Hamlet Summary

The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing
the new king, Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death,
and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet.
The play ends with a duel, during which the King, Queen, Hamlet's opponent and
Hamlet himself are all killed. 

Act I
Late at night, guards on the battlements of Denmark's Elsinore castle are met by
Horatio, Prince Hamlet's friend from school. The guards describe a ghost they have
seen that resembles Hamlet's father, the recently-deceased king. At that moment,
the Ghost reappears, and the guards and Horatio decide to tell Hamlet.

Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, married Hamlet's recently-widowed mother, becoming the

new King of Denmark. Hamlet continues to mourn for his father's death and laments
his mother's lack of loyalty. When Hamlet hears of the Ghost from Horatio, he wants
to see it for himself. 

Elsewhere, the royal attendant Polonius says farewell to his son Laertes, who is

departing for France. Laertes warns his sister, Ophelia, away from Hamlet and
thinking too much of his attentions towards her. 

This above all: to thine own self be true.

— HAMLET, ACT 1 SCENE 3

The Ghost appears to Hamlet, claiming indeed to be the ghost of his father. He tells
Hamlet about how Claudius, the current King and Hamlet's uncle, murdered him, and
Hamlet swears vengeance for his father. Hamlet decides to feign madness while he
tests the truth of the Ghost's allegations (always a good idea in such situations). 

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1984

Act II
According to his plan, Hamlet begins to act strangely. He rejects Ophelia, while
Claudius and Polonius, the royal attendant, spy on him. They had hoped to find the
reason for Hamlet's sudden change in behaviour but could not. Claudius summons
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, old friends of Hamlet to find out what's got into him.
Their arrival coincides with a group of travelling actors that Hamlet happens to know
well. Hamlet writes a play which includes scenes that mimic the murder of Hamlet's
father. During rehearsal, Hamlet and the actors plot to present Hamlet's play before
the King and Queen.  

Act III
At the performance, Hamlet watches Claudius closely to see how he reacts. The play
provokes Claudius, and he interrupts the action by storming out. He immediately
resolves to send Hamlet away. Hamlet is summoned by his distressed mother,
Gertrude, and on the way, he happens upon Claudius kneeling and attempting to
pray. Hamlet reasons that to kill the King now would only send his soul to heaven
rather than hell. Hamlet decides to spare his life for the time being.  

Royal Shakespeare Company, Courtyard Theatre, 2008

Polonius hides in Gertrude's room to protect her from her unpredicatable son.
When Hamlet arrives to scold his mother, her hears Polonius moving behind the
arras (a kind of tapestry). He stabs the tapestry and, in so doing, kills Polonius. The
ghost of Hamlet's father reappears and warns his son not to delay revenge or upset
his mother. 

What a piece of work is man!

— HAMLET, ACT 2 SCENE 2

Act IV
Hamlet is sent to England, supposedly as an ambassador, just as King Fortinbras of
Norway crosses Denmark with an army to attack Poland. During his journey, Hamlet
discovers Claudius has a plan to have him killed once he arrives. He returns to
Denmark alone, sending his companions Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their
deaths in his place. 

Rejected by Hamlet, Ophelia is now desolate at the loss of her father. She goes mad
and drowns. 

Royal Shakespeare Company, Swan Theatre, 2006

What dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal
coil, must give us pause.

— HAMLET, ACT 3 SCENE 1

Act V
On the way back to Denmark, Hamlet meets Horatio in the graveyard (along with a
gravedigger), where they talk of the chances of life and death. Ophelia's funeral
procession arrives at the very same graveyard (what luck!). Hamlet confronts
Laertes, Ophelia's brother, who has taken his father's place at the court. 

A duel is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes. During the match, Claudius
conspires with Laertes to kill Hamlet. They plan that Hamlet will die either on a
poisoned rapier or with poisoned wine. The plans go awry when Gertrude unwittingly
drinks from the poisoned cup and dies. Then both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded
by the poisoned blade, and Laertes dies. 
Hamlet, in his death throes, kills Claudius. Hamlet dies, leaving only his friend
Horatio to explain the truth to the new king, Fortinbras, as he returns in victory from
the Polish wars.

Recap
Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. His father was the King, but he died before the play
begins. He was mourning his father who has been killed. Hamlet’s uncle Claudius
has taken over as King and married Hamlet’s Mother, Gertrude. May sama ng loob si
Hamlet sa kaniyang ina because she’s lacking of loyalty.

At the beginning of the play, a ghost appears to some soldiers and kamukha sya ng
father ni Hamlet, the dead King. Napagkasunduan ng mga sundalo na sabihin ito kay
Hamlet.

Claudius tells Hamlet he has to stop acting so sad about his father’s death. Hamlet
says he will, but when he’s by himself, he says that he’s disgusted that his mother
married Caludius.

Hamlet’s girlfriend is Ophelia. Her father is Polonius and her brother laertes try to
convice her that Hamlet doesn’t love her. Because they think Hamlet as a Prince who
cannot marry whoever he wants. Sa point of view nila ay kapag mataas ang estado
sa buhay or galing sa royal family, ang mapapangasawa dapat ay kalevel ng
kanilang status. So, they also think he’s more likely to seduce her than to marry her.
Ophelia agrees not to talk to Hamlet anymore.

Nagpakita yung ghost kay Hamlet, he informed Hamlet that he was poisoned by
Claudius, tapos inutusan nito si Hamlet na ipaghiganti sya. Hamlet swears to take
revenge. He mentions to the soldier that in the future, magiging effective yung mga
plano niya kung magpapanggap syang baliw.

Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet came to see her after she returned his love letters
and he seems insane because his clothes were messed up. He was trembling and
pale at mukha siyang takot na takot. Polonius now thinks Hamlet really did Ophelia.
Galit na galit siya kase nireject sya ni Ophelia.

Caludius and Gertrude asks Rozencrantz and Giuldenstern, mga kaklase ni Hamlet
sa school. They asked them to spend time with him and try to find out why he’s been
acting crazy.

Rozencrantz and Giuldenstern try to cheer Hamlet by telling him the group of actors
arrived at the castle. Naisip ni Hamlet na he will have the actors perform a play that
mimics the murder of his father. Gusto niya makita kung si Claudius ay magrereact
dito. Siguro he wants to see if Claudius will show some guilt. He says the ghost might
actually be a lying devil. So yung reaction ni Claudius sa play ang magcle- clear up
ng mystery.

Caludius, Gertrude, and Polonius want to test the theory that Hamlet is acting crazy
so nagspy sila habang nag uusap si Hamlet at si Ophelia. Hamlet is being nasty to
Ophelia, sinabi pa nitong she should pursue to become a nun instead. After hearing
this, they concluded that Hamlet is not in love to Ophelia.
He does think Hamlet is obssessed with something and since he thinks Hamlet
poses a threat to him. So yan na nga, napapagtagni tagni na ni Claudius yung mga
binabalak o pinaplano ni Hamlet. Kaya minabuti niyang ipadala si Hamlet sa
England.

The actors performed the play as what Hamlet requested. When Claudius sees a
scene where a king is murdered by having a poison poured in his ear. He becomes
so upset kaya umalis siya don sa play. Nakita ni Hamlet yung reaction niya. Kaya
naproved niya na si Caludius nga yung pumatay sa tatay niya.

CLAUDIUS TRIES TO PRAY

Noon mag-isa lang si Claudius, he admits that he killed the father of Hamlet. He tries
to pray for forgiveness but he can’t seem to make himself do it. Pumasok si Hamlet
don sa room tapos may dala dala siyang sword. But he decides not to kill him dahil
sa tingin niya Claudius will go straight to heaven kung mamamatay siya habang
nagdadasal. Gusto niyang mapunta si Claudius sa hell and pay what has been done.
Hamlet goes to see his mother.

HAMLET STABS POLONIUS THROUGH THE ARRAS

Hamlet goes to see his mother not knowing that she’s given Polonius permission to
hide behind the curtain or parang tapestry and listen to their conversation. Pinaupo
niya ito and tells her na hindi siya aalis hangga’t di niya napapatunayan kung gaano
sya (Gertrude) kasama. Getrude gets frightened kaya humihingi na siya ng tulong sa
iba. While Hearing her, tumawag na din si Polonius ng tulong. Akala ni Hamlet, si
Claudius yung nasa likod nong tapestry. Kaya napatay niya si Polonius.

HAMLET ACCUSES GERTRUDE

Hamlet tells his mother how it is she sleeping with Claudius. He doesn’t seem on his
right mind and and that he thinks Getrude knew about it. He focuses more on how
much better his father was. He tries to imply that his father was the glorius and tries
to make his mother promise not to sleep with Claudius anymore. Sinabi ni Getrude
kay Hamlet na he’s making her feel guilty. The ghost enters at pinagalitan nito si
Hamlet kase ang tagal daw nong hinihiling niyang revenge or siguro justice sa
pagkamatay niya. Nakikita ni Hamlet yung ghost pero hindi nakikita ni Getrude, and
that makes her think na nababaliw na si Hamlet. Umalis na si Hamlet hila hila yung
katawan ni Polonius.

THE DEATH SENTENCE

Claudius and Hamlet went to ENGLAND with Rosecrantz and Guilderstern. But when
he’s by himself, he says that he’s given Rosecrantz and Guilderstern sealed letters
ordering the king of England Hamlet to death immediately after opening the letter.

OPHELIA’S MADNESS AND LAERTE’S RETURN

Ophelia loses her mind dahil sa pagkamatay ng kaniyang tatay. Laertes returned to
Denmark with billion noise crowd of supporters. Sinisisi niya si Claudius sa
pagkamatay ng tatay nito and her sister’s insanity and he threathens to overthrow
him. Kinukumbinsi ni Claudius si Laertes na hindi siya yung may kasalanan at si
Hamlet ang dapat sisihin. So ngayon, parang malabo nang magkatuluyan si Ophelia
at Hamlet kase nga diba si Hamlet ang nakapatay sa tatay nila, although not
intentionally, but still he murdered him.

THE PIRATES
Horatio gets a letter from Hamlet saying that the ship he was on was attacked by
pirates. Hamlet was taken prisoner by himself and brought back to Denmark. Si
Claudius and Laertes ay nakareceive din ng letters from Hamlet at sinabi niyang he
was arrived back to denmark alone and will come to see Claudius the next day.

Ngayong alam na nilang hindi namatay si Hamlet sa England, they start plotting a
new way to kill him na magmumukhang aksidente lang ang lahat. Getrude brings the
news that Ophelia drowned in a stream.

OPHELIA’S FUNERAL
Two grave diggers talk and joke while digging Ophelia’s grave. Nakisabat sa convo si
Hamlet pero hindi niya alam na patay na si Ophelia. Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes
arrive to bury Ophelia. They lay her on the ground but before na tabunan si Ophelia,
Laertes leaps into the grave to hug her one more time. Doon pa lang narealize ni
Hamlet na si Ophelia pala yung inililibing. So he started swearing that no one loved
Ophelia more than he did. He jumps into the grave too and he and Laertes fight until
they are pulled apart.

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERSTERN ARE DEAD

Hamlet tells Horatio that on the way to England, he stole the letter that would have
sentenced him to death. And wrote a replacement telling the King of England to put
Rosecrantz and Guildertern to death instead. He managed to get free during the
pirate attack and then he returned to Denmark. A courier named was Osric interrupts
them to invite Hamlet to a fencing match with Laertes in front of the King and Queen.
Pumayag si Hamlet.

THE FENCING MATCH

Yung sword ni Laertes ay may poison that caused the death of Hamlet. Tapos si
Claudius naman nilaGyan ng lason yung wine. Parang his hitting two birds in one
stone. Hamlet gets the first hit and Claudius will give him a precious pearl as a
reward, Hinalo yun sa wine pero sinabi ni hamlet na di pa sya ready inumin un.
Hamlet gets the second hit. Gertrude picks-up the poisoned cup and drink from it
before Claudius stops her. Laertes finally get the chance to hit Hamlet with a poison
sword. During the match, they exchanged swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with
the poisoned one. Getrude collapses and says she’s been poisoned. Sinabi na ni
Laertes kay Hamlet na may lason ung sword at parehas silang mamamatay. Hamlet
stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword because he knows na plinano un ni
Claudius. Pinainom din niya ito ng poisoned wine, namatay si Caludius. Namatay din
si Laertes and said sorry for what he’s done. Hamlet tell Horatio to leave behind and
tell the truth about everything that has happened then Hamlet dies.

Dumating si Fortinbras, prince ng Norway at nakita niyang patay na ang buong royal
family, he declares that the kingdom is now himself.