SUMMARY OF THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic,

political, and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally
described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the
Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature,
and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists, and
artists in human history thrived during this era (the law of Gravity –
Newton, the stars and planets – Galileo Corpenius, Kepler with those
about the orbits of planets), while global exploration opened up new lands
and cultures to European commerce (the discovery of Christopher
Columbus). The Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the
Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.
In England, Henry VII (1485 – 1509) was crowned by Henry Tudor to
establish the Tudor Dynasty and ruled the country for more than a century.
Henry VIII, a wilful and audacious man, came to the throne in 1509 =>His
divorce from his wife Catherine of Aragon was refused by The Pope =>
Not only defied the Pope and remarried, but also declared himself as
Supreme head of the Church in England.  Sir Thomas More – the
leading figure of the early Renaissance in England – was executed due to
his opposition to Henry’s divorce.
Edward VI – Henry VIII’s nine-year-old son came to the throne after the
death of his father but died prematurely in 1553 => The crown fell to his
older sister Mary (1553 – 1558) – the half-Spanish and a devout Catholic
offspring of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon => She married
Philip II of Spain and instituted a reign of terror against English
Protestants in attempt to return England to Catholic authority (Bloody
Mary).
After 5 years on the throne, Bloody Mary died and her half-sister
Elizabeth I (1558 – 1603) – Henry VIII’s daughter by his second wife –
Anna Boleyn – became Queen.
Only 25, she started one of the most glorious ages in the history of
England -> witnessed marvelous literary growth with 2 leading literary
figures Sir Philip Sidney (1554 – 1586) and Edmund Spencer (1552 –
1599) with numerous literary achievements such as Spencer’s masterpiece
The Faerie was written to dedicate to Queen Elizabeth, and the remarkable
dramatic works by William Shakespeare.

A BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, Eng.—died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), an
English poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in world
literature.
Shakespeare spent his early life in Stratford-upon-Avon, receiving at most
a grammar-school education, and age 18 he married a local woman, Anne
Hathaway. By 1594, he was a rising playwright in London and an actor in
a leading theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later King’s
Men); the company performed at the Globe Theatre from 1599.
The order in which Shakespeare’s plays were written and performed is
highly uncertain. His earliest plays seem to date from the late 1580s to the
mid-1590s and include the comedies Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Comedy
of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Approximately between 1600 and 1607, he wrote the comedies Twelfth
Night, All’s Well That Ends Well, and Measure for Measure, as well as the
great tragedies Hamlet (probably begun in 1599), Othello, Macbeth, and
King Lear, which mark the summit of his art.
Among his later works (about 1607 to 1614) are the tragedies Antony and
Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens, as well as the fantastical
romances The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.
He probably also collaborated on the plays Edward III and The Two Noble
Kinsmen. In 2010 a case was made for Shakespeare as the coauthor (with
John Fletcher) of Double Falsehood.
Shakespeare’s plays, all of them written largely in iambic pentameter
verse, are marked by extraordinary poetry; vivid, subtle, and complex
characterizations; and highly inventive use of English. His 154 sonnets,
published in 1609 but written mostly in the 1590s, often express strong
feelings within an exquisitely controlled form.
Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the age of
52. He is buried in the sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.

HAMLET
1. Author and work
Hamlet, in full Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, tragedy in five acts by
William Shakespeare, written about 1599–1601 and published in a quarto
edition in 1603 from an unauthorized text, concerning an earlier play. The
First Folio version was taken from a second quarto of 1604 that was based
on Shakespeare’s papers with some annotations by the
bookkeeper. Hamlet is considered among the "most powerful and
influential tragedies in the English language", with a story capable of
"seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others".
Many works have been pointed to as possible sources for Shakespeare's
plays—from ancient Greek tragedies to Elizabethan plays. The editors of
the Arden Shakespeare question the idea of "source hunting", pointing out
that it presupposes that authors always require ideas from other works for
their own, and suggests that no author can have an original idea or be an
originator. When Shakespeare wrote, there were many stories about sons
avenging the murder of their fathers, and many about clever avenging sons
pretending to be foolish to outsmart their foes. The Hamlet story was
subsequently adapted and then published in French in 1570 by the 16th-
century scholar François de Belleforest. It has several plot elements and
major characters in common with Shakespeare's Hamlet and lacks others
that are found in Shakespeare. Belleforest's story was first published in
English in 1608 after Hamlet had been written, though Shakespeare may
have encountered it in the French-language version. Three different early
versions of the play are extant: the First Quarto (1603); the Second Quarto
(1604); and the First Folio (1623). Each version includes lines and
passages missing from the others.

2. Story summary: Hamlet includes 5 main events in 5 acts:

1/ Act 1: As Shakespeare’s play opens, Hamlet is mourning his father,
who has been killed, and lamenting the behavior of his mother, Gertrude,
who married his uncle Claudius within a month of his father’s death. The
ghost of his father appears to Hamlet, informs him that he was poisoned
by Claudius, and commands Hamlet to avenge his death.

2/ Act 2: Hamlet’s dearest friend, Horatio, agrees with him that Claudius
has unambiguously confirmed his guilt. Driven by a guilty conscience,
Claudius attempts to ascertain the cause of Hamlet’s odd behavior by
hiring Hamlet’s onetime friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on
him.
3/ Act 3: Hamlet contrives a plan to test the ghost’s accusation. With a
group of visiting actors, Hamlet arranges the performance of a story
representing circumstances similar to those described by the ghost, under
which Claudius poisoned Hamlet’s father. When the play is presented as
planned, the performance unnerves Claudius.
4/ Act 4: Moving swiftly in the wake of the actors’ performance, Hamlet
confronts his mother in her chambers with her culpable loyalty to
Claudius. When he hears a man’s voice behind the curtains, Hamlet stabs
the person he understandably assumes to be Claudius. The victim,
however, is Polonius, who has been eavesdropping in an attempt to find
out more about Hamlet’s erratic behavior. This act of violence persuades
Claudius that his own life is in danger. He sends Hamlet to England
escorted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with secret orders that Hamlet
be executed by the king of England.
5/ Act 5: Upon his return to Denmark, Hamlet hears that Ophelia is dead
of a suspected and that her brother Laertes seeks to avenge Polonius’s
murder. Claudius is only too eager to arrange the duel. Carnage ensues.
Hamlet dies of a wound inflicted by a sword that Claudius and Laertes
have conspired to tip with poison; in the scuffle, Hamlet realizes what has
happened and forces Laertes to exchange swords with him so that Laertes
too dies. Gertrude, also present at the duel, drinks from the cup of poison
that Claudius has placed near Hamlet to ensure his death. Before Hamlet
himself dies, he manages to stab Claudius and entrust the clearing of his
honor to Horatio.

3. Story Analysis:
3.1 Setting:
In Hamlet, there are numerous references made to other countries which
include France, Germany, Norway, Poland, and England. Despite these
locations, the majority of the play occurs in and around Elsinore Castle,
located in Denmark. Elsinore is better known as Helsingoer to the Danish
population and to Shakespeare enthusiasts and the English, it is better
known as Elsinore.
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.
The setting of Denmark, perhaps Elsinore Castle creates a dark mood and
atmosphere to the play. In Act One of the play, Hamlet does his first
soliloquy 'To be or not to be' in the graveyard, as he contemplates life and
death which marks the type of mood that will drive the play.
The motifs of spying and deception in “Hamlet” are helped along
significantly by the setting, which includes the castle itself and multiple
chambers bearing scenes. In general, the close quarters of the castle
provide a great opportunity for plenty of eavesdropping between
characters. However, a closer look at specific scenes highlights even
further Shakespeare’s use of setting to be successful with these themes.

3.2. Plot
- Exposition: The play begins with the exposition, which introduces the
characters, setting, and initial situation. In "Hamlet," the exposition
establishes that King Hamlet has died, and his widow, Queen Gertrude,
has married his brother, Claudius. The audience learns that Hamlet is
deeply troubled by his father's death and is struggling to come to terms
with the new situation in Denmark.
- Complication: The complication occurs when Hamlet discovers that his
father was murdered by Claudius. This revelation creates a complex
situation in which Hamlet must decide how to respond. He becomes
obsessed with revenge but struggles with doubts and indecision, leading
him to act erratically and feign madness.
- Conflicts: There are several conflicts in "Hamlet," including the conflict
between Hamlet and Claudius, as well as the conflict between Hamlet and
Polonius, Ophelia's father. Hamlet's relationships with Ophelia, Gertrude,
and other characters also create tensions that contribute to the overall
sense of conflict in the play.
- Climax: The climax of "Hamlet" is the scene in Act V where Hamlet
confronts Claudius and finally achieves his revenge. However, this victory
is bittersweet, as Hamlet is mortally wounded by Laertes, who seeks
revenge for the death of his father. The climactic scene is charged with
tension and emotion, as the various conflicts in the play come to a head.
- Resolution: The resolution of "Hamlet" is somewhat ambiguous, as
many of the main characters have been killed. However, the arrival of
Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, suggests that there may be hope for the
future of Denmark. The play ends on a note of uncertainty, leaving the
audience to speculate about what will happen next.
Overall, the plot of "Hamlet" is masterfully crafted, with each element
building on the previous one to create a rich and layered narrative that
explores complex themes and emotions. The exposition sets the stage for
the story, the complication creates tension and conflict, the conflicts drive
the action forward, the climax provides an emotional peak, and the
resolution leaves room for interpretation and reflection.
3.3. Characters
• Hamlet (dynamic character): Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude,
the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius.
Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s
scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A reflective and
thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg,
Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash
and impulsive acts. He is consumed by grief, rage, and conflicting
emotions throughout the play. His intelligence and education enable him
to use language as a weapon. Hamlet's moral dilemma between his duty to
avenge his father's death and his moral code is central to the play. His
tragic flaw of indecisiveness leads to the deaths of many characters,
including himself. Hamlet's character is multi-dimensional, making him
one of the most psychologically complex figures in literature.
• Claudius (round and dynamic character): The King of Denmark,
Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play,
Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual
appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt
and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere.
• Gertrude (static character): Hamlet's mother and the Queen of Denmark.
She married Claudius soon after the death of her first husband, Hamlet's
father. She cares nothing for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man
has become a slave. Gertrude is shallow and thinks only about her body
and external pleasures. Like a child, she longs to be delighted. We do not
see much of her in daily activity, but if we could we would see a woman
enraptured by trinkets and fine clothes, soft pillows, and warm baths.
Gertrude is also a very sexual being, and it is her sexuality that turns
Hamlet so violently against her.
• Polonius (static character): The Lord Chamberlain of Denmark and
father of Laertes and Ophelia. He is a loyal advisor to Claudius but is also
somewhat nosy and meddling. He is portrayed as a foolish and pompous
courtier who values his reputation over the well-being of others. Polonius
is overly concerned with appearances and often gives long-winded and
nonsensical speeches. He is manipulative, particularly towards his
children, Ophelia and Laertes, whom he tries to control. Despite his flaws,
Polonius is also shown to be a caring father who genuinely wants the best
for his children. However, his meddling ultimately leads to their tragic
ends.
• Ophelia (round character): Polonius's daughter and Hamlet's love
interest. She is torn between her loyalty to her father and her feelings for
Hamlet. At the beginning of the play, Ophelia is portrayed as a dutiful
daughter who obeys her father and brother. However, after she falls in
love with Hamlet, she becomes conflicted between her loyalty to her
family and her feelings for Hamlet. This conflict causes her to become
emotionally unstable and ultimately leads to her tragic end. Throughout
the play, Ophelia's character evolves from a naive and obedient girl to a
troubled and distressed young woman. Therefore, she can be considered as
a dynamic character.
• Horatio (flat character): Hamlet's close friend and confidant. He is a
calm and rational voice in Hamlet's life. Horatio's role in the play is minor
and most critics agree that he is not developed beyond a character foil for
the great Prince. However, Horatio serves two purposes central to the
drama, and it is through these purposes that we can best discuss those
qualities that make Horatio memorable.
• Laertes (dynamic character): Polonius's son and Ophelia's brother. He is
passionate and impulsive, seeking revenge against Hamlet for the deaths
of his father and sister. He is portrayed as a loyal son and brother who is
quick to act on his emotions. Laertes is protective of his sister, Ophelia,
and concerned about his family's reputation. However, when he learns of
his father's death, he becomes consumed with the desire for revenge
against Hamlet, ultimately leading him down a path of recklessness and
self-destruction. Laertes can be considered a dynamic character because
his characterization evolves throughout the play from a loyal son and
brother to a vengeful and irrational individual.
• Fortinbras (static character): He is the Prince of Norway who seeks to
reclaim lands lost by his father in a battle with King Hamlet. Fortinbras is
an ambitious and determined character, willing to go to great lengths to
achieve his goals. He serves as a static character who remains focused on
his objectives throughout the play, despite the tragedies that occur in
Denmark. Fortinbras' actions and determination provide a contrast to
Hamlet's indecisiveness, highlighting the differences between
their approaches to achieving their goals. In the final scene of the play,
Fortinbras takes over the kingdom after the deaths of several main
characters, symbolizing the restoration of order and stability. Overall,
Fortinbras represents the theme of ambition and power in the play, serving
as a foil to Hamlet and highlighting the consequences of different paths
taken to achieve one's goals.
3.4. Themes
- Revenge: The theme of revenge is central to the plot of "Hamlet". The
play examines the desire for vengeance and its consequences. Hamlet
seeks revenge against his father's murderer, but his indecisiveness and
obsession with revenge ultimately lead to the deaths of many characters,
including himself.
- Madness: Another important theme in "Hamlet" is madness. The play
explores the concept of sanity and examines what happens when people
lose their grip on reality. Hamlet feigns madness, while Ophelia's madness
is genuine, leading to her tragic end.
- Betrayal: Betrayal is a recurring theme in "Hamlet". The play examines
the concept of loyalty and the consequences of broken trust. Characters
such as Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern betray Hamlet, leading to
disastrous consequences.
- Appearance vs Reality: The theme of appearance vs reality is also
explored in "Hamlet". Characters often use deception to manipulate
others, leading to a blurred line between what is real and what is merely an
illusion. This theme is exemplified by the character of Polonius, who is
overly concerned with appearances and often gives long-winded and
nonsensical speeches.
- Mortality: Death and the transience of life are also important themes in
"Hamlet". The play examines the fear of death and the uncertainty of what
lies beyond it. This is exemplified by Hamlet's famous soliloquy in Act
III, Scene 1, in which he contemplates suicide and the afterlife.
Overall, these themes contribute to the complexity and richness of
"Hamlet", making it one of the most enduring works of literature in the
English language.
3.5. Point of view
The point of view in "Hamlet" is primarily from the perspective of the
main character, Hamlet. The play is a tragedy, and it centers around
Hamlet's internal struggles and his reactions to the events that unfold
around him. The audience is given insights into Hamlet's thoughts and
feelings through his soliloquies, which reveal his innermost fears, doubts,
and desires.
In addition to Hamlet's point of view, the play also provides insights into
the perspectives and motivations of other characters, such as Claudius,
Gertrude, Ophelia, and Polonius. However, these viewpoints are filtered
through Hamlet's perceptions and biases, as he is the central figure in the
play.
Overall, the point of view in "Hamlet" is complex, as it shifts between
different characters and perspectives, but it is primarily centered around
the experiences and emotions of the main character, Hamlet.
4. Figures of speech
*Simile: “It is as easy as lying. Govern these ventages with your fingers
and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse the most
eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops.” - In this simile, Hamlet
sarcastically tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that playing a pipe is as
easy as lying (which they have been doing to him). He means, ironically,
that their lies sound as ridiculous as a person trying to play a musical
instrument without knowing how.
*Metaphor:
+ Shakespeare uses several metaphors in "To Be or Not to Be" making it
by far the most prominent literary device in the soliloquy. One of the first
metaphors is in the line "to take arms against a sea of troubles" wherein
this "sea of troubles" represents the agony of life, specifically Hamlet’s
struggles with life and death and his ambivalence toward seeking revenge.
Hamlet’s "troubles" are so numerous and seemingly unending that they
remind him of a vast body of water.
+ Another metaphor that comes later on in the soliloquy is this one: "The
undiscovered country from whose bourn, no traveler returns." - Here,
Hamlet is comparing the afterlife, or what happens after death, to an
"undiscovered country" from which nobody comes back (meaning you
can’t be resurrected once you’ve died). This metaphor brings clarity to the
fact that death truly is permanent and that nobody knows what, if
anything, comes after life.
*Metonymy:
+ Shakespeare uses the notion of sleep as a substitute for death when
Hamlet says, "To die, to sleep."- Why isn’t this line just a regular
metaphor? Because the act of sleeping looks very much like death. Think
about it: we often describe death as an "eternal sleep" or "eternal
slumber”! Since the two concepts are closely related, this line is a
metonymy instead of a plain metaphor.
+ Shakespeare employs metonymy with the phrase “incestuous sheets”
which replaces the word “marriage” to communicate Hamlet’s disdain for
the newfound pact. “Sheets” implies the notion of bridal sheets, which
symbolize the consummation of marriage.
*Synecdoche: The ghost of Hamlet’s father implies Claudius killed him.
He says: "So the whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death
rankly abused" to imply that the whole population of Denmark has heard
about his death.
*Personification: When Gertrude says: "come, come, you answer with an
idle tongue", it means she is saying that he answers with a foolish tongue.
Tongues can't be foolish. But the words that come from his mouth can be
foolish.
5. Literary devices
- Foreshadowing: The use of hints or clues to suggest future events. In
"Hamlet," one example of foreshadowing is when Hamlet foresees his
death and the tragedy that will befall Denmark.
- Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. For
example, the skull represents mortality, while the garden symbolizes
innocence and purity.
- Allusion: A reference to a person, place, event, or work of
literature. There are many allusions in "Hamlet," such as references to
Greek mythology, the Bible, and other works of Shakespeare.
- Irony: The use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite to their
literal sense. In "Hamlet," irony is used to great effect, especially in the
scenes with Polonius, whose long-winded speeches are often ironic.
- Motif: A recurring element or theme in a work of literature. In "Hamlet,"
motifs include disease, madness, and revenge, which are explored
throughout the play.
- Imagery: The use of descriptive language to create a mental image in the
reader's mind. An example of imagery in "Hamlet" is when Hamlet
describes the clouds as "Jove's couriers."
Overall, Shakespeare's use of literary devices in "Hamlet" contributes to
its reputation as one of the greatest works of English literature. These
techniques allow the play to explore profound themes and emotions,
creating a rich and lasting legacy.
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Phan Thanh Lộc Analyses content 3.3 –

5 of Hamlet

Lâm Thị Ngọc Trinh Summary of the

Renaissance + Slide
ppt

Nguyễn Thành Nhân Analyses content 1 –

3.2 of Hamlet