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Overview
Synopsis
All is not well in the world of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. He has just been hurried back home from University to learn that his father the King (Hamlet Sr.) is dead, and that his mother has already jumped into “incestuous sheets” (I.i) by marrying his father’s brother, Claudius, thus making him the new King of Denmark. In short order, the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to tell him that Claudius is responsible for his death and to urge him to take revenge. Hamlet is plunged into philosophical paralysis, at first utterly resolved to carry out his dead father’s wishes, and then vacillating continuously between action and inaction. Finally, he has the idea to have a group of traveling players play the scene of his father’s murder before his uncle in theatrical form, thus forcing him to admit his guilt. He does so, and once it becomes certain that Claudius committed the atrocity, Hamlet angrily confronts his mother for mindlessly shacking up with his father’s murderer. In a rage, he accidentally murders Polonius, his girlfriend Ophelia’s father, causing her to go mad and drown herself. The bloodbath continues: Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, comes to take revenge on Hamlet, and both of them are fatally injured in a duel; Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, drinks poison that Claudius intended for Hamlet; and Hamlet manages to get one last (fatal) shot in at Claudius shortly before his own death. In the play’s final moments, Hamlet begs his friend Horatio to “draw thy breath in pain / To tell my story” (V.ii). Shakespeare’s longest and most frequently performed play, Hamlet is one of the most influential works in the English literary canon.
Show Information
- Book
- William Shakespeare
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 5
- First Produced
- 1601
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- danish court of elsinore
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Large Cast, Professional Theatre, College/University, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters
Context
Hamlet was written and performed in the final years of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote the manuscript during 1599-1600 and it was first performed the following year. It was published in printed form in 1603 and appeared in an enlarged edition in 1604. The play ends with the death of the Hamlet family line, reflecting the position of the monarchy within Britain at that time. Elizabeth I was the last of the Tudor dynasty and she was aging without an heir. Her
to read the context for Hamlet and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Hamlet opens as the sentry, Francisco, is keeping watch over the castle at Elsinore. He is shortly relieved by Barnardo, who is then joined by Horatio and Marcellus. Barnardo and Marcellus reveal that they saw an apparition and, no sooner have they revealed this, than the Ghost of the late king of Denmark appears before quickly disappearing. Horatio recognizes the Ghost’s armor and realizes that it is the same armor that the King wore when he fought Norway in battle. The three
to read the plot for Hamlet and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Ensemble |
Either or Both |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A character who contrasts with another character, intended to better reveal certain qualities of these characters.
A succession of rulers from the same family.
The Queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the monarch for most of Shakespeare's playwriting career.
Referring to life in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, 1558-1603.
A philosophical theory which emphasizes the existence of the individual person with their own free will.
A London playhouse built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's playing company.
A company of theatre players in London, for whom Shakespeare wrote most of his plays.
Deep sadness or somber thoughtfulness.
An investigation of truth, existence, or morality that uses rational and logical thought
The protagonist, called to revenge by someone who has been wronged (usually the ghost of a family member).
A speech given by a character that reveals inner thoughts only shared with the audience.
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