Inglese per verifica (Hamlet and Macbeth)

1601  first representation of Hamlet

Jacobean age  Hamlet belongs more to this part than to the Elizabethan one
Source of the play  another play telling the story of a danish prince called Hamlet,
performed in the Elizabethan theatres between 1580 and 1590
Author of the similar play: Thomas Kidd  was interested in revenge plays
Many scholars agreed that this was one of the most lightly sources for Hamlet
there is no printed version of Thomas Kidd play

The plot
Main character = Hamlet
The play is set in Denmark, in the castle of Elsinore
When the play begins, Hamlet’s father has already died  the action that propels the
play comes before the play itself
The ghost of Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet) appears in front of the guards of Elsinore
castle, who, frightened, decide to call Hamlet.
Hamlet meets the ghost, who reveals him that he was killed by his brother, Claudius,
Hamlet’s uncle and also Hamlet’s mother Gertrude’s new husband.
The ghost asks Hamlet to revenge him for his death. Hamlet, though, is not sure
about the ghost’s words, so he doesn’t want to do anything before he knows whether
the ghost has said the truth or not.
For this reason, he starts acting strange, he is really confused, so he pretends to be
mad: this is his way to hide his feelings, in order to observe Claudius to discover his
plans.
Hamlet is in a relationship with Ophelia, Laertes sister (Laertes = Hamlet’s best
friend). Hamlet rejects Olivia, terminating his relationship with her, with no reason.
Rejection of Olivia  one of the weird actions
Ophelia’s father = Polonius (Claudius counsellor)  thinks that Hamlet’s love for
Ophelia has led him to madness  to explain his strange behaviour
Hamlet  isolates himself from society
By chance  company of traveling actors arrives at the castle, wanting to stage a
play
Play  “The murder of Gonzago”  tells a similar story to the one that Shakespeare
tells us in Hamlet
Hamlet decides to use this play as a way to test Claudius  to see how he reacts to
the performance of the story of a brother who kills the king and takes his wife
PLAY WITHIN THE PLAY  mise en abyme = the story narrated by the book is
rehearsed by another story within the frame that has a similar plot
Hamlet = metadramatic play  that reflects on its own medium (theatre)
Claudius  during the representation of the play  affected by the actions of the
play  he rises and rushes out of the room
Hamlet  understands that Claudius is guilty
After that, Hamlet wants to tell his mother what he understood. While he is in his
mother’s room, he hears a noise that comes from behind the curtain.
He kills the person behind the curtain thinking it’s Claudius, but it’s Polonius. This is
the first of the murders by Hamlet, even if it’s not intended.
Claudius  decides to send Hamlet to England in the company of two friends of him,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who have the secret order to kill Hamlet while in
England.
While Hamlet’s in England, Ophelia commits suicide.
Hamlet returns to England because of a pirate attack to his ship.
At this point, Claudius wants to make sure that Hamlet dies, so he tells Laertes’ that
Hamlet is responsible for the death of both his father and his sister; Laertes wants to
take revenge, so the two of them fight a duel which they think it’s an honest one.
Though, Laertes doesn’t know that his sword he’s using has been poisoned.
Claudius also has a backup plan, so if Hamlet survives he’s going to offer him a
poisoned goblet of wine.
The first hit is won by Hamlet, so Claudius offers him the goblet; but, when Hamlet
denies, Gertrude takes the goblet, immediately dying.
During the duel, Hamlet takes hold of the sword used by Laertes and he stabs him.
Laertes reveals Hamlet that Claudius had put poison in the goblet, so he’s responsible
for the queen’s death, and then he dies.
Hamlet  even though Laertes had succeeded in wounding him, he doesn’t die
immediately  he stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and then forces him to
drink the rest of the poisoned wine.
Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies right after achieving his revenge.
Genre of this play  revenge tragedy  really popular genre in the Elizabethan age