scène1 and any other
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

features you might like to include.

Your presentation needs to be illustrated so use clips from the films whenever possible to illustrate the points you wish
to make.
THE MINI ESSAY

OPTION 2: A SERPENT STUNG ME

In 2012, director Ang Lee turned Yann Martel’s amazing novel, The Life of Pi, into a movie. The main character, Pi Patel,
is a teenage boy who survives a shipwreck only to find himself in a lifeboat with an assortment of animals: a zebra with
a broken leg, an orangutan, a spotted hyena and a Bengal tiger. Pi later explains the symbolic significance of these
PERFORATED

animals, the hyena, for instance, represents the violently aggressive ship’s cook.
RUBRICS

Your task is to find animal equivalents for the main characters who we meet in Act One, Scene Two. The visual element
of this exercise will entail finding appropriate images of these central characters and then pairing these up with visuals
of the animals that you believe represent them best. In your speech, you need to present and justify your selection of
THE PLAY

images. To do this, you should draw on the words and deeds of the characters.

OPTION 3: THE LOVE TRIANGLE

The public loves a good scandal involving love, sex and betrayal. If you opened a gossip magazine today and saw the
ACKNOWLEDGE-

headline: ‘Woman Marries Dead Husband’s Brother’, you might be shocked, but you would probably find it believable.
MENTS

In your speech, you need to discuss how this storyline of love, sex and betrayal is still relevant today. The visual element
of this exercise will entail finding appropriate images of contemporary examples (from soap operas, reality television
shows and movies to real life celebrity entanglements). You will need to present and justify your selection of images. To
do this, you should compare the words and deeds of the characters in the play with your contemporary examples. Be
sure to demonstrate how, and explore why, this storyline is as relevant and entertaining today as it would have been
when Hamlet was first performed.
1
When applied to the cinema, mise-en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement, for example, composition, sets, props,
actors, costumes and lighting. The term also refers to the positioning and movement of actors on the set, which is called ‘blocking’.

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THE MINI ESSAY

FOREWORD

GUIDELINES
The purpose of writing a mini essay is two-fold. The first reason is to demonstrate an understanding of the
INTRODUCTION TO

text in question. The second is to show that you can write about a topic in a focused and sustained way. In
SHAKESPEARE

other words, a mini essay is not a rambling, disjointed collection of your thoughts regarding a topic, but an
integrated and interconnected discussion that develops a clear argument. This section offers some basic
guidelines on writing a mini essay, two annotated examples from which to learn, and a selection of essay
topics.
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

Some of the things to consider when writing a mini essay include:

• Your essay should be reasoned, well-planned and concise.

• You are required to include a one page plan with your essay (no longer than one page), which outlines the structure
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

of your argument and the links between your ideas.

• Your thesis statement should clarify the issue or question that will be discussed in your essay. It should also indicate
what points you will make and in what order.
AND ANALYSES

• Each paragraph of the body of your essay should support or refute your thesis statement.
SUMMARIES

• Any statements you make must be supported with concrete, plausible examples and evidence from the text.

• Your essay should not be more than 400 words in length (essays longer than 450 words will be penalised in the
examination) and you are required to provide an accurate word count.
THE MINI ESSAY

• Your essay should be written in the present tense using the active voice. This ensures a more convincing stance.

• Examiners prefer that you write in the third person.

PERFORATED

PLANNING AND STRUCTURING YOUR ESSAY

RUBRICS

It is important to plan your essay before you start writing your response. Doing so will improve your marks,
not only by helping you clarify your ideas and structure your argument logically, but also because the plan
itself is worth five marks in the final examination.
THE PLAY

STEP 1: ANALYSING THE QUESTION

The most important thing to do when writing an essay is to read and analyse the question carefully. You need to make
ACKNOWLEDGE-

sure you understand clearly what is being asked. The first step is to identify the task word or words (i.e. the instruction)
MENTS

in the question. Let’s look at the following example:

Is Hamlet a coward? Examine this question in a well-substantiated essay of 350-400 words.

In the preceding example, the task word is ‘examine’, which means that you are being asked to evaluate or weigh up
the available evidence and come to a logical judgement or conclusion based upon it. Other common task words include
‘identify’, ‘discuss’, ‘compare’ and ‘contrast’.

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Once you have identified the task word, look closely at the topic of the essay. The topic tells you the theme or subject
matter on which to focus. Common topics include the characters in the text, their psychological motivations and

FOREWORD
relationships, the themes and motifs that impel and illuminate the text, and the author’s use of language and dramatic
techniques.

In the example, the topic is Hamlet’s bravery and whether his lack of action is a result of his cowardice. In order to

INTRODUCTION TO
answer the question, you need to consider what evidence there is to show that he is a coward and what evidence

SHAKESPEARE
there is to suggest that there are other reasons behind his inaction. You also need to decide what evidence is the most
compelling. Whatever conclusion you reach about Hamlet’s character and motivations, make sure that you provide
evidence to support your opinion in your essay.

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
STEP 2: MAPPING YOUR ANSWER
Although you can plan your essay using any method you prefer, ‘mapping out’ your response has been shown to be an
effective way of generating, clarifying and linking ideas. An effective technique to use is a concept map. The following is
a model concept map for the example question.

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
Delays killing Claudius

Keeps finding excuses

Doesn't plan to kill the king

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
Fails to act

Over-thinking Opportunistic,
not heroic end

THE MINI ESSAY

Cowardly
behaviour

Uses play to confirm

Needs to prove king's guilt
Ghost's story

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
Acts against
childhood friends
Proof
Is Hamlet a coward? THE PLAY

England plot

Reasons for inaction

ACKNOWLEDGE-

Courageous
MENTS

behaviour

Morality

Polonius
Philosophical Duel with Laertes

Concerned with Acts instinctively

morality of revenge
A deep thinker and Ready to compete
contemplative by nature

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STEP 3: FORMULATING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT

Once you have mapped your response and weighed up the evidence, it is time to formulate your thesis statement,
FOREWORD

which is the main point you want to prove. A thesis statement will show the reader/marker that you have a clearly
formulated argument and are not just rambling. It can
be more than one sentence if necessary and should
INTRODUCTION TO

express the opinion/argument that you are going to

SHAKESPEARE

present clearly.

Let’s say that you have mapped your response to the

previous example question about Hamlet’s cowardliness
SHAKESPEAREAN

and decide that Hamlet is not a coward; rather, he fails

LANGUAGE

to act because of the moral dilemma he faces. Then this

is your thesis statement.

STEP 4: LINKING YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

The final task is to link your ideas together. Your essay will need an introduction, two to four body paragraphs (depending
on the number of ideas you have and your word count) and a conclusion.
AND ANALYSES

THE INTRODUCTION
SUMMARIES

Remember that an introduction should achieve three things:

1. Establish context/background

2. Outline the problem you are trying to resolve, and

THE MINI ESSAY

3. State the main point you are arguing (your thesis statement)

THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

Use a paragraph for each of your main ideas. Remember that a body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

(stating the point of the paragraph), followed by the evidence for, and explanation of, your point: Point Evidence
Explanation (PEE!).

THE CONCLUSION
THE PLAY

Your concluding paragraph needs to summarise your argument and show that you have successfully proved the point
that you made in your thesis statement.

ANNOTATED ESSAY EXAMPLES

ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

ESSAY TOPIC:
Is Hamlet a coward? Examine this question in a well-substantiated essay of 350—400 words. (Question 1 of
the General Essay Questions on p.89)

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Context
INTRODUCTION

Problem

FOREWORD
statement

Thesis
statement

INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE
Point

Evidence

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
Explanation

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
AND ANALYSES
BODY

SUMMARIES
THE MINI ESSAY
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

Summary of
THE PLAY

main point
CONCLUSION

Restatement
ACKNOWLEDGE-

of thesis
MENTS

Closing
remarks

Word count: 377

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 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

ACT 1

FOREWORD
SCENE 1
[Denmark. A narrow platform in front of the castle at Elsinore. A cold star-lit night. The bell tolls twelve.]
[FRANCISCO, a sentry, is at his post. Enter BERNARDO]

INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE
BERNARDO
Who’s there?

FRANCISCO
Nay, answer me. Stand, and unfold yourself. reveal

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
BERNARDO
Long live the king!

FRANCISCO

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
Bernardo?

BERNARDO
5 He.

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
FRANCISCO
You come most carefully upon your hour. on time

BERNARDO
’Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco.

THE MINI ESSAY

FRANCISCO
For this relief much thanks. ’Tis bitter cold,
And I am sick at heart 1. scared

BERNARDO

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
10 Have you had quiet guard?

FRANCISCO
Not a mouse stirring. A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

BERNARDO
Well, good night.
If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,
The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. those that guard with me
ACKNOWLEDGE-

[Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS]

MENTS

FRANCISCO
[Listens]
15 I think I hear them. Stand ho! Who is there?

HORATIO
Friends to this ground. Your friends

1
Francisco’s exclamation anticipates the later statement of ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ (1.4), indicating all is not well, and introduces the
imagery of disease.

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MARCELLUS
And liegemen to the Dane. subjects
FOREWORD

FRANCISCO
Give you good night.

MARCELLUS
INTRODUCTION TO

O, farewell honest soldier,

SHAKESPEARE

20 Who hath relieved you? replaced

FRANCISCO
Bernardo hath my place.
SHAKESPEAREAN

Give you good night.

LANGUAGE

[FRANCISCO off]

MARCELLUS
Holla, Bernardo! Hey!
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

BERNARDO
Say,
25 What, is Horatio there?
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

HORATIO
A piece of him 2.

BERNARDO
Welcome Horatio, welcome good Marcellus.
THE MINI ESSAY

HORATIO
What, has this thing appeared again to-night?

BERNARDO
I have seen nothing.
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

MARCELLUS
30 Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy,
And will not let belief take hold of him
Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us. Regarding
A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

Therefore I have entreated him along asked him earnestly / begged

With us to watch the minutes of this night,
35 That if again this apparition come, ghost or ghostlike image
He may approve our eyes and speak to it. confirm what we’ve seen
ACKNOWLEDGE-

HORATIO
MENTS

Tush, tush, ’twill not appear. Nonsense

BERNARDO
Sit down awhile,
And let us once again assail your ears, attack
40 That are so fortified against our story, strengthened defensively 3
What we have two nights seen.

2
He jests with them. It is so cold his whole body is numb.
3
By fortifying his ears, Horatio has essentially stopped listening to or taking note of the continual stories of the other guards about this apparition. Note the
imagery of battle in both ‘assail’ and ‘fortify’.

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HORATIO
Well, sit we down,
And let us hear Bernardo speak of this.

FOREWORD
BERNARDO
Last night of all,
45 When yon same star that’s westward from the pole that 4 Pole star

INTRODUCTION TO
Had made his course to illume that part of heaven illuminate

SHAKESPEARE
Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself,
The bell then beating one…

[Enter GHOST clad in armour and carrying a truncheon]

SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE
MARCELLUS
Peace! Break thee off. Look where it comes again!

BERNARDO
50 In the same figure like the king that’s dead.

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
MARCELLUS
Thou art a scholar 5; speak to it, Horatio.

BERNARDO

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
Looks it not like the king? Mark it, Horatio. Look at it

HORATIO
Most like; it harrows me with fear and wonder. causes me to feel distress

THE MINI ESSAY

BERNARDO
It would be spoke to. It wishes to be spoken to.

MARCELLUS
55 Question it, Horatio.

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
HORATIO
What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, seizes 6
Together with that fair and warlike form
In which the majesty of buried Denmark the Danish King who was buried
Did sometimes march? By heaven I charge thee speak.
A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

MARCELLUS
60 It is offended.

BERNARDO
ACKNOWLEDGE-

See, it stalks away.

MENTS

HORATIO
Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!

[The GHOST vanishes]

4
Referring specifically to something in the distance.
5
Because Horatio was a scholar, he would be able to speak Latin and so exorcise any evil spirits.
6
To usurp is to take a place that belongs to another, illegally or by force.

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MARCELLUS
’Tis gone and will not answer.
FOREWORD

BERNARDO
How now Horatio? You tremble and look pale!
65 Is not this something more than fantasy?
What think you on’t? of it
INTRODUCTION TO
SHAKESPEARE

HORATIO
Before my God, I might not this believe
Without the sensible and true avouch affirmation 7
Of mine own eyes.
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

MARCELLUS
70 Is it not like the king?

HORATIO
As thou art to thyself.
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

Such was the very armour he had on,

When he the ambitious Norway combated. King of Norway
So frowned he once, when in an angry parle conference between two leaders
75 He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice. using sleds or sledges Poles
’Tis strange.
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

MARCELLUS
Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour, precisely
With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. proud, stately walk
THE MINI ESSAY

HORATIO
In what particular thought to work I know not,
80 But in the gross and scope of my opinion,
This bodes some strange eruption to our state 8. upheaval in

MARCELLUS
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

Good now, sit down, and tell me he that knows,

Why this same strict and most observant watch
So nightly toils the subject of the land, causes the people of the land to work
85 And why such daily cast of brazen cannon brass
And foreign mart for implements of war, market
A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task forced service

Does not divide the Sunday from the week.
What might be toward that this sweaty haste imminent
90 Doth make the night joint-labourer with the day?
Who is’t that can inform me 9 ?
ACKNOWLEDGE-
MENTS

HORATIO
That can I,
At least the whisper goes so. Our last king, rumour
Whose image even but now appeared to us,
95 Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride, incited determined rivalry
Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet
7
I would not have believed this if I had not just seen it.
8
I don’t quite know what the reason for this is, but my own view is that this foretells an upheaval in our state.
9
Marcellus, now that his word on the ghost has been confirmed, is asking about the war preparations in Denmark. He mentions the increased work of the people
of the land, the casting of cannons, the buying of weapons and the ship workers working day and night.

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(For so this side of our known world esteemed him) judged

Did slay this Fortinbras; who by a sealed compact, agreement
100 Well ratified by law and heraldy, formally confirmed

FOREWORD
Did forfeit (with his life) all those his lands gave up his lands, on his death
Which he stood seized of, to the conqueror; possessed
Against the which a moiety competent an equivalent amount
Was gagéd by our king, which had returned pledged

INTRODUCTION TO
105 To the inheritance of Fortinbras,

SHAKESPEARE
Had he been vanquisher; as by the same covenant, agreement
And carriage of the article designed, terms of agreement
His fell to Hamlet. Now sir, young Fortinbras,
Of unimprovéd mettle hot and full, untested

SHAKESPEAREAN
110 Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there outskirts

LANGUAGE
Sharked up a list of lawless resolutes10, gathered indiscriminately
For food and diet to some enterprise
That hath a stomach in’t, which is no other seems to promise adventure
(As it doth well appear unto our state)
115 But to recover of us by strong hand

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands by force
So by his father lost. And this, I take it,
Is the main motive of our preparations,
The source of this our watch, and the chief head origin
120 Of this post-haste and romage in the land. commotion

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
BERNARDO
I think it be no other but e’en so.
Well may it sort that this portentous figure ominous
Comes arméd through our watch so like the king

THE MINI ESSAY

That was and is the question of these wars.

HORATIO
125 A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye11. speck of dust
In the most high and palmy state of Rome, flourishing
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, before Julius Caesar

PERFORATED
RUBRICS
The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead empty
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets; speak inarticulately
130 As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood,
Disasters in the sun; and the moist star, the moon
Upon whose influence Neptune’s12 empire stands,
A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse13.

And even the like precurse of fierce events, foreshadowing
135 As harbingers preceding still the fates forerunners 14 always
And prologue to the omen coming on,
Have heaven and earth together demonstrated
ACKNOWLEDGE-

Unto our climatures and countrymen. regions

MENTS

[Enter GHOST]

But soft, behold! Lo where it comes again!

140 I’ll cross it though it blast me. Stay, illusion! cross its path even if it kills me

10
Reckless outlaws.
11
This is an allusion to Matthew 7:3: ‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’; also a
cause of irritation.
12
Neptune is the god of the seas; following on from the previous line, the sea is dependent on the moon, because it governs the tides.
13
The moon did not give light, as if doomsday had come.
14
A harbinger is one who announces the arrival or approach of someone; an advance messenger.

© THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE 2013 115

 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

[HORATIO spreads his arms]

If thou hast any sound or use of voice,

FOREWORD

Speak to me!
If there be any good thing to be done
That may to thee do ease, and grace to me,
145 Speak to me!
INTRODUCTION TO

If thou art privy to thy country’s fate have knowledge of

SHAKESPEARE

Which happily foreknowing may avoid, O, speak! perchance

Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life gathered up
Extorted treasure in the womb of earth15, Obtained illegally, by force
150 For which they say you spirits oft walk in death,
SHAKESPEAREAN
LANGUAGE

[Cock crows]

Speak of it, stay and speak! Stop it, Marcellus!

MARCELLUS
BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY

Shall I strike at it with my partisan? type of spear with a broad head

HORATIO
Do if it will not stand.
AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES

BERNARDO
’Tis here!

HORATIO
155 ’Tis here!
THE MINI ESSAY

[GHOST off]

MARCELLUS
’Tis gone!
We do it wrong being so majestical
PERFORATED
RUBRICS

To offer it the show of violence,

For it is as the air, invulnerable,
160 And our vain blows malicious mockery.

BERNARDO
A.I Sc.I
THE PLAY

It was about to speak when the cock crew.

HORATIO
And then it started like a guilty thing,
Upon a fearful summons. I have heard
ACKNOWLEDGE-

The cock that is the trumpet to the morn

MENTS

165 Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat

Awake the god of day, and at his warning
Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air,
Th’ extravagant and erring spirit hies 16
To his confine, and of the truth herein
170 This present object made probation. proof 17

15
If you have hoarded treasure and buried it in the earth.
16
The straying and wandering ghost hastens back.
17
The truth of the statement has been proved by what we have just witnessed.

116 P H OTO C O P Y I N G O F T H I S R E S O U R C E I S I N C O N T R AV E N T I O N O F T H E C O P Y R I G H T A C T ( N O. 9 8 1 9 7 8 )
 HAMLET | THE COMPLETE GUIDE AND RESOURCE FOR GRADE 12

MARCELLUS
It faded on the crowing of the cock.
Some say that ever ’gainst that season comes always just before

FOREWORD
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated, Christmas
This bird of dawning singeth all night long, rooster
175 And then they say no spirit dares stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike, exert an evil influence

INTRODUCTION TO
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,

SHAKESPEARE
So hallowed and so gracious is the time. holy

HORATIO
So have I heard and do in part believe it.
180 But look, the morn in russet mantle clad

SHAKESPEAREAN
reddish-brown cloth 18

LANGUAGE
Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill.
Break we our watch up and by my advice
Let us impart what we have seen to-night
Unto young Hamlet, for upon my life
185 This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.

BACKGROUND
TO THE PLAY
Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it,
As needful in our loves, fitting our duty19?

MARCELLUS
Let’s do’t, I pray, and I this morning know

AND ANALYSES
SUMMARIES
Where we shall find him most conveniently.

[Off]

SCENE 2

THE MINI ESSAY

[The Council Chamber in the castle at Elsinore]
[A flourish of trumpets. Enter CLAUDIUS King of Denmark, GERTRUDE the Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, his son LAERTES and his
daughter OPHELIA, VALTEMAND, CORNELIUS, and Lords in attendance]

PERFORATED
KING

RUBRICS
Though yet of Hamlet our 20 dear brother’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted fresh it was proper for us
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe 21,
5 Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature, political consideration
A.I Sc.II
THE PLAY

That we with wisest sorrow think on him,

Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, formerly our sister (in-law)
Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state, female joint holder of rights 22
ACKNOWLEDGE-

10 Have we as ’twere with a defeated joy, subdued

MENTS

With an auspicious, and a dropping eye, one eye cheerful, the other sad
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, joy lament
In equal scale weighing delight and dole, sorrow
Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred disregarded / excluded
15 Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
18
The morning is breaking, casting a red glow in the sky.
19
Should we tell him (Hamlet), out of both love and duty?
20
Note the use of ‘our’ and ‘we’ and ‘us’ – he is using the royal ‘we’, when he refers to himself, as he embodies the entire state of Denmark.
21
Just as one’s brow contracts in mourning or in pain, so it was proper for the whole kingdom to wear a look of woe.
22
Joint holder of rights, usually to an estate, but in this case to the state.

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