Sydney Roslin

Directing I
Candice Brown
2/7/2020

The Actions of Hamlet (Backwards to Forwards)

- Prince Fortinbras claims the kingdom of Denmark for his own

- Because Horatio tells Fortinbras and the Ambassador that unnatural acts have caused
the death of the Danish royal family
- #Because the First Ambassador brings word that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have
been killed and asks for thanks from the King
- ^Also because Fortinbras has stormed the castle expecting to take it over and is
surprised the royal family is dead
- Because Fortinbras has stormed the castle because he has plans to invade and take
over Denmark
- Because Fortinbras is taking over Denmark now because he has conquered Poland
already
- Because Fortinbras told Claudius in a letter that he will not take up arms against
Denmark but will instead move to invade Poland
- Because Fortinbras was planning to take over Denmark and reunite it under the
Norwegian crown
- Because Fortinbras knows that King Hamlet has died
- Also because Fortinbras’ uncle is bed-ridden and has little control over Fortinbras
- Also because King Hamlet killed and seized lands from Fortinbras’ father, King
Fortinbras, when he was alive

# (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern line)

- Because the First Ambassador brings word that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have
been killed and asks for thanks from the King
- Because Hamlet switched Claudius’ letter calling for his death with one calling for
Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s deaths
- Because Hamlet was sent by Claudius with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England
- Because Claudius tasked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with following Hamlet and
spying on him
- Because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tried to find out from Hamlet where Polonius’
body is
- Because Claudius and Gertrude ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out this
information from Hamlet
- Because Gertrude does not know where Hamlet took the body
- Because Hamlet stabbed Polonius and dragged the body away
- Because Polonius was spying on Hamlet’s conversation with Gertrude
 - Because Polonius instructed Gertrude to speak with Hamlet and reprimand him for his
actions
- Because Polonius told Claudius that he will spy on Hamlet and report back
- Because Polonius believes Hamlet to be mentally unstable
- Because Hamlet had a seemingly nonsensical conversation with Polonius after the play
- Because Hamlet was speaking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Claudius’
reactions to the play
- Because the play mimicked the actions that Hamlet believed Claudius took
- Because Hamlet asked the players to put on a play similar to the murder Hamlet
believed Claudius committed
- Because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern introduced Hamlet to the players
- Because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern saw the players on their way to Elsinore
- Because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were traveling to visit their friend from school,
Hamlet
- Because Claudius sent for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet
- Because Claudius believes Hamlet has undergone a “transformation” and would like his
childhood friends to assess what has gone wrong with Hamlet
- Because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern knew Hamlet before Claudius was king and
before King Hamlet died

^(Royal Family is dead line)

- ^Also because Fortinbras has stormed the castle expecting to take it over and is
surprised the royal family is dead
- Because Horatio has told Fortinbras that the royal family is dead
- Because Hamlet told Horatio as he was dying to tell the story of why everyone has died
to Fortinbras
- Because Hamlet dies from poison
- &Also because Horatio has been Hamlet’s only trusted confidant
- Because Hamlet has been stabbed by a poison-tipped sword
- *Also because Hamlet drank the last of the poisoned wine
- Because Hamlet knew he was dying from the poison-tipped sword
- Because Hamlet was wounded by Laertes in their swordfight
- Because Laertes fought Hamlet with a poison-tipped sword
- Because Claudius has tipped Laertes’ blade with poison
- Because Claudius has convinced Laertes to fight Hamlet
- Because Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet
- Because Laertes has returned from France to learn his father and sister are dead
- Because Ophelia has drowned in the river and because Polonius has been stabbed by
Hamlet
- Ophelia drowned in the river because she has gone mad
- Because her father Polonius has died
- Also because she believes Hamlet has gone mad
 - Because she believed that Hamlet loved her
- $Also because Hamlet said he loves her no longer
- Because Hamlet sent her letters and affections that said he loved her
- Polonius has died because Hamlet stabbed him
- Because Polonius was behind the curtain where Hamlet stabbed the curtain
- Because Hamlet was emotionally heated in his conversation with Gertrude
- Because Hamlet believes Gertrude guilty for marrying his uncle
- Because Gertrude married Claudius when King Hamlet died
- Because Polonius was spying on the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude
- Because Polonius told Hamlet to talk to Gertrude
- Because Polonius told Gertrude to talk to Hamlet
- Because Polonius is spying on Hamlet
- Because Claudius has told Polonius to spy on Hamlet
- Because Claudius is suspicious of Hamlet’s unusual actions and moods of late

*(Poisoned wine line)

- *Also because Hamlet drank the last of the poisoned wine
- Because Hamlet knew he was going to die
- Because Hamlet was stabbed by Laertes’ poisoned blade
- Also because Hamlet stabbed Claudius and committed treason
- Because Hamlet knew Claudius had poisoned his mother
- Because Laertes told Hamlet that Claudius poisoned the wine that Gertrude drank
- Because Gertrude did not know the wine was poisoned
- Because Claudius did not tell her the wine was poisoned
- Because Claudius poisoned the wine with the intention of having Hamlet drink it and die
- Because Claudius wants Hamlet dead
- Because Claudius believes Hamlet suspects him of killing King Hamlet
- Because Hamlet ordered a play from the players that involves a brother killing his
brother the king to take power
- Also because Claudius did kill the king
- Because Claudius wanted the power and the queen
- Because Hamlet knows that Claudius killed King Hamlet
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet told him
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet would only speak to Hamlet
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet wants Hamlet to exact revenge and not forget him
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet cannot trust his brother who killed him or his wife who
married the brother after the king was dead
- Also because Hamlet was not involved in the scheme to kill King Hamlet at all

(Ophelia line)
- $Also because Hamlet said he loves her no longer
 - Because Ophelia tried to talk to Hamlet and he told her to leave him alone and be
forever chaste
- Because people are watching Ophelia talk to Hamlet
- Also because Hamlet is mad that his mother has married his uncle
- Because Hamlet sees his mother’s acts as treasonous towards his late father
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet told Hamlet that Claudius murdered him and took the
queen for himself
- Because Ophelia was sent by Polonius, Claudius, and Gertrude to talk to Hamlet
- Because Polonius believes Hamlet’s madness is caused by his love of Ophelia
- Because Hamlet has expressed love to Ophelia before
- Also because Hamlet has been acting strangely

(Horatio Line)
- &Also because Horatio has been Hamlet’s only trusted confidant
- Because Hamlet does not trust those sent by Claudius or involved with Claudius
- Because Hamlet knows Claudius killed his father
- Because the ghost of King Hamlet told Hamlet Claudius killed him
- Also because Horatio witnessed the ghost with Hamlet
- Because Horatio told Hamlet about the ghost
- Because Horatio saw the ghost twice
- Because Horatio was standing guard
- Because Horatio is trused at Elsinore