Name

Period
Date

Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark

For each character, cite quotes and other evidence (commentary ok too) of their motives and intrigues. Whats REALLY
going on with these people? What are the possibilities? Quote chosen (Act, Scene, Line #s) eg: Hamlet: No (III, i, 96)

Act Hamlet Claudius Gertrude Polonius

Act I He is grieving his late
father and is sickened by
his uncle and mother for
getting together so soon.
He expresses his emotions
in a childish way and it is
matched with his new
father telling him he cannot
return to college and must
remain in the castle, where
claudius will have control
over him. O, most wicked
speed, to post With such
dexterity to incestuous
sheets! It is not, nor it
cannot come to good. But
break, my heart, for I must
hold my tongue
He wanted to be with
Gertrude and possibly
wanted to rule Denmark. I
believe he wanted to rule
Denmark because he wants
to keep Hamlet where he
can see/find him, if he didnt
much care for the kingdom
or the power I think he
would give Hamlet more
power to do things like
control the army that
already supports him.
Regardless I do believe
Claudiuss intentions are ill
and he went about love the
wrong way.
Gertrude is the hardest
character to crack in my
opinion. She could be a
pawn in the castles games,
she could be using her
position to her advantage,
she has so many angles
she can work from, it would
be foolish to assume she is
just merely there. She most
likely does love Claudius,
there wouldnt be any other
reason to marry him so
quickly. Let not thy mother
lose her prayers, Hamlet. I
pray thee, stay with us. Go
not to Wittenberg. This
quote either shows how
much she loves Hamlet, or
whether she has been
persuaded by Claudius to
keep Hamlet near them.
A true snake. Polonius is
merely making sure he is
around for all the political
conflict, and constantly
seeking an advantage from
any situation, even if he was
never involved in the first
place. He pretty much
scams his daughter later on.
His intentions can only be
evil, supported King Hamlet
and as soon as he died,
instead of being a loyal
servant of the family and
serve Prince Hamlet, he
goes to serve King
Claudius.

Act II Hamlet begins his Claudius seems to be "For the supply and profit of Ophelia goes to her father
crusade and starts to act playing more behind the our hope, Your visitation pleading that Hamlet is
crazy to be able to hear scenes in this Act. We dont shall receive such thanks As mad, whether she truly
things he might otherwise see him do much about fits a kings remembrance. believes this or is in on the
 not hear. He talked to his
fathers ghost, or thought
up the conversation. If he
actually talked to the ghost
then he is acting crazy, if
he thought up the
conversation then he is
surely going crazy.
Slanders, sir; for the
satirical rogue says here
that old men have gray
beards, that their faces are
wrinkled, their eyes purging
thick amber and plum-tree
gum, and that they have a
plentiful lack of wit,
together with most weak
hams; all which, sir, though
I most powerfully and
potently believe, yet I hold
it not honesty to have it
thus set down; for yourself,
sir, shall grow old as I am,
if, like a crab, you could go
backward
Act III Hamlet casts a play
ridiculing the king and
queen and lashing out at
Claudius. Hamlet is quickly
reaching his breaking point
with his new father and if
we assume Hamlet is
Hamlet even though him
and the entire court knows
Hamlet is going a little nuts.
Most of this Act focuses on
Hamlet and his ghost
conversations and newly-
formed agenda. Claudius
seems more than happy to
flaunt his Kingly status and
his newfound bride.
Claudius hella mad!!!!
Hamlet produces a play that
attacks Claudiuss character
and he storms out of the
room. He becomes angry
and upset with Hamlet and
Mr-I-Killed-Your-father-and-
II ii 24 Gertrude and
Claudius have essentially
ordered Hamlets childhood
friends, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, to report to
the King and Queen on
Hamlets behavior. Gertrude
offers a Kings favor for
reporting Hamlets mad marry Hamlet, after already
behavior, and this shows
that Gertrude either really
cares for her child, or is
worried her child might hurt
Claudius. Is her motive to
protect Hamlet and ensure
his safety or to protect
Claudius and defend her
reign?
Gertrude begins to think
Hamlet is mad, she studies
his behavior and worries for
her son. After a fairly
incestous altercation
between the two, she
chooses to help Hamlet in
scam (probably the second
one), surely the apples do
not fall far from the tree,
everyone in this family
seems to be
sneaky/devious. Polonius
sees his window of
opportunity by getting her to
forbidding her from seeing
him. He quickly tells her that
they need to be together
and to get married therefore
solidifying his power within
the court and being able to
technically be the power
behind the throne twice over
.I am sorry that with better
heed and judgment I had
not coted him. I feared he
did but trifle And meant to
wrack thee. But beshrew my
jealousy! By heaven, it is as
proper to our age To cast
beyond ourselves in our
opinions As it is common for
the younger sort To lack
discretion.
Polonius is asserting
himself in the private family
issue between Gertrude,
Claudius, and Hamlet. He is
gaining power but
 conjuring these
conversations with his
father, we can assume he
is crazy and will indeed
snap at any given moment.
Act IV Hamlet and Claudius are
dancing around each
others swords in this act.
Both try to kill the other yet
both manage to survive.
Hamlet learning that his
uncle-daddy wants him
dead and gone does give
him more of an incentive to
kill his Uncle and this sort
of legitimizes in Hamlets
brain that it is okay to kill
someone you have major
quarrels with.
Act V A little nuts, I believe by
this point Hamlet has
actually gone off the rails
Didnt-want-to-hurt-you-but-
now-you've-crossed-the-line
Claudius finally takes action
against his rebellious
nephew-son and plots to
have him killed in England,
and fails miserably.
Claudius knows that
Gertrude does not want
Hamlet harmed so by
sending him to a war torn
nation it will be easier to
hide that he had nothing to
do with Hamlet dying,
although that makes me
wonder, should he have
succeeded wouldnt
Gertrude still be upset that
he sent her ONLY son to a
WAR TORN nation? Hamlet
graciously escapes because
he ain't no fool and now is
pissed more than ever.
I mean wow. He did all this
just to get the girl then lets
her drink POISON?! This
his quest to undermine the
King and expose (and
murder) him to avenge late
King Hamlet. Whether she
is playing the fool or sincere
to her son, we will find out
soon. She can have many
different motives and she
may be devious, she is truly
a unique character.
In this Act Gertrude defends RIP
Hamlet like a lioness to her
cubs. She takes Hamlets
advice and protects him
from anything Claudius says
negatively about her son.
She seems to be taking
Hamlets side as most
mothers would choose their
children over their spouse in
a heartbeat.
Gertrude committed suicide RIP
to prove a point that King
Claudius wouldnt harm
 and is legitimately crazy.
Ironic, acting insane and
then actually becoming
insane. I mean he throws
himself in Ophelias grave
and plays with her corpse
like a toy, tugging her back
and forth with Laerates. All
the while he is screaming I
hurt more, he really is
showing how his age does
not match his personality or
behavior.
Analysis
man is really adamant about
killing Hamlet that to be
going through all of these
lengthy trials when he
probably could have just
hired a trained assassin to
do the job for him. He brings
Laerates into this and has
his rapiers tip coated in
poison and THEN poisons
Hamlets drink. This guy is
obsessed with poison,
clearly! Claudius was scum
much like most of the
nobles in this play. He even
told Hamlets childhood
friends to murder him, I will
give Claudius credit for
being thorough but jeez.
Hamlet by poisoning his
drink, so she drank from the
cup. Gertrude realized the
cup was poisoned and
ended up shouting to
everyone that someone was
trying to harm Hamlet, and
this tells us that no matter
what her and Hamlet went
through she was always on
his side. No, no, the drink,
the drink! O, my dear
Hamlet! The drink, the drink!
I am poisoned.
Once a rat, always a rat in
my book. Definitely a
power-hungry character, a
weezle of sorts,
wormtongue to saruman.
Utilized his own daughter in
order to be in higher
positions of power!