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Studying Hamlet, Prince of Denmark |
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Introduction
This study guide is designed to help you respond to this play, which you should have seen in performance on stage or on film. Perhaps the most accessible treatment is Franco Zeffirelli's 1991 feature film version, with Mel Gibson in the title role. This uses an edited and shortened form of the text, with some scenes and details omitted. The film is shot on location, mainly in Denmark at the real castle of Elsinore, and does not attempt to show the play as it would be on stage. The cast includes many well-known “star” actors. You may compare this version with Laurence Olivier's 1948 film or Kenneth Branagh's 1996 version, which makes no cuts to the text. To get a copy of the play as a text file, go to the e-text library of Project Gutenberg. If you want to buy Hamlet, as a VHS tape or DVD, click on the relevant link below. Purchase in UK
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About the playHamlet is a play: it was not written to be read in schools, but to be seen and heard in live performance. It is possible, and can be enjoyable, to act out Shakespeare's plays, but you should not expect to enjoy or understand everything. Why not? Because Shakespeare uses a form of English which often differs from how we speak. Even in his own day, he used a far wider vocabulary (range of words) than almost anyone in his audience. He refers to ideas, people or objects with which the audience in his day would be familiar because these things were part of their education or current events. But modern audiences will not always know about them in detail. Also, the plays require great skill in the actors: it is easy to perform them incompetently. Shakespeare makes great demands of his actors, because he knows how good they are at what they do. Although there are many beautiful and interesting speeches, Shakespeare was just as interested in narrative, that is telling a story in words and actions. Modern editions of the plays, for use in schools, have extensive notes to explain the meaning of odd terms or unfamiliar ideas. If you use these for your own reading and acting, you may begin to enjoy the plays. You should also try to see video or feature film versions, or listen to radio productions, but a good performance in the theatre should be better than all of these. This guide is intended to support study of the play by an examination class. A range of activities will be described, from which students should make their own choice, or a selection negotiated with the teacher.
Oral and performance activitiesTo perform the whole play requires a large, very competent, cast and takes weeks, but a short episode can be performed by a small group or pair; a very short part can even be done as a monologue. You could read the episode, learn the lines and then direct yourself in performance. A simpler approach is to split readers and actors. Each part is read by one person, while another does the actions in mime.There are many striking and beautiful speeches which you could learn, perform or recite. Your teacher will help you make a suitable choice. UK exam boards may allow you to present some of your work for assessment in reading, as a spoken activity - rather than submit a written essay, you may present a spoken essay, or record a radio or TV type “broadcast” on audio or video tape.
Story-tellingIn Shakespeare's day there were no novels, films or television drama. If you wanted to tell a story, you either wrote a long poem (a very few highly-educated people would read it) or made it into a play. Until the 16th century most plays in England were rather crude acted versions of Bible stories. These were performed by tradesmen who might be very good at their craft, but were not professional actors. When Shakespeare started acting (first) and (later) directing and writing, the English theatre was as new a medium as television is today, and just as fashionable. In London, theatres were built where people could see the plays. Occasionally travelling companies, as today, would take plays to other towns, or to the houses of rich noblemen for private performances. All of Shakespeare's plays tell stories, and tell them in entertaining ways, with conflict, humour, love, violence, a mixture of language and very good plotting. Most of these stories had to be told in a single performance, so the story would be fitted into a two to four hour telling. Only with stories from history did Shakespeare split the drama into parts (though each of these made a perfectly good play in its own right). A good approach to Hamlet is to take a part (not all) of the narrative and tell it in other ways. To practise your writing you could do any of the following: a character might keep a diary or journal in which he or she would record a day's events, with comments on his or her view of these. In this way you could tell one character's part of the story with suitable comment. This would work for Ophelia, Gertrude, or Rosencrantz and Guildernstern. A more sympathetic view could come from Horatio. You could also try to modernize and or shorten the play to produce a script which tells the story in a simplified form.
What happens in Hamlet?This play is among the longest and most complex of all of Shakespeare's works. You will notice that some details of the narrative as summarized here do not appear in Zeffirelli's interpretation, or other film versions. This enables the director to make the plot clearer, and keep the film to a manageable length. Old Hamlet, the King of Denmark has died, and has been succeeded by his brother, Claudius who has married Hamlet's widow, Gertrude. The heir to the throne is Prince Hamlet who has been recalled from university in Wittenberg (Germany) for his father's funeral. Hamlet is told by his friend Horatio of a ghost, resembling his father, which walks on the battlements of the royal castle, at Elsinore. Hamlet meets the ghost: it is that of his father, who tells him that he was murdered - Claudius has told people that Old Hamlet died of a snakebite, but in reality Claudius poured poison into his ear as he slept in his orchard. Hamlet intends revenge, but is fearful of discovery, so feigns madness. He behaves strangely towards Ophelia whom he courted previously. Her father, Polonius a foolish old counsellor, believes she is the cause of Hamlet's madness. Claudius, already wary of Hamlet, employs the prince's old schoolfellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on him. A troupe of travelling players comes to Elsinore, and, on Hamlet's instructions, perform a version of an old play, The Murder of Gonzago, adapted so that the victim is killed as described by the ghost: Claudius's reaction confirms his guilt. He plans at once to have Hamlet sent to England, and to his death, then kneels in prayer; Hamlet sees him praying, but declines the opportunity (he is alone) of revenge, as he wishes to ensure Claudius's damnation. He confronts his mother with her treachery to his father, her first husband. She has been speaking to Polonius, who hides behind an arras (a curtain or wall-hanging) at Hamlet's approach, to eavesdrop. As Hamlet threatens his mother violently, Polonius cries out, and is stabbed, fatally, through the arras by the prince, who now sees and hears again the ghost, which is invisible to and unheard by his mother. Supposedly to protect Hamlet from the consequences of killing Polonius, Claudius sends away the prince, who tells Horatio much later of what happens on the voyage (to England): not being able to sleep, he steals into his companions' cabin and takes away the letter they carry from Claudius to the English king. This he finds to be an order for his own immediate death; he alters it so that it commands the death of the bearers (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) and returns it. The next day, a pirate vessel attacks the ship: trying to repel the attack, Hamlet boards the ship, which then moves away. While he negotiates his release with the pirates, his old friends sail on to their deaths. Ophelia has a brother, Laertes, who returns to France, having come home for Claudius's coronation and wedding, at the start of the play. Learning of his father's death he now returns, to find that Ophelia has gone mad, his grief completed when he hears, a little later, from Gertrude, that his beloved sister has drowned. Claudius persuades him that Hamlet is to blame for all his troubles, and agrees to a plot to kill him. The two men meet at Ophelia's funeral, where they quarrel. Claudius arranges a fencing match, having bet on Hamlet's superior skill. But he gives Laertes a sword with a poisoned tip. As a precaution, Claudius also has poisoned the wine provided to refresh Hamlet during the contest. When Hamlet evades his enemy's sword repeatedly, while scoring various hits, Claudius forces the issue, putting a pearl into the cup, which Hamlet can secure by drinking its contents. Gertrude takes the cup and drinks from it before Claudius can stop her. At last Laertes wounds Hamlet, in a scuffle, at the end of which they change swords, and Laertes is also wounded. As Gertrude falls dying, Laertes confesses his treachery to Hamlet, who kills Claudius, makes his peace with the dying Laertes, and bids farewell to Horatio, before he, too, dies. There are two odd sequels to Hamlet's death.
Hamlet on filmZeffirelli's is one of several notable versions of Hamlet. Perhaps the best known is Sir Laurence Olivier's 1948 film, in which he plays the prince. Kenneth Branagh has directed a 1996 feature film version, and a full-length broadcast radio production for BBC Radio 4, in the early 1990s. In order to discuss it as a film, you should look at a number of different things.
Elsinore and the ghostShakespeare sets the action at Elsinore and goes out of his way to create a sense of atmosphere, especially when the ghost appears at the start of the play.
Hamlet and ClaudiusThis play is dominated by Hamlet, and to a less degree by his arch-enemy, Claudius: we see each scheming against the other, who is more or less aware of what is going on.
GertrudeBetween the two comes Gertrude, whose sympathies move during the play from Claudius to Hamlet:
Other charactersConsider how other characters (Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) position themselves, or are manipulated, in relation to this power struggle. Theatrical techniquesYou may wish to consider technical details such as costume, props or lighting. In Zeffirelli's version, although the costume is very basic, black or white garments are often used symbolically to indicate good or evil: this is most obvious in the play's last scene. In order to contrast Hamlet's virtue with Claudius's corruption Zeffirelli uses effects of colour: the camera moves from the drunken revellers in the hall below, in brightly coloured garments (red or orange) and lighted by flaring torches, to the cold grey stones of the castle, and the drab clothes of Hamlet and his friends. A personal responseIn conclusion, you are asked to say how far you liked the versions of the play you have seen, and why.
Hamlet's revengeOne way of looking at the play is to study the theme of revenge. This will mean concentrating on Hamlet's battle of wits with Claudius. Tragedies about revenge were fairly popular in Shakespeare's time, although it is a central theme only in one other of Shakespeare's plays, his earliest tragedy, Titus Andronicus. Its contemporary equivalent is found in some western films, notably the “spaghetti” westerns of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood. In order to write about this, you should consider the causes of Hamlet's desire for revenge, and the manner in which he pursues it. Some things that influence the course of Hamlet's revenge would be:
We are helped to understand his actions and motivation by his soliloquies (speeches made when he is alone on stage) and some things which he tells Horatio. What follows is some explanation of each of these. You can gain fuller information by studying the text or the play in performance, or both. It is quite acceptable to refer to differences between the play as written and how it is performed in stage or film versions. The causes of Hamlet's desire for revengeAt the start of the play, Hamlet's father has died, and his mother has married Claudius, brother to the late king, and uncle to Prince Hamlet.
In revenge tragedies, it is customary for secret information to be revealed by a ghost.
The arrival, at Elsinore, of a group of travelling players (actors), enables Hamlet to verify (check) what the ghost has told him.
The course of Hamlet's revengeAlmost at once, Hamlet has a chance of revenge, finding Claudius (praying) alone and vulnerable.
As he is not ready to kill Claudius yet, Hamlet goes to his mother, to urge her to keep from sexual relations with Claudius.
Hamlet is also in some danger, as Claudius sees that Hamlet knows of his crime. Of course, Claudius cannot say anything without admitting to his evil deed.
Claudius employs Hamlet's old friends to spy on him.
The death of Polonius means that Claudius can persuade Hamlet, apparently for his own good, to leave Denmark temporarily.
Hamlet tells Horatio, partly in a letter, mainly in conversation, how he survives this plot through a mixture of luck and his own wits.
Ophelia is an innocent victim of others' schemes. Hamlet likes her, but is too troubled by his father's death to think of her as a lover would.
When her father is killed and Hamlet, for whom she cares, goes away, Ophelia really goes mad, and later drowns herself.
Laertes, Polonius's son, returns to Denmark for his father's funeral, only to attend that of his sister.
In the last act of the play, things seem to be going the way of Claudius.
Because Laertes, angry with Hamlet, strikes him during a pause in the match (very unsporting) there is a scuffle, in which both men drop their swords. When they pick them up, the weapons are swapped, so Laertes is also fatally wounded.
As Hamlet dies, he makes a last request of Horatio.
The play does not quite end with the prince's death.
Hamlet's soliloquies and words to HoratioThis is a brief overview - below you will find a detailed account of all Hamlet's soliloquies. Where most revengers would use soliloquies (solo speeches; thinking aloud) to tell the audience of their plans, Hamlet uses these opportunities to give reasons for uncertainty and delay, or to comment on the meaning or meaninglessness of life in general, and his life, in particular. He wishes he were dead at one point, and appears to contemplate suicide at another. In conversation and, once, in a letter, he tells Horatio some things, but not others. At the end of the play he asks Horatio to tell his story to the world, but unless he has (off-stage) filled in the gaps, Horatio will not be able to tell the full story, as we know it. For example, would he be able to guess, from The Murder of Gonzago, the truth about old Hamlet's death? By studying, closely, the soliloquies and Hamlet's conversation with Horatio, you may be able to explain better his own ideas about himself and his motives. Some of this, of course, may distract you from the simpler idea of revenge. If you do this, you should quote short passages of dialogue with explanation and comment, as you feel appropriate. A study of Hamlet's soliloquiesThis section contains detailed comments on Hamlet's soliloquies. Act 1 scene 2, lines 129-159The context of the first soliloquyIn Act 1, scene 1 we learn much of the political background; of Hamlet only that Horatio will alert him to the appearance of the ghost. In Act 1, scene 2 Claudius at first dominates the dialogue: he deals eloquently, and with appropriate ceremony and dignity, with affairs of state. We have no reason to dislike him though we note, as he justifies it, the haste of Gertrude's re-marriage, and the apparent strain between him and Hamlet, which he seeks to remove by courting Hamlet's favour. Save to remark on the distinction between the common outward display of grief and the inward reality, Hamlet has said nothing of substance. Thus, Hamlet first reveals certain things to the audience, making it clear that even his friends will not, necessarily, be privy to these. Note also that Hamlet denounces Claudius before his father's ghost has told the prince of the murder. Hamlet's comments refer to Claudius's general ignobility. Hamlet may suspect foul play though he does not speak of it here - his comment to the ghost (Act 1, scene 5, lines 40-41: “0 my prophetic soul! My uncle”) shows this. The disclosure of the murder bears out Hamlet's general aversion: the action, though extreme, is suited to the actor, Claudius. The content of the soliloquyHamlet's thoughts are presented in a naturalistic sequence - he allows his disgust to flow freely and one thing leads to another but the outline of his meditation is as follows:
Questions for discussion
Act 2, scene 2, lines 522-580The context of the soliloquyThe ghost has told Hamlet of the murder. He inclines to believe this, but must be sure. He thinks of the play, prompted by the arrival of the itinerant actors, as a device to confirm Claudius's treachery - as he later explains to Horatio (Act 3, scene 2, lines 71-83). Hamlet has studied at the Protestant University of Wittenberg, which explains his suspicion that the apparent ghost may be a lying demon, sent to undo him. Protestant theology teaches that the souls of the dead go straight to heaven or hell - so what appears to be a ghost must be an evil and deceitful spirit. The content of the soliloquyAgain the soliloquy breaks down into three parts:
Questions for discussion
Act 3, scene 1, lines 56-88One could argue that this is not a soliloquy as Ophelia, Claudius and Polonius are all on-stage. But, clearly, it is, as Hamlet is unaware of this and speaks as if to himself (soliloquy means “speaking alone”). The context of the soliloquyThe context is similar to that of the previous speech: Claudius and Polonius, alarmed by the prince's distraction decide to plant Ophelia in his way and spy on his reaction. The first part of what follows is unexpected, as Hamlet takes some time to notice Ophelia, at which point his soliloquy gives way to the expected conversation (of unexpected character). There is irony in the position of this episode: Hamlet has just devised a ruse, which involves spying (and he, too, will have a confidant, Horatio) on Claudius; now Claudius and Polonius attempt to gain the advantage of him by spying: their device leads to less satisfactory results. The content of the soliloquyThe content is close to that of the opening of the first soliloquy but more fully expressed. Because there is no certainty that death will bring relief from oppression, we fear to exchange the known evil for a possibly greater torment - thus Hamlet appears to believe that there is, or can be, no escape. Out of context the universality and beauty of the speech explain its celebrity. Questions for discussion
Act 3, scene 2, lines 362-373A short speech. For once Hamlet believes he can act but he moves for Gertrude, to confront her and, perhaps, correct her. Act 4, scene 4, lines 32-66The context of the soliloquyThe “Mouse Trap” has succeeded beyond Hamlet's expectations. Claudius considers how, with the aid of his compliant henchmen, he can eliminate the danger to himself: he knows that Hamlet knows - knows too much for the safety of both. Hamlet declines the opportunity to kill Claudius at prayer, reproaches his mother, kills Polonius and is sent to England where he will be safe, but not in the sense usually intended by this word. (The safety Claudius seeks is his own.) Before embarkation (presumably on the way to his vessel) Hamlet watches the Norwegian army crossing Danish territory en route to do battle with the Polish forces. The content of the soliloquyThe readiness of Norwegian and Pole to fight for a worthless prize (like the player's ability to conjure passion for a fiction) is seen by Hamlet as a rebuke to his sloth. The speech falls into two parts:
Questions for discussion
General questions on the soliloquies
© Andrew Moore, 2002; Contact me
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