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Hamlet Summary
A ghost haunts Elsinore, the Royal Castle of
Denmark. The elder Hamlet, King of Denmark, has been killed by Claudius,
his own brother; and now, a few months later, Claudius has wed the elder
Hamlet's widow, Gertrude. The Ghost of the senior Hamlet returns with a
message for his son, also named Hamlet: Revenge me; kill Claudius! The
younger Hamlet-never fond of his uncle's betrothal to his mother-hides his
newfound purpose behind a mask of insanity. |  |
In this guise he taunts Polonius, a counselor to Claudius, and then abuses Ophelia, Polonius's daughter, who has fallen in love with Hamlet. To confirm his suspicion of Claudius, Hamlet asks a traveling troupe of players to reenact his father's murder. When Claudius, upon seeing the play, acts even more suspiciously, Hamlet decides the time is ripe for action. He finds Claudius alone; however, upon seeing that Claudius is praying, he pulls back from slaying him, fearing that if Claudius dies at that pious moment, he will go to heaven. Hamlet
 | proceeds to his mother's room, rails against her villainy in marrying his uncle, and in the throes of passion, mistakenly kills the concealed Polonius. The Ghost returns to remind Hamlet of his duty. Meanwhile, Ophelia, having truly lost her mind, drowns herself in her misery. Claudius sends Hamlet to England, supposedly for protection, but really as an excuse to have him killed; with the help of pirates, Hamlet returns to Denmark unharmed. When Laertes, son of Polonius and brother to Ophelia, discovers the destruction of his family, he in turn scuffles with Hamlet, briefly reconciles with him, and then challenges him to a duel. But it will not be a fair fight: Laertes conspires with Claudius to poison Hamlet. In the course of their duel, first Laertes, then Gertrude, and then Hamlet are all poisoned. In a last desperate stroke, Hamlet finally kills Claudius. The kingdom falls into the hands of Fortinbras, whose father had lost his land and his life in a duel with old Hamlet many years earlier. |
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