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Hamlet Choice Board Assignment

I. Summary of the Plot

The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare is set in 16 th century Denmark, and revolves

around characters in the Danish royal family in Elsinore castle. The play begins with a tense

mood, as the guards Marcellus and Barnardo and Hamlet’s friend Horatio discuss the appearance

of a ghost matching the description of the recently deceased king. Horatio decides to inform the

grieving Prince Hamlet of the news, and the prince chooses to witness the ghost for himself. The

King’s ghost informs the prince that he was murdered by Claudius using poison, after which

Claudius took the throne and hastily married the king’s widow Gertrude. The major conflict in

the play revolves around the protagonist Hamlet, and the antagonist Claudius, as Hamlet tries to

confirm the new King’s guilt in order to avenge his father. Meanwhile, Ophelia, the daughter of

the adviser Polonius, expresses her interest in Hamlet but she is cautioned by both Polonius and

her brother Laertes.

The rising action in the play begins in Act II when Hamlets sets in motion a plan to

avenge his father’s death. Hamlet appears to Ophelia in a state of madness, causing others in the

palace to question the Prince’s state of mind. To investigate Hamlet’s strange behavior, Claudius

invites Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, Hamlet’s friends to the palace. Suspicious of their
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presence, Hamlet resolves to stage a play that reenacts the king’s murder. Claudius reacts

strongly to the scene of the player king being murdered, confirming his guilt to Hamlet, who

resolves to kill him. Hamlet later engages in a heated conversation with Gertrude before

accidentally killing Polonius mistaking him for Claudius. This highlights the climax of the plot.

Claudius, concerned for his welfare after Polonius’ death, decides to kill prince Hamlet.

He takes advantage of Laertes’ grief and encourages him to murder Hamlet in a duel using a

poisoned blade. Meanwhile, Ophelia becomes devastated by her father’s death. Claudius further

plots to poison Hamlet with a congratulatory drink if Laertes fails to kill him in the duel. This

signifies the beginning of the falling action where the events of the rising action are

counterbalanced. Ophelia dies, and Hamlet and Laertes duel, wounding each other with the same

poisoned blade. Gertrude mistakenly drinks from the cup meant for Hamlet and also dies. After

wounding each other with the poisoned blade, Laertes confesses to Hamlet about his plot with

Claudius. Enraged, Hamlet attacks and kills his uncle, and then he succumbs to the poison,

leaving Horatio alive to tell his story. Fortinbras, the prince of Norway intent on avenging his

kingdom, arrives with his troops to find the entire royal family dead, and assumes the throne

after honoring Hamlet. The play emphasizes the themes of vengeance, power, and corruption.

Moral corruption is evident through the characters of Claudius and later Laertes, while the theme

of vengeance is perpetuated by prince Hamlet and the ghost King. The members of the royal

family thus embody the play’s themes, contributing to the fiery conflict between characters and

the tragic end of the narrative.

II. Letter to Laertes

(Sender Address)
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Laertes
Elsimore Castle
Denmark
Dear Laertes,
My name is (insert name), a senior high school student studying the tragedy of Hamlet. I

am writing to you to express my concerns about some of the decisions that you made in the play,

which contrast with the principles of loyalty and honor that define your character. These

concerns will help me draw conclusions pertaining to your role in contributing to the conflict in

the tragedy.

First, I understand the sorrow and suffering that accompanies losing members of your

family in such a short time span. However, before their deaths, you were an honorable character,

always focused on doing what benefits the family and being protective of your sister. However,

after the death of your father Polonius and Ophelia’s subsequent demise, your actions deviate

from honor. Why did you agree to take part in Claudius’ treacherous plan to cheat using poison

in an honorable duel? Did your thirst for revenge blind your judgment causing you to agree to

such a reckless and dishonorable plan? Were you afraid of Hamlet’s potential victory in the duel

and thus resulted to cheating? Hamlet may have exhibited symptoms of a mad person, but he was

cautious and calculated when it comes to attaining revenge. Readers of the play would expect

reckless and emotional actions from Hamlet, not from you. Did the tragic events inside the castle

drive you into an unstable state of mind like the prince?

I appreciate the fact that your actions later on reflected the true nature of your honorable

qualities. You decided to reconcile with Hamlet and make things right during your last moments.

What motivated the change of heart? Did you realize the severe consequences of your actions?

Or were you the only character who ultimately realized that vengeance is a double-edged sword
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that cuts both ways? Did you hope to achieve a favorable resolution to the tragedy during your

last moments? While it is understandable to show anger after losing loved ones, your actions

played a key role in fueling the conflict and in achieving a resolution.

Despite my familiarity with the plot, I hope to better understand the reasoning behind

your actions, because they provide valuable insights into the key themes of the play. Despite

your direct involvement in the conflict and resolution, your actions are complex, and

understanding your perspective can help shed light on the impact of your character on others and

on the larger plot of the revenge tragedy. Thank you for taking time to consider and respond to

my inquiries.

Sincerely,

(insert name).

III. Three Articles Related to the Play

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8d25wzd8wo

The BBC article focuses on a new performance that combines the play Hamlet and the

album “Hail to the Thief” by Radiohead. The two works are related because they have

overlapping themes on moral corruption and governance.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68262751

The article relates to Hamlet because it focuses on political revenge. The journalist Clare

Brown is persecuted for reporting on a government scandal, 1MDB, same as Hamlet who was

persecuted for choosing to investigate the King’s murder.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/aug/17/hamlet-review-downs-syndrome-

lyceum-edinburgh

The article deconstructs the performance of Hamlet, in which actors with Down’s

syndrome merge the tragedy of the depressed prince with the challenges of living with disability.

The deconstruction offers a fresh perspective into the experiences of people suffering from

disability or mental health challenges, similar to prince Hamlet’s despair and predicament.
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Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. 1623.