Diacope

Definition of Diacope
Diacope has originated from a Greek work thiakhop, which means “to cut into two.” This literary device
is a repetition of a phrase or word, broken up by other intervening words. For instance, a very popular
example of diacope is in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “to be, or not to be!” In this line, you can
notice that the speaker has repeated the phrase “to be,” which is separated by another phrase “or not.”

Too Imp.
Laertes is a minor character who plays a major role in William Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet.'
He's a young man who feels responsible for protecting his family's name. Learn more about
Laertes' character and test your knowledge with a quiz.

Laertes' Temper
Many young men feel responsible for protecting their family, but sometimes they might do so
in irresponsible ways. It is difficult to act in a rational and responsible way if you are hot-
tempered and impulsive. Laertes, a character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, is
a young man who wants to protect his sister from heartache and avenge the death of his
father, Polonius. Laertes is impulsive and irrational in his quest to avenge his father's death,
which ultimately leads to his own demise.

Character Analysis and Traits

Laertes is the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia in William Shakespeare's popular
play Hamlet. Laertes spends most of his time away at college but is first introduced in the
play when he goes to Denmark for King Claudius's coronation. Before returning to school, he
warns his sister Ophelia about her relationship with prince Hamlet. Laertes does not believe
Hamlet will love Ophelia and warns her to protect her virtue.

Laertes is not a part of most of the play in Hamlet but returns to Denmark after the death of
his father Polonius. Laertes is a fierce, compulsive person who acts without thinking. He is
also brave and ready to kill anyone who might have been a part of his father's death. Laertes
is not overtly emotional about the death of his father but is eager to seek revenge. When he
returns from school in France, he returns with a group of followers.

King Claudius convinces Laertes that Hamlet is responsible for his father's death. Claudius
manipulates Laertes and convinces him to have a duel with Hamlet. Claudius decides to use
Laertes' help in killing Hamlet because Laertes is violent and seeks revenge for the death of
his father. Laertes is fighting for his family's name and pride by avenging his father's death. …

What is a Literary Device?

A literary device is a technique used by a writer to convey a message. William Shakespeare
used many different literary devices in his plays, and this lesson will discuss some examples
found in Hamlet. This lesson discusses:

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  Repetition Metaphor Simile Anadiplosis Anaphora Alliteration Allusion
Personification

Literary Devices in Hamlet: Repetition and Metaphor

Repetition
In written works, repetition is defined as the repeating of words for emphasis. An example of
repetition in Hamlet is found in the following lines, both said by the character Hamlet:

Hamlet: I humbly thank you; well, well, well.

Hamlet: Words, words, words.

These two quotes use a repetition of a single word three times for emphasis.

Metaphor
Another literary device, the metaphor, or a comparison between two things (that does not use
'like' or 'as'), is also found in the play. In Act III Scene I, Hamlet says:

Hamlet: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
In this quote, Hamlet compares his troubles to a sea. This tells us that Hamlet sees his
troubles as vast, large, and seemingly endless, much like a sea. Another example is found as
well:

Hamlet: who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns
In this metaphor, Hamlet compares death to an undiscovered country. This comparison tells
us that Hamlet sees death as something unknown or foreign.

Similes and Anadiplosis

Simile
Similes, comparisons using the words 'like' or 'as,' can also be found in Hamlet:

Hamlet: A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she follow'd my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears

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This quote compares Queen Gertrude to Niobe, a character from Greek mythology. The gods
killed Niobe's children and she wept bitterly, unlike Queen Gertrude who did not seem to show
much emotion for the death of her husband, Hamlet's father.

Hamlet is not the only character to speak using similes. At one point, Claudius uses one,
saying:

Claudius: His beard was as white as snow

In this quote, Claudius is talking to himself about Hamlet's father, who he murdered. He
compares the beard of Hamlet's father to snow because of its white color. Even Gertrude uses
them:

Gertrude: These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears

Hamlet's cruel words to his mother are more than she can bear. Gertrude compares the words
to daggers because they hurt her feelings like daggers might hurt her body.

Anadiplosis
A less common literary device, the anadiplosis, may also be found. Anadiplosis is when a
writer ends a phrase with a word and starts the next phrase with the same word. Hamlet says:

Hamlet: To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream
One phrase ends with 'to sleep,' and the next phrase begins with the same set of words: 'to
sleep.' This literary device creates a flow and connection between the two phrases.

Anaphora and Alliteration

Anaphora
Anaphora, repeating the same word at the beginning of each phrase, is present in the play
when Polonuis speaks:

Polonius: Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
The word 'doubt' is repeated at the beginning of each phrase, except for the last phrase. The
point of this literary device is to repeat the things to doubt to build correlation, and then
emphasize in the last line that his love cannot be doubted.

Alliteration
A more common device, alliteration, or the repetition of the same sound or letter in words, is
found in too many instances to count throughout the play. Some of these examples include:

 O, 'tis too true!

 bare bodkin
 single spies
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  bad begins

One of the things that gives Shakespeare's writing its impact is his deep insight into human
nature. In 'Hamlet,' Shakespeare's sensitive portrayal of grief and depression gives depth to
the title character.

Shakespeare and the Idea of Depression

Shakespeare and his audiences used different vocabulary for mental and emotional states
than we do at the turn of the twenty-first century. Nonetheless, we can
recognize depression in some of his characters. Shakespeare, like modern scientists
(although for different reasons), believed mental health could be connected to physical well-
being.

In Hamlet, depression is chiefly seen in the title character, the prince of Denmark. Prince
Hamlet has two problems. Firstly, in the wake of his father's death, trying to figure out how to
move through the grief process. He's also depressed. This is clear both through how he talks
about his own feelings and how other characters react to him. How Hamlet's grief,
depression, and possible madness are related is an enigma of the play. Arguably, it's one of
the things that has kept actors, directors, and audiences absolutely fascinated by Hamletfor
centuries.

Hamlet, Depression, and Grief

When we first meet Hamlet, in Act I, scene ii, he is defined by 'all forms, moods, shapes of
grief' (1.2.85). The fact that he's still wearing mourning for his father is viewed with concern.
The king and queen recognize that it's normal to be preoccupied by grief for a time - even to
wear black - but Hamlet's behaviors exceed the norm. Hamlet tries to explain that his clothing
and conduct are only 'the trappings and the suits of woe,' a pale reflection of his feelings
(1.2.89).

When Hamlet is left alone, the idea of suicide appears for the first time. Shakespeare does an
amazing job of showing depression and grief as different, yet related. Hamlet's grief for his
father is profound and compounded by a sense of having to hide it. He's also feeling an
indifference that is a classic symptom of depression. Left alone, he exclaims, 'How weary,
stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!' (1.2.137-38). According to
theatrical convention, Shakespeare's audience would have taken this soliloquy, a speech
made by a single character on stage, as an honest expression of feeling.

Hamlet's Depression as Mental Illness

Throughout the play, multiple characters reflect on the nature of mental illness. Hamlet
himself offers the most extended meditation on the subject in Act I, scene iv. The prince
muses that an internal imbalance, or a 'particular mole of nature,' over which people have no
control, can go as far as to drive them to madness.

That Hamlet feels a lack of control over his own mind is suggested by his conversation with
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act II, scene ii. He exclaims 'O God, I could be bounded in a

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nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams' (2.2.273-
75). He tells the courtiers that he's lost interest in his customary activities, and although he
recognizes natural beauties, he can't bring himself to feel an emotional response to them
(2.2.318-34).

In the second half of the play, we see suicide in Hamlet's thoughts with increasing frequency.
His 'To be, or not to be' soliloquy in Act III, scene i, is of course one of the most famous
passages in the English language. It is remarkable for the clarity with which Hamlet attempts
to imagine death as a kind of sleep, a welcome alternative to suffering 'the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune' (3.1.66). But fear of what might come after death, he says 'makes us
rather bear those ills we have / Than fly to others that we know not of' (3.1.89-90).

'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare is one of the most notable works of English literature. In this
lesson, study how Shakespeare uses figurative language to enhance the poetic qualities and
emotional situations in the play.

Figurative Language
There are times in life that call for clear, unambiguous statements, such as job interviews and
mortgage applications. There are other times, however, when we lean toward the
exaggerated and poetic side of life, times when we thirst for drama and artistic expression,
like marriage proposals and the contemplation of the meaning of life. The works of William
Shakespeare dwell mainly in the world of the latter, high drama and amplified emotions, so
figurative language is used very frequently.

The term figurative language is a general one referring to the use of various descriptive
techniques used by authors to create dramatic, poetic, or descriptive effects. Figurative
language is the opposite of literal language. Some types of figurative language include
metaphor, simile, allusion, imagery, and puns.

Puns in Hamlet
A pun is the use of wordplay where words that sound alike are exchanged, usually for a
poignant or humorous effect. For example, when we first meet Hamlet in Act I, scene 2,
Claudius has asked him, 'How is it that the clouds still hang on you?' He means to ask Hamlet
why is he still depressed. Hamlet's response to this, 'Not so, my lord, I am too much i' the
sun,' is a pun on the word 'son.' Hamlet uses this pun to express his dissatisfaction of being a
'son' to too many people; his dead father, his mother Gertrude, and now his uncle/stepfather,
Claudius.

In fact, Hamlet is full of puns in this scene and they reveal his depression and disapproval of
the new marriage between Claudius and Gertrude. When Gertrude tries to speak to Hamlet
about over-mourning his father, she tells him, 'Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must
die, / Passing through nature to eternity' and Hamlet responds, 'Ay, madam, it is common.'
Gertrude uses the word 'common' to mean 'often,' but Hamlet uses the word to mean 'vulgar.'
The effect is snarky as Hamlet is using this opportunity to subtly criticize his mother's
eagerness to marry Claudius.

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Another pun we find in the play occurs in Hamlet's first soliloquy (Act I, scene 2). This
soliloquy begins with Hamlet's expression of his extreme sadness, 'O, that this too too solid
flesh would melt / Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!' Hamlet's suicidal thoughts are first
expressed here, as the reader realizes that he does not just want to be dead, but that he
wishes he could fade into nothing ('melt,' 'thaw,' 'dew'). The wordplay, however, is subtle and
touching. Shakespeare's use of 'a dew' can be seen as a substitution for the French word,
'adieu,' meaning 'goodbye.' With this solemn pun, Hamlet's suicidal wish is made more
poignant for the audience.

Metaphor in Hamlet
Metaphor is a device used for literary comparison. A metaphor directly compares two unlike
things in order to bring the qualities of one into focus. For example, in Act I, scene 1, Horatio
notices that the sun is coming up and says, 'But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, / Walks
o'er the dew of yon high eastward hill.' This uses a form of metaphor called personification in
which an object is compared to a person. In this case, Horatio is calling on the poetic
similarity of the dawning sun to a person wrapped in rust-colored garments walking over the
distant horizon. The result is a more vivid description of the morning sky.

Another type of metaphor we see in the play is direct metaphor. A direct metaphor names
both items in the comparison. In Hamlet's soliloquy at the end of Act II, just after he has
addressed the actors who have come to perform, he calls himself 'a rogue and peasant slave.'
In reality he is neither for he is a prince, but in the metaphor we realize the internal emotion
that he feels is that of an unworthy, insignificant person of low status because of his inability
to make decisions about his promised revenge. Because Hamlet straightforwardly compares
himself to a rogue and a slave, this is a direct metaphor.

Claudius is one of the central characters in William Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''. Because of

Claudius' behavior, Hamlet is faced with the toughest dilemma of his life. Learn more about
the character Claudius in this lesson.

Introducing Claudius
Claudius is the antagonist (the enemy of the main character) in the play Hamlet. Claudius is
a morally weak villain who values power and material things more than he values others. He
differs from other men in the play because he is cunning, lacks morals, and is manipulative.
Other men in Hamlet seek justice and have strong morals that dictate their decisions.
Claudius simply wants to stay in power by any means necessary. Claudius's primary role
in Hamlet is to create confusion and anger and impact Hamlet's discovery of truth and
meaning in his life.

Character and Traits

After the death of his brother the king, Hamlet's father, Claudius steps in to rule and lead the
people of Denmark. Claudius tries to create a sense of peace to prevent conflict following the
death of his brother. Claudius tries to decrease conflict with neighboring Norway and appears,
at first, to step in as a capable new leader and king after taking his brother's

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wife Gertrude as his wife. Shortly after taking the throne, it is revealed that Claudius may
have become king in a corrupt way, by killing his brother.

Claudius has a number of dishonorable traits, such as his greed and corruption. He is an
ambitious man who wants to advance himself in whatever way he can. Claudius is
manipulative in his use of language and is said to have killed his brother by pouring poison
into his ear. In fact, even Claudius's way of speaking is described as poison being poured into
the ear. Claudius uses Laertes' grief after the death of his father and did not tell Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern the contents of the letter they were taking for him to England. When
Claudius knew Gertrude would drink from a poisoned goblet, he did not stop her because it
would show he was a part of the plot to kill Gertrude's son Hamlet.

In this lesson you will learn who Horatio is, and what his role is in relationship to Hamlet in
Shakespeare's play, 'Hamlet.' Take a look at the character analysis, and the relationship
between Horatio and Hamlet, and then test your knowledge with a quiz.

Horatio: Character Analysis

Horatio is Hamlet's trusted friend and confidant. When we first see Horatio in
Shakespeare's Hamlet, he is called upon by the castle guards to address the ghost that they
have encountered. Horatio is a discerning and intelligent man, and the appearance of this
ghost makes him deeply uneasy. But Horatio is not afraid of the ghost, only of what it
portends - that something is not well with Denmark. He is calm, resolute, and rational as he
demands that the ghost tell him whether it has come to confess some ill deed or to predict
the future fate of Denmark.

Horatio is not afraid to speak his mind to Hamlet, either. When Hamlet meets the ghost for the
first time, Horatio makes it clear that Hamlet's choice to follow the ghost in hopes of learning
the reason for its appearance is ill-advised. He is honest and forthright in his arguments and
seems genuinely worried that Hamlet might be tempted to lose his reason and be drawn into
madness, which, Horatio tells him, will lead to thoughts of suicide.

When Hamlet follows the ghost anyway, learns that King Hamlet was poisoned, and is sworn
to avenge his death, Horatio allows himself to be sworn to silence and keep Hamlet's secret.
Horatio is not only an honest, but a loyal friend, and the secret of Hamlet's father's ghost is
the first of many secrets that Horatio will keep for Hamlet.

As the play progresses, Horatio questions Hamlet's judgment twice more. Once is when
Hamlet tells him of a letter from King Claudius that he has found in Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern's pack, telling the King of England that he must have Hamlet killed. The second
instance is when Hamlet tells Horatio that he will fight Laertes, son of Polonius, who Hamlet
killed earlier in the play. Horatio loves Hamlet with all his heart, but he is governed by a more
sensible disposition, which compels him to speak the truth to his friend, despite the fact that
Hamlet never once heeds Horatio's warnings.

In fact, there is only a single point in the play at which Horatio loses his sensible outlook, and
it is but a momentary loss. At the end of the play, when Hamlet is killed in his fight with
Laertes, Horatio, in his grief, offers to kill himself with his own sword. It is Hamlet's dying
request that Horatio tell Hamlet's story, and let the truth of it be known, that keeps him from

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doing so. Horatio's sense of loyalty to, and love for, his friend, has won out and brought him
back to himself and his own, more grounded, sensibility.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two minor characters who play an important role in William
Shakespeare's popular play 'Hamlet.' Learn more about the significance of Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, and test your knowledge with a quiz.

Who Are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

After the death of his father, Prince Hamlet begins behaving in unusual ways, which causes
concern for his mother and uncle. In an effort to find out what was troubling Hamlet, King
Claudius and Queen Gertrude send for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet's closest
friends, with haste to use them for 'the supply and profit of (their) hope' in Act II, Scene 2.
Instead of serving as friends of Hamlet's, they end up being traitors who agree to take Hamlet
to his death.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern seem to function as one character in the play Hamlet by
William Shakespeare, because they are always presented together and function as a unit. At
times it seems that others see them as a single person rather than two distinct men, and they
are described as 'half men.' When speaking of Hamlet's behavior, they finish each other's
statements. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are minor characters of major importance. They
serve as the go-between between Hamlet and King Claudius on several occasions.

Significance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do whatever Claudius asks of them. They even try to discover
what Hamlet did with Polonius' body for the King. Rosencrantz asks Hamlet, 'What have you
done, my lord, with the dead body?' (Act 4, Scene 2, line 5). They are not able to get Hamlet to
give them any of the information they seek.

When they report back to the King, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report that Hamlet 'does
confess he feels himself distracted, but from what cause he will by no means speak' (Act III,
Scene 1 lines 5-6). They, like others, have not been able to discover what bothers Hamlet.

Ophelia is one of the most important characters in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet.''
Learn more about Ophelia's character, learn about some of her most famous quotations from
the play, and test your knowledge with a quiz.

Who Is Ophelia?
Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius, one of King Claudius' closest friends. She is described as
a beautiful young woman, and she is also the love interest of the main character in the
story Hamlet. Her love for Hamlet and her loyalty to her father creates friction and leads to
tragedy in Ophelia's life.

Character
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Ophelia is an important character in the play Hamlet because of her femininity and because
she is a means for the main character of the play, Hamlet, to act out his aggression towards
his mother. Ophelia is innocent and virtuous but is looked down upon by Hamlet, who had it in
his mind that women pretended to be pure and good when they really were ruled by sexual
desire and sexuality. At various points in the play, Hamlet is cruel and mean to Ophelia.
Following the tragic death of her father, Ophelia is driven to insanity. After a series of odd
statements and behaviors, she kills herself.

When Ophelia's father Polonius wants to help King Claudius discover what is wrong with
Hamlet, he asks Ophelia to use her relationship with Hamlet to find out what is Hamlet's
problem. Hamlet becomes very upset by Polonius's actions and Ophelia's willingness to have
her nature and sexuality used for her father's purpose.

Contrary to Hamlet's view of her, Ophelia is good. She is a naïve girl who wants to please both
her father and her boyfriend Hamlet. She behaves innocently and is not trying to use her
feminine nature to deceive or control a man as Hamlet suspected. Ophelia is loyal to her
father and brother who raised her. Both her father and her brother care for her deeply and try
to protect her from harm. She believes that doing what they want her to do is in her best
interest. Ophelia's father Polonius and her brother Laertes do not want her in a relationship
with Hamlet, since they think he wants to use Ophelia for her body and has no desire to marry
her.

Quotations
There are a few significant quotations in the play that represent Ophelia's character. The
following quotations are some of the most popular spoken by or speaking to Ophelia.

Throughout the play, Ophelia does what her father asks of her without being disrespectful or
disobedient. When her father asks her to end her relationship with Hamlet, she replies: 'I
shall obey, my Lord.' She also obeys her father when he asks her to spy on Hamlet. Ophelia
has no control over her own mind, body, or relationship; she trusts her father and respects and
values his opinion. She does not think for herself, as represented in her statement: 'I do not
know, my lord, what I should think…'

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is a story about revenge and the
growing pains of life. Learn more about the story of Hamlet and explore an analysis of his
character before testing your knowledge with a quiz.

Background on Hamlet
In our quest to figure out what life is all about, we all experience a range of emotions and
conflicts. Sometimes we have conflict with others and at other times we experience conflict
inside of ourselves. William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a story about the human spirit and the
difficulties that can result when we experience internal conflict. Like so many of us, Hamlet
experiences a range of emotions in his struggle to mature and discover what life is really
about. Hamlet is a young man who experiences a crisis just like many other teenagers. He
frequently talks to himself, has problems in his relationship, feels pressure to be like his
father, and does not like his stepfather.

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Plot Overview
Hamlet, son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, is a teenage boy who is loyal to his
father and wants to protect his mother and his family's legacy. After the death of his father,
Hamlet's mother Gertrude married Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and the new King of Denmark.
One night, a ghost (said to be the ghost of King Hamlet) appears to Hamlet's best
friend Horatio. When Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing the ghost, Hamlet requests to see the
ghost himself. When the ghost appears to Hamlet, it tells him that his father (King Hamlet)
was murdered by his brother Claudius. Hamlet agrees with the ghost to avenge his father's
death by killing Claudius, but not to punish his mother for her behavior, which causes a
personal conflict for Hamlet. Hamlet is not sure if he should believe the ghost and struggles to
determine what to do about his father's death.

Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, the daughter of Claudius' most trusted counselor, Polonius. As
time goes on, Hamlet's behavior becomes more and more disturbing. Everyone believes
Hamlet is experiencing extreme grief from the death of his father. Some thought his behavior
was the result of being in love. Hamlet's uncle Claudius sends two men, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, to find out the cause of Hamlet's erratic behavior but they're unsuccessful in
finding out what was wrong with him.

After this failure, Claudius and Polonius ask Ophelia to talk to Hamlet while they listened in
the next room. At that time, Hamlet makes a number of disturbing statements including the
famous line, to be or not to be.Hamlet is so overcome with emotions that he considers taking
his own life. He is also aggressive towards Ophelia and tells her to, get thee to a nunnery.

Still trying to decide if he should believe what the ghost told him, Hamlet decides to have a
group of stage performers put on a show about his father's death. Hamlet thinks he will be
able to see if his uncle is guilty by the look on his face during the show. During the show,
Claudius runs out of the room and Hamlet believes this is evidence of his guilt.

As Hamlet and his mother Gertrude argue about his behavior, Polonius cries out when he
thinks Hamlet is harming her and is killed by Hamlet, who thinks he is actually Claudius. The
ghost reappears and Gertrude sees Hamlet talking to himself and comes to believe her son to
be mentally unstable. Claudius becomes afraid that Hamlet might kill him and sends Hamlet
on a trip to secretly have him killed. However, Hamlet is wiser and his two escorts,
Rosencratz and Guildenstern, are killed instead.

Ophelia is upset about the death of her father and begins acting strangely and eventually
drowns herself. Her brother, Laertes, is upset about his sister's behavior and his father's
death and is convinced by Claudius that his father's death was caused by Hamlet. Claudius
decides to hold a duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes poisons his sword so that Hamlet
would surely die if scratched. Claudius also creates a backup plan to poison Hamlet's wine if
he fails to be killed in the duel. Hamlet is scratched by the sword but does not die right away.
Unfortunately for Claudius, Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine and Hamlet kills Laertes with
the poisoned sword. In his dying breath, Laertes informs Hamlet of Claudius' plans to kill him.
Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the sword and makes him drink the poisoned wine. Before
his death, Hamlet announces a new heir to the throne and asks Horatio to tell the story of
what happened. The new heir to the throne, Fortinbras, has Hamlet's body buried with honor.

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In William Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', ''The Murder of Gonzago'' is a play Hamlet has performed
in order to determine his uncle's innocence or guilt in the death of his father. This lesson will
discuss the significance of this play within a play.

Introduction to Hamlet
After the sudden death of his father, Prince Hamlet, the protagonist of Shakespeare's
tragedy, returns home to Denmark. To his surprise, his mother has married his uncle and his
uncle has been crowned King instead of Prince Hamlet. Hamlet is suspicious of his uncle and
his mother's motives and when he is visited by the ghost of his father, whose soul was said to
be in purgatory, the ghost suggests he has been murdered by his brother, Hamlet's
uncle Claudius.

Hamlet becomes tormented by thoughts of his father's murder and struggles with grief issues
as well. Hamlet tries desperately to decide what to do about his father's death. Hamlet
decides the best way to determine his uncle's guilt or innocence in the murder of his father is
to have a play called The Murder of Gonzago performed. Hamlet feels this will be the best
way to determine his uncle's guilt or innocence because he adds scenes describing his
father's murder into the plot of the story. He calls the play The Mousetrap.

Significance
Hamlet directs the play and asks the actors to behave naturally in their roles. He gets one of
his friends, Horatio, to assist him in watching his uncle Claudius' reaction during the play so
that they can determine Claudius' guilt together. Hamlet believes that the occurrences in the
play should not bother anyone if their conscience is clear.

In this lesson, we will study the context and meaning of a famous quote from William
Shakespeare's 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.' In the quote, we see a scared young prince who's
coming to terms with death and growing more courageous.

The Quote in Context

'Alas, poor Yorick!'
Have you ever heard this phrase? It is the beginning of a quote in Act V of William
Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,. It is spoken by Hamlet, the play's central
protagonist, to his friend Horatio. They are in a graveyard, and Hamlet has just picked up the
skull of Yorick, who was a jester in Hamlet's father's court. Through the entire play up to this
point, Hamlet has been mulling the problem of death. His father has died, and he knows that if
he avenges his father's death, he probably will die as well. His revenge is the central conflict
in the play. The quote is one of Hamlet's many musings about the problem of death and of
dying and what it means to have one's existence washed away by time.

Analysis
The part of Hamlet's speech most often quoted is the first few lines, or even the first few
words, but to understand the quote we have to examine the broader speech. Hamlet's speech

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here seems to go back and forth between addressing both Horatio and Yorick. Picking up
Yorick's skull, he says to Horatio:

'Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow

of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath
borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know
not how oft.'
Here he seem to address Yorick directly:

'Where be your gibes now? your

gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?'
It's uncertain to whom Hamlet addresses the last part. It could be Hortatio or Yorick:

'Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let

her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must
come. . .'
While this is a fairly brief speech, there are several important qualities to notice:

Hamlet's Horror at the Stillness of Death

Looking at the skull, Hamlet is preoccupied with the discrepancy between Yorick's face as he
remembers it and the Yorick face he holds in his hand. That Yorick was a jester (something
like a clown) is significant. Hamlet remembers the man's vibrant smile, his laughter, and
energy. He remembers this man as being wildly charming, an example of full liveliness. But
the skull in his hand stands in full contrast to that. As an object, it illustrates starkly how
completely death has undone Yorick, how it has taken everything that was the man's identity
made it nothing at all - just bone. Obviously, this affects Hamlet deeply. He feels his 'gorge rim
at it,' which is to say he feels that he's about to vomit.

Shakespeare's classic tragedy ''Hamlet'' is a complex and philosophical exploration of family

relationships and loyalty. Many elements in the first half of the play foreshadow later events in
the action of the play, adding to the mystery of the story for readers and viewers.

How it All Begins

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is mourning his father's death and agonizing over his
mother's marriage to his uncle, Claudius. Watchmen alert the prince to the appearance of a
ghost who looks very much like the dead King Hamlet.

Hamlet waits for the ghost to appear, and finds that it is his father, dressed in battle gear, and
stuck in limbo because he was murdered without being forgiven for his earthly sins. The
murderer? Of course, it is Claudius, who purportedly put poison in the king's ears while he was
napping in the garden. The young prince is assigned the task of revenging his father's death.

12
There is an element of foreshadowing in the fact that the departed king is dressed for battle:
soldiers from Norway are preparing to attack Denmark. This issue will come out to both the
characters and the audience a bit later in the action.

Later, Hamlet has an opportunity to kill Claudius while he kneels in prayer but restrains
himself because he does not want his uncle to die without heavenly forgiveness, as King
Hamlet did.

Foretelling of Tragedy
Students of drama know that a tragedy ends in the total downfall of most of the characters.
This is true of Hamlet as well. At the end of the play, basically everyone except Horatio and
the Norwegian intruders lies dead on the stage.

A key instance of foreshadowing for this carnage is Marcellus' statement in Act One, Scene
IV, ''Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.'' The adjective rotten carries a double
meaning: decayed and ruined like a spoiled piece of meat, and also mean, evil behavior.
Denmark turns out to have both sorts of rottenness afoot.

Hamlet and Ophelia

Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius, an advisor to the king. Polonius warns his daughter not
to get too close to the young prince, as he will never marry her. Ophelia, like most teenagers,
says one thing to her father and quite another to her love interest. She promises Polonius that
she will not encourage Hamlet.

Once Hamlet has said that he intends to ''put an antic disposition on,'' the audience may feel a
bit confused with the idea of madness when Ophelia announces that Hamlet has spoken to
her as if he is crazy. Lovesick, perhaps? This is Polonius' explanation, and Claudius suspects
this might be correct. The entire concept of madness becomes part of the mystery: Hamlet's
strange behavior foreshadows Ophelia's later fall from sanity and death.

Setting
In his iconic 1603 play, ''Hamlet'', William Shakespeare creates one of the most memorable
title characters in English literature. Hamlet is very much a man of his time and place, driven
and damaged by the emergence of our modern world.

Hamlet's Troubles
Have you ever sat at the holiday dinner table, looked around at your family, and wondered,
'Who are these people and how on Earth can I be related to them?' That is exactly how Hamlet
feels in William Shakespeare's iconic 1603 play.

In Hamlet, the title Prince has returned home following the death of his father, the king of
Denmark. Within a month of Hamlet's father's death, Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude,
marries Claudius, Hamlet's father's brother. Now Uncle Claudius has ascended to the throne
of Denmark. Yikes...

13
But then things go from really bad to incredibly worse. The ghost of Hamlet's father returns,
and he's got lots of reasons to be ticked. He tells his astonished son he was the victim of
murder, at Claudius' hand. Hamlet's father's spirit wants revenge. Only then can the departed
soul find peace.

For Hamlet, getting revenge is not just about shedding the blood of a murderer, because that
murderer also happens now to be a king. That complicates things. A lot.

A Pivotal Moment in History

In literature, setting refers to the various locations where the story's action unfolds, and it
can often be as important as the plot and the characters themselves. Hamlet's primary
setting is Elsinore Castle, but the play is also set at a pivotal moment in history, as the
medieval and Renaissance periods transition into the modern era. Now, while living in a castle
might seem like a sweet deal to us, things weren't quite so rosy for a guy like Hamlet living in
the early 1600s.

He's a young man who wants to resume his life studying with his buddies at the university in
Wittenberg, Germany. Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude, manages to guilt trip Hamlet into
remaining at Elsinore for a while longer, even though to Hamlet, Elsinore is not a castle, it's 'a
prison', and with good reason. At Elsinore, Hamlet has no choice but to remember who he is:
not merely a prince but also a subject of King Claudius; a subject from whom loyalty is not
only expected but required.

The Divine Right of Kings

In the Medieval era, spanning roughly the fifth through the fifteenth century in Europe, and in
the Renaissance period, extending from around the fourteenth through the seventeenth
centuries, a concept known as the Divine Right of Kings prevailed. What this meant was that
any king had divinely-approved authority. If he did not, then God would never have allowed the
king to ascend to the throne. That also means that if you don't want to sin against God, you'd
better obey the king God gave you.

That even applies to bad kings. Bad kings were thought to be sent by God as scourges, or
divine punishments, to chastise the people for their sins. Only when the people had been
cleansed of their sins by suffering under a bad king would God then remove him, striking him
down by death. But no human could do it. If you killed a king, you thwarted the will of God,
committing blasphemy, a sin from which there is no redemption.

So, as you can see, Hamlet is in a bit of a pickle. With his father's ghost demanding that he
avenge his murder and this Divine Right of Kings thing on the other hand. So what is Hamlet to
do? Should he honor his duty as a son to his father? Or should he go with his duty to God as a
Christian according to the theory of the Divine Right of Kings?

Social and Historic Context: Emerging Modernity

Hamlet's context, or the social and historical climate of the tale, is among its most
significant factors because it takes place at a crucial moment in history. The world had begun
its slow, painful transition into modernity, a period characterized by urbanization,
technological advances, and the development of modern scientific knowledge.

14
Hamlet himself is the ultimate symbol of this painful shift toward modernity. In the medieval
and Renaissance periods, who you were was determined by your social class and status. Your
identity was given to you, and you had no choice but to play it through.

Death in Hamlet
Chapter 3 /  Lesson 6 

Crystal has taught middle school, high school, and college-level English and is finishing her
Master's degree in Rhetoric & Composition.

In this lesson, you'll learn about the theme of death which runs throughout the tragic
Shakespearean play, Hamlet by exploring murder, suicide, and the after-life within the play.

Hamlet and Death

All Shakespearean tragedies involve the death and/or ruin of some or all of the main
characters. Hamlet, which is a play about a Danish royal family, is no different, but as family
dramas go this one is ripe with mortality-laced meaning. Prince Hamlet and his family
struggle through the death and possible murder of a king, the remarriage of the queen,
disinheritance, ghosts, and several other deaths...and that's just the first act!

A Funeral, a Wedding, or Both?

Death in the play Hamlet is very prevalent--almost all of the characters succumb to it. Before
the play even begins, Hamlet's father, the king of Denmark, has died. Hamlet has returned
home for his father's funeral which is followed soon after by his mother's (Gertrude) marriage
to the king's own brother, Claudius, which Hamlet identifies as: ''But two months dead, nay,
not so much, not two.'' In reality, a wedding a couple of months after a king's death would not
necessarily be questionable. A marriage was as much a political arrangement as it was a love
affair. Queen Gertrude would not be expected (or possibly allowed) to rule the country without
a husband.

The Ghost
Hamlet might just be a petulant, displaced inheritor, until he is visited by the Ghost of his
father who tells him that the new king (Claudius) is the one who murdered his father and that
Hamlet must avenge his father's death by killing his uncle. The Ghost explains to Hamlet how
the murder took place, and even though Hamlet questions the validity of the Ghost (it could be
the devil trying to trick him), he accepts his late father's challenge to avenge his murder.
Thus, the king's death sets the stage for a play filled with questions about mortality.

Hamlet's Suicide (well, maybe...)

Hamlet goes on to question his own mortality, and in Act III he delivers his famous soliloquy:
''To be or not to be.'' (A soliloquy is a speech spoken aloud by a character when there are no
other characters present.) Here, Hamlet considers at length taking his own life. While he's
feeling melancholy, we might even say depressed, over the death of his father, he's still
15
hesitant to go so far as to kill himself. He worries about the repercussions. Specifically, he's
worried about going to hell: ''For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.'' Hamlet's
reflection on death is significant because it highlights the intellectual importance of death
and the afterlife in the play. Shakespeare is presenting a multifaceted exploration of death by
having Hamlet analyze all the potential scenarios that could play out if he did commit suicide.

Ophelia's Suicide
Hamlet's girlfriend, Ophelia, did commit suicide, however. Hamlet mistreats her (ignores,
insults, and scares her) throughout the play and in Act IV her death is reported by Gertrude,
Hamlet's mother. She describes how Ophelia fell into a river and allowed the weight of her
clothes to pull her under. Ophelia's death is significant in that she did not seem to choose
suicide, but she did not fight her death either. Her passivity is consistent throughout the play,
and her death is a similar, submissive end.

Overthinking
Shakespeare has his main character analyze mortality in other situations, too. In fact, you
might say that overanalyzing is Hamlet's critical flaw. For instance, when he takes up the
Ghost's charge to avenge his father's death, he sets out to murder his uncle and now-king,
Claudius. He finds Claudius alone and vulnerable and considers killing him right then. But, he
thinks about it too much. He ponders, once again, what the repercussions would be if he did
it. Since Claudius is at that moment in his chamber, kneeling as though in prayer, Hamlet
decides that ''this is hire and salary, not revenge.'' In other words, if he were to kill his uncle
now, he risks sending his soul to heaven and that's too good a fate for his father's murderer.
The irony is that Claudius was not actually praying; instead, after Hamlet leaves he cries: ''My
words fly up, my thoughts remain below/Words without thoughts never to heaven go''
indicating that his guilt prevented him from reaching solace. Claudius's death will come
eventually, but Hamlet's delay creates the momentum of the play. He doesn't just take a life;
he considers all the implications of the death.

Poison in Hamlet
Chapter 3 /  Lesson 5 

Kayla has taught secondary English and has a bachelor's degree in English Education.

This lesson will discuss the literal and symbolic significance of poison and its effect on
various characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet.

What goes around comes around... right back to you

Another car cuts you off in traffic on the way to work and almost causes an accident. You
decide to speed up and let that person know just what you think of them. You reach the
window of the other driver and suddenly jolt forward in your seat. In your attempts to get
revenge, you seem to have gotten yourself into a pretty bad situation.

16
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Famous playwright William Shakespeare understood this warped justice as displayed in his
famous play, Hamlet. Unfortunately, the ambition and desire for justice leads to the demise of
the characters in this tragedy.

Shakespeare's use of poison has literal and symbolic significance key to propelling the plot.
A symbolic item is a concrete object used to represent an abstract concept or idea.

Poisons
Poison is used as a weapon throughout this play. Old Hamlet, the King of Denmark, is
poisoned by his brother, Claudius. Claudius uses the poison for his own selfish ambition and
marries Old Hamlet's widow, Gertrude, making him the new King of Denmark. Claudius is
unaware that is his nephew and new step-son, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has been visited by
the ghost of his father to seek revenge and bring the truth of his death to light.

Hamlet kills Polonius, father to Laertes and Ophelia, mistaking him for Claudius. Laertes, the
brother of Ophelia (Hamlet's love interest), challenges Hamlet to a duel in order to avenge
Polonius' death. Claudius convinces Laertes to put poison on the tip of his sword to cut
Hamlet in the duel.

To ensure Hamlet's death, Claudius also has a poisoned cup of wine should Hamlet win the
duel. Claudius does not intervene when Gertrude drinks the poisoned cup of wine because he
does not want to give himself away.

Poisoning the Mind

Manipulation
Claudius is the ultimate manipulator in this play. He preys upon the hurt and pain that Laertes
feels about Hamlet killing his father. Claudius also convinces Laertes that it is Hamlet's fault
that Ophelia committed suicide. Claudius uses Laertes by convincing him to duel Hamlet and
wound him with a poisoned blade. Claudius's concern is not with vengeance, rather
eliminating the only person who knows the truth of Old Hamlet's death.

Claudius also convinces Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on their childhood friend,

Hamlet, in order to get information about his behavior. Claudius approaches the two men
under the pretense of concern for Hamlet, but his true motive is to see if Hamlet knows the
truth.

Madness
Another form of poison in the mind within Hamlet is madness. Ophelia's character is driven
into madness after she learns about the murder of her father, Polonius, by her lover's hand.
Unable to deal with her grief, Ophelia drowns herself.

Religion in Hamlet
Chapter 3 /  Lesson 3 

17
Shakespeare's nuanced treatment of religion in Hamlet has been the subject of much
scholarly debate. This lesson discusses the apparent convictions of the play's characters, and
their implications for the drama and how it was perceived by Shakespeare's first audiences.

Shakespeare and Religion

Both William Shakespeare's own religious views, and his treatment of religion in his plays,
have been the subject of much scholarly investigation. In sixteenth-century England,
the English Reformation and its aftermath caused great upheaval, as successive monarchs
embraced diametrically opposed religious policies. Queen Elizabeth, during whose
reign Hamlet was written, forged compromises. Members of the Church of England were
privileged, but many Roman Catholics practiced in secret, and very many people, regardless
of confessional identity, were confused about correct belief. And getting religion right wasn't
just a matter of politics or preference; it was a matter affecting the immortal soul. As we shall
see, Elizabethan ideas and anxieties about religion are reflected in Hamlet.

Religion and Hamlet: Theories and Themes

Typically for Shakespeare's works, Hamlet does not articulate a single set of beliefs, but
rather articulates several different positions, dramatizing religious debates. Shakespeare
could even be seen as poking a bit of fun at academic debates on theology when Hamlet
famously says to his friend from university, 'There are more things in heaven and earth,
Horatio, / than are dreamt of in your philosophy' (1.5.187-88, Folger edition).

The question of free will is central to the drama of the play. Hamlet's intense self-
examination becomes more understandable in this light. Hamlet clearly has a strong sense of
moral responsibility to himself, as well as to others. Also central to Hamlet are the reality
of death and the question of what - if anything - comes after it. The ghost of Hamlet's father
speaks of being in purgatory, forced to atone after death for his sins. His suffering is in part
attributable to the fact that he was murdered without a chance to confess, giving Hamlet an
added motive for revenge. Hamlet's reactions to the ghost reveal a complicated worldview in
which Christianity and folk belief are not entirely separate.

The Religious Beliefs of Hamlet's Characters

Hamlet
Hamlet clearly spends a lot of time thinking about religious duty. When he first meditates on
the temptation to suicide, he expresses the wish 'that the Everlasting had not fix'd / His
canon 'gainst self-slaughter,' or in other words, that it was not a sin in the eyes of God to kill
oneself (1.2.135-36). Hamlet also experiences religious doubt, however. In his famous
soliloquy beginning 'To be, or not to be,' he asks himself whether it is 'nobler in the mind' to
suffer, or to end suffering through suicide (3.1.64-65). This philosophical dilemma ignores the
theological dimensions of the question entirely. Toward the end of the play, Hamlet's doubts
seem to grow; his exchange with the gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1 shows that he views death
as absolute.

18
Ophelia
In the character of Ophelia, Shakespeare presents a challenging paradox. With the possible
exception of Horatio, she's the most obviously good person in the play. When Hamlet says,
'Nymph, in thy orisons / Be all my sins remembered' (3.1.97-98), he doesn't mean that he wants
Ophelia to keep track of his sins, but rather to pray for their pardoning. His order that she
should go to a nunnery is cruel in context, but also shows his admiration for her spiritual
goodness.

Shakespeare portrays Ophelia as an innocent despite the fact that she commits suicide, a
mortal sin. In Act 5, Scene 1, the gravediggers mock the coroner's decision that Ophelia
drowned herself in self-defense. Shakespeare, however, suggests that this is exactly what she
did do, taking the only possible way out of a court that is rotten to its core with corruption and
violence. Giving her Christian burial on stage was a dramatic way of suggesting her
innocence.

Characterization of Hamlet
Chapter 4 /  Lesson 2 

Joshua holds a master's degree in Latin and has taught a variety of Classical literature and
language courses.

If 'Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go,' then you won't want to take your eyes off of
this lesson! Keep reading to learn more about how Shakespeare's Hamlet offers
characterization for this famously tragic prince.

Prince of Despair: Characterization of Shakespeare's

Hamlet
It might be hard for many of us in the modern world to connect with some of Shakespeare's
characters, especially Renaissance royalty. But if you were in a high school or college class
working on Hamlet, you might be able to find an analogue to the tragedy's title character just
by looking around the room.

Hamlet is a young, scholarly prince with a lot of potential. Despite his worldliness and
capacity for complex philosophical thought, he's probably not much older than many of you
reading this lesson, considering he's been recently engaged in the equivalent of university
studies at the play's start.

Perhaps more than any other Shakespearean characters, Hamlet is complicated. With the
recent death of his father and quick remarriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude, he's a young
man dealing with a lot of heavy issues - many of which people argue have driven him past the
brink of insanity. Whether that's so or not, you'll have to see for yourself as you keep reading
to find out how Hamlet is directly and indirectly characterized during the drama that details
his desperate final days.

In Their own Words: Direct Characterization of Hamlet

19
When we're dealing with direct characterization, we're seeing portrayals of characteristics
through straightforward statements from characters or the narrative voice. Since Hamlet is a
drama, there's no real narrator to speak of, so we have to pull direct characterizations from
Hamlet himself and those around him - most of whom are preoccupied with the prince's
apparent mental instability.

 Hamlet's 'Madness'

'Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, / What is't but to be nothing else but mad?' Polonius -
Hamlet's would-be in-law - is extremely fond of talking, so it's a big deal when he's brief. In
directly characterizing Hamlet as simply off his rocker, Polonius is echoing the opinions of
most of the play's characters, who often discuss Hamlet's supposed madness. The prince
himself might even agree sometimes, but he also directly lets us know that there's a bit more
to it than mere madness: 'I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is / southerly I know
a hawk from a handsaw.'

 Method to the Madness

Though Polonius is quick to throw Hamlet under the crazy train, something tells him 'Though
this be madness, yet there is method / in 't.' Hamlet's long-time friend Guildenstern also
observes that his chum 'with a crafty madness, keeps aloof' in order to avoid being detected
in his secret schemes. Take, for instance, his impromptu stage production put on to expose
King Claudius' guilt for having murdered his father. Eventually, we discover, as Hamlet puts it,
'That I essentially am not in madness, / But mad in craft.' Nevertheless, there are still some
serious psychological issues lurking beneath the surface.

More than Meets the Eye: Indirectly Characterizing

Hamlet
In a famous passage from Act I, Scene II, Hamlet lets his mother know just how complicated a
person he really is -

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother…

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye…

Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,

That can denote me truly: these indeed seem,

For they are actions that a man might play:

But I have that within which passeth show;

These but the trappings and the suits of woe.'

Using Hamlet's dress and demeanor (as many had) to identify him is an example of indirect
characterization, or the portrayal of people's characteristics through their words, thoughts,
deeds, interactions, or appearance. However, Hamlet is telling everyone here that he's facing
other real 'woe' that can also be indirectly identified if we just look hard enough.
Mama's Boy

20
Most of Hamlet's woe comes from the many complex emotions he's dealing with while having
seemingly little support. One of the most prominent struggles occurs between his deep love
for his mother and his feelings of anger and betrayal at her having married Claudius.

Shakespeare's Hamlet: Character Analysis &

Description
Chapter 4 /  Lesson 1   Transcript

Shamekia has taught English at the secondary level and has her doctoral degree in clinical
psychology.

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is a story about revenge and the
growing pains of life. Learn more about the story of Hamlet and explore an analysis of his
character before testing your knowledge with a quiz.

Background on Hamlet
In our quest to figure out what life is all about, we all experience a range of emotions and
conflicts. Sometimes we have conflict with others and at other times we experience conflict
inside of ourselves. William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a story about the human spirit and the
difficulties that can result when we experience internal conflict. Like so many of us, Hamlet
experiences a range of emotions in his struggle to mature and discover what life is really
about. Hamlet is a young man who experiences a crisis just like many other teenagers. He
frequently talks to himself, has problems in his relationship, feels pressure to be like his
father, and does not like his stepfather.

Plot Overview
Hamlet, son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, is a teenage boy who is loyal to his
father and wants to protect his mother and his family's legacy. After the death of his father,
Hamlet's mother Gertrude married Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and the new King of Denmark.
One night, a ghost (said to be the ghost of King Hamlet) appears to Hamlet's best
friend Horatio. When Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing the ghost, Hamlet requests to see the
ghost himself. When the ghost appears to Hamlet, it tells him that his father (King Hamlet)
was murdered by his brother Claudius. Hamlet agrees with the ghost to avenge his father's
death by killing Claudius, but not to punish his mother for her behavior, which causes a
personal conflict for Hamlet. Hamlet is not sure if he should believe the ghost and struggles to
determine what to do about his father's death.

Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, the daughter of Claudius' most trusted counselor, Polonius. As
time goes on, Hamlet's behavior becomes more and more disturbing. Everyone believes
Hamlet is experiencing extreme grief from the death of his father. Some thought his behavior
was the result of being in love. Hamlet's uncle Claudius sends two men, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, to find out the cause of Hamlet's erratic behavior but they're unsuccessful in
finding out what was wrong with him.

21
After this failure, Claudius and Polonius ask Ophelia to talk to Hamlet while they listened in
the next room. At that time, Hamlet makes a number of disturbing statements including the
famous line, to be or not to be.Hamlet is so overcome with emotions that he considers taking
his own life. He is also aggressive towards Ophelia and tells her to, get thee to a nunnery.

Still trying to decide if he should believe what the ghost told him, Hamlet decides to have a
group of stage performers put on a show about his father's death. Hamlet thinks he will be
able to see if his uncle is guilty by the look on his face during the show. During the show,
Claudius runs out of the room and Hamlet believes this is evidence of his guilt.

As Hamlet and his mother Gertrude argue about his behavior, Polonius cries out when he
thinks Hamlet is harming her and is killed by Hamlet, who thinks he is actually Claudius. The
ghost reappears and Gertrude sees Hamlet talking to himself and comes to believe her son to
be mentally unstable. Claudius becomes afraid that Hamlet might kill him and sends Hamlet
on a trip to secretly have him killed. However, Hamlet is wiser and his two escorts,
Rosencratz and Guildenstern, are killed instead.

Ophelia is upset about the death of her father and begins acting strangely and eventually
drowns herself. Her brother, Laertes, is upset about his sister's behavior and his father's
death and is convinced by Claudius that his father's death was caused by Hamlet. Claudius
decides to hold a duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes poisons his sword so that Hamlet
would surely die if scratched. Claudius also creates a backup plan to poison Hamlet's wine if
he fails to be killed in the duel. Hamlet is scratched by the sword but does not die right away.
Unfortunately for Claudius, Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine and Hamlet kills Laertes with
the poisoned sword. In his dying breath, Laertes informs Hamlet of Claudius' plans to kill him.
Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the sword and makes him drink the poisoned wine. Before
his death, Hamlet announces a new heir to the throne and asks Horatio to tell the story of
what happened. The new heir to the throne, Fortinbras, has Hamlet's body buried with honor.

The Ghost of King Hamlet: Character Analysis

TK Waters has a bachelor's degree in literature and religious studies and a master's degree in
religious studies and teaches Hebrew Bible at Western Kentucky University.

In this lesson, we will explore the character of the Ghost of King Hamlet in William
Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' and how the ghost introduces the theme of revenge to the plot.

Ghost Hunters
Like many people, the characters in Hamlet are skeptical about ghosts until faced with one.
The watchmen of Elsinore Castle, where Hamlet takes place, encounter the ghost of their
late king, King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet's friend Horatio is skeptical that the ghost exists,
despite the watchmen insisting they have seen him twice. The first time the Ghost of King
Hamlet appears in the play is when Horatio and the watchmen are watching for it to appear.
Horatio is shocked and speaks to the ghost, but cannot get it to respond. He believes that
King Hamlet's son, Prince Hamlet, will be able to get the ghost to speak, so he encourages
Hamlet to come watch for it with them.

Father and Son

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King Hamlet's character is best portrayed in his dialogue with his son. While Prince Hamlet
waits with Horatio and the watchmen for the ghost, it appears a little after midnight. Prince
Hamlet is shocked at its appearance and, though unsure if the spirit is good or bad, says,
''Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, / Be thy intents wicked or charitable, /
Thou comest in such a questionable shape / That I will speak to thee.'' King Hamlet refuses to
speak until he and his son are both alone, then reveals his purpose for appearing.

Revelations and Revenge

King Hamlet claims that he is tortured in purgatory and is only allowed to roam the earth for a
short period at night. In response to his son saying he is ''bound to hear'' what his father is
telling him, King Hamlet says, ''So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.'' Though Prince
Hamlet is confused by this, the ghost proceeds to tell the prince that his death was not
natural--but was murder. He says, ''If thou didst ever thy dear father love-- / Revenge his foul
and most unnatural murder.'' He claims that not only was he murdered, but it was ''foul'' and
''unnatural'' because of the circumstances. He tells his son that he was murdered by his
brother Claudius, Prince Hamlet's uncle, who now is king of Denmark and is married
to Gertrude, King Hamlet's wife and Prince Hamlet's mother. Although the rumor has been
spread that King Hamlet was killed by a poisonous snake biting him while he was asleep, the
ghost reveals to his son that Claudius poisoned him.

Shakespeare's Gertrude: Character Analysis &

Traits
Chapter 4 /  Lesson 6 

Although Gertrude is a central character in Shakespeare's Hamlet, she is enigmatic. As queen

of Denmark and Hamlet's mother, she plays a pivotal role. Much of what we are told about her
character is filtered through the biases of others.

Gertrude: Woman, Queen, Enigma

Queen Gertrude, mother to Hamlet, is one of Shakespeare's most mysterious main characters.
She can be seen as a foil to her son, as her character contrasts with his. Unlike Hamlet,
Gertrude has no soliloquies reflecting on herself and her actions. She's driven by emotions
rather than reflection. She's affectionate, impulsive, and strong-willed. Although Gertrude has
many good qualities, she is not conspicuously intelligent. Moreover - fatally - she is a poor
judge of character.

Misogyny influences how others perceive Gertrude in the play and has influenced
interpretations of Hamlet. The anger of Hamlet, the dismissive indulgence of Claudius, and
the sad disappointment of the ghost are often considered accurate reflections of Gertrude's
character.

The relationships that Gertrude has with other characters in the play reveals her capability for
deep emotional attachments. She is sincere and free from hypocrisy. Despite all of these

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positive attributes, she does not appear as a particularly strong character. Gertrude takes
'living in the moment' to its extreme. Rarely does she contemplate the future or the past.

Ophelia
Gertrude's affectionate interactions with Ophelia suggest that the queen cultivated a close
relationship with the motherless girl whom she hoped her son would marry. It is Gertrude for
whom Ophelia asks in her madness in Act 4, Scene 5. It is Gertrude who, grieving, brings the
news of Ophelia's death to the court (4.7.190-208). At Ophelia's grave, Gertrude speaks
poignantly of how she imagined she might one day decorate Hamlet and Ophelia's marriage
bed with flowers, rather than scattering blossoms on the young woman's grave. Gertrude's
relationship with Ophelia reveals the queen's capacity for unselfish love.

Gertrude's Husbands
Gertrude's most controversial relationships are with her two husbands. Less than two months
after her first husband's death, she marries his brother. When Hamlet infamously says 'Frailty,
thy name is woman' (1.2.150), he's referring to Gertrude's remarriage. We can't take his
judgment at face value. His vehemence suggests that, before her remarriage, he regards his
mother as a paragon of feminine virtue. The ghost of the old king, Hamlet's father, laments
Gertrude's being won to a new love by smooth talk and fancy presents (1.5.49-54). In the same
speech, he compares Gertrude to an angel and tells their son not to punish her. She will, he
says, suffer enough from her own conscience (1.5.91-95).

Claudius
Claudius, Gertrude's second husband, infantilizes her, speaking for her as an adult would
speak for a child, and attempting to control her behavior. As is made clear from his
conversation with Laertes in Act 4, Scene 7, he depends on her, but does not take her
emotions or judgment seriously. We can infer that Gertrude is powerfully attracted to
Claudius, since she makes the politically weighty decision to marry him. That Gertrude is
physically demonstrative with both her husbands probably says more about her own
sensuality than her relationships.

In Act 3, Scene 2, Hamlet stages a play in which a queen claims that her love for her first
husband means she could never marry a second. Gertrude's famous reaction is: 'The lady doth
protest too much, methinks' (3.2.254). Traditionally, this line has been interpreted as evidence
that she's feeling guilty. An alternate interpretation is that she is attempting to tell her son
that it's unwise to make promises about future feelings.

Hamlet
Gertrude adores her son Hamlet, not only from the report of others (in Act 4, Scene 7, Claudius
says she 'lives almost by his looks'), but from her spontaneous, affectionate interactions with
him. Like many mothers, Gertrude has trouble figuring out how to interact with her son as an
adult. Gertrude and Hamlet have profoundly different ways of seeing the world. Her desire for
him not to return to university (1.2.122-123) is partly based on a desire to keep him close and
partly on a mistrust of Hamlet's hyper-intellectual way of approaching life.

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Hamlet Madness Quotes
Chapter 6 /  Lesson 5   Transcript

Karen has taught high school English and has a master's degree in Shakespearean Studies

This lesson will explore quotes in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' pertaining to the concept of
madness and discuss how madness emerges as a major theme in Shakespeare's infamous
tragedy. When you are through, test your knowledge with a brief quiz.

Madness in Hamlet
It is nearly impossible to enter into a discussion about Shakespeare's Hamlet without
bringing up the subject of madness. After all, the word madness is specifically used 18 times
in the play, and the majority of the quotes revolve around one of the central questions
in Hamlet: Is Hamlet mad? Keep in mind that 'mad' here means insane, not angry.

Shakespearean scholars have debated Hamlet's sanity for centuries. Some argue that Hamlet
is really insane. Others insist that he pretends to be insane in order to mask his true motive to
avenge the death of his father who was killed at the hand of his uncle Claudius.

The theatrical afterlife of the play has provided countless interpretations of Hamlet's
character. Look at the photographs below of different actors from across the world who each
portray Hamlet differently. That gives us an example of the myriad ways Hamlet's character
can be interpreted.

These images reveal that Hamlet is an extremely complex and multi-faceted character. He
has been portrayed on stage in a variety of ways based on a variety of textual interpretation.
But, what does Shakespeare's text really say about madness?

Evidence in Shakespeare's Text

Horatio and Madness
The first mention of the word 'madness' occurs in Act I, Scene IV, and the line is spoken by
Hamlet's best friend, Horatio:

'What if it (the ghost of Hamlet's father) tempts you toward the flood, my lord …
And there assume some other horrible form
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason
And draw you into madness?'  (1.4.50, 53-5)
Horatio expresses his concern that if Hamlet sees and speaks to the ghost of his father, he
could be driven mad. However, Hamlet refuses to listen to Horatio and follows the ghost so
that he can speak with him privately. After his exit, Horatio speaks again, and although he
does not use the word 'madness' specifically, he refers to Hamlet's state of mind: 'He waxes
desperate with imagination' (1.4.64).

Here, 'waxes' means to grow or increase, while 'imagination' refers to the tendency to create
images or thoughts which are not associated with reality. In a modern context, the line

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means: He grows desperate with unrealistic thoughts, or madness. Horatio refers directly to
Hamlet's state of mind. It is here that the audience begins to wonder: Is Hamlet really crazy,
or is he simply emotionally distraught at the idea of seeing his father's ghost?

Polonius and Madness

Horatio is not the only character on stage who asks this question. Polonius undoubtedly
believes that Hamlet is mad, as seen in this quote, spoken to Queen Gertrude:

'…Your noble son is mad - 

'Mad' I call it, for to define true madness,
What is't but to be nothing else but mad?'  (2.2.93-5)

Hamlet's To Be Or Not To Be Soliloquy: Meaning & Overview

'To be or not to be' is one of the most popular lines in English literature. It is the beginning of
a soliloquy by Hamlet in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Learn more about Hamlet's
soliloquy in this lesson.

Hamlet & Soliloquies

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed and stressed out? Do you take a break until the
feeling passes or do you try to relax and find ways to reduce your stress? For some, their
feelings become so overwhelming that they think about the state of their life.

In William Shakespeare's popular play Hamlet, the main character, Hamlet, experiences deep

feelings of grief and loss following the death of his father. This is a coming of age story about
a young man overcoming the growing pains of life. Hamlet's behavior after his father's death
is disturbing to those around him, including his mother.

At one point, Hamlet gives a soliloquy, speaking his thoughts aloud even though he is alone.
His speech, which begins with the phrase 'To be or not to be', has become one of the most
popular soliloquies in all of literature. There are a number of different interpretations of
Hamlet's speech but the basis of the message remains the same. In his speech, Hamlet
questions the need to live or die.

Meaning
Hamlet's mother Gertrude and his uncle Claudius are concerned about his bizarre behavior
following the death of his father. In order to determine Hamlet's course of thinking, Claudius
has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of his workers, try to determine what is wrong with
Hamlet. He also asks Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, to try to determine what is bothering
Hamlet. Polonius, Ophelia's father, believes Hamlet's behavior is the result of being in love
with his daughter Ophelia.

In Act III Scene 1, Hamlet utters the famous lines, 'to be, or not to be: that is the question,
whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to
take arms against a sea of troubles'(lines 59-61). When Hamlet speaks these lines he is
thinking that death is an option for his life. He believes men typically have hard lives and
states, 'The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' contrasts with a life which consists of a
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'sea of troubles' (lines 62-63). Hamlet is so conflicted after the death of his father that he
weighs the benefits and drawbacks of living and dying.

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