The Tragedy Of Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

I.

a) Time: Sixteenth Century

b) Place: Denmark

c) Preliminary situation: King Hamlet, King of Denmark is killed. Hamlet the

Prince's uncle,

Claudius, receives the throne and marries Queen Gertrude.

II.

a) Initial Incident: A ghost appears to Marcellus and another guard who decide to inform Hamlet of it's presence.

b) Rising Action:

1.2 Claudius, the new King, is holding court and thanks his subjects for their support. He then sends an ambassador to Norway to protect from an invasion from Fortinbras, Hamlets second cousin. He gives Laertes permission to return to France but will not allow Hamlet to go to Wittenburg. Hamlet feels alone and is upset that his mother married so shortly after her husband's death.

The guards arrive and tell Hamlet about the ghost and Hamlet agrees to join them that night in search of the ghost, his father.

1.3 At Polonius's room, Laertes says good-bye to his sister Ophelia and tells her not to trust Hamlet. Polonius arrives and says good-bye Laertes and offers him advice. He then talks to Ophelia about not seeing Hamlet and then orders her stay away from him.

1.4 Claudius is drinking the night and Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus see the ghost again. The ghost signals to Hamlet to come, but the others try and hold him back. Hamlet struggles free and moves towards the apparition.

1.5 The ghost tells Hamlet that he is the spirit of his father and that he was not poisoned, but murdered. He demands that Hamlet avenge his death by murdering the killer, King Claudius. Hamlet promises to get revenge and orders the other to swear they haven't seen anything with the help of the ghost.

2.1 Polonius sends his servant, Reynaldo, to Paris to spy and ask about

Laertes. Ophelia then enters the room and tells her father that Hamlet was visiting and was completely mad. Polonius believes that Hamlet has gone crazy due to the rejection from Ophelia and rushes off to inform the king.

2.2 King and Queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, old school buddies, to spy on Hamlet and determine why he has gone crazy. Polonius tells everyone that Hamlet is crazy because of unreturned love. Claudius isn't quite convinced that Hamlet really is crazy but agrees to help Polonius spy on him.

Hamlet, when confronted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, pretends to be mad so no one will find out about the ghost and what Hamlet knows. Then, a group of touring actors enters the scene and Hamlet makes one of them recite a speech he likes. When finished, Hamlet realizes that the actor read the speech with more